5 keys to controlling weeds, according to a USGA turf expert

With spring in the air, it’s time to get working on your game. And your lawn. John Petrovsky can’t help you with the former. But as manager of education for the USGA Green Section, he’s filled with wisdom on the latter. In a recent article for the USGA’s Green Section Record, Petrovsky went deep into the weeds on weed control. Here are 5 main takeaways.

1. Get ahead of the game

Waiting to deal with weeds until you see them in your yard is like yelling at your drive as it’s slicing toward the trees: By that point, it’s too late. The time to act is in advance, and the tool to use is a pre-emergent. As the name suggests, pre-emergents target weeds before they get established, just as the seeds have germinated. The best time to apply them depends on a range of factors, including climate, weather patterns, soil temperatures and the type of weed you’re looking to control. A term worth knowing is GDD, which stands for “growing degree days.” Tracking this metric will tell when it’s time to get your pre-emergent down. As with most things, you can do this through the ether with an online GDD tracker. Just input your zip code and some other basic info, then select 50 F temperature, and the tracker will tell you what to put down and when. Many granular fertilizers are chemically bundled with pre-emergent herbicides, which allows you to ‘weed and feed’ your lawn with a single application. Usually, these products get watered into the soil. You can do this yourself with sprinklers, or wait until rain is in the forecast. It’s the turf-care equivalent of killing two birds with one stone.

2. What to do when weeds appear

You can’t stop all weeds all the time. Almost invariably, some invasive grasses will make their way into your lawn, even if you’ve put down a pre-emergent. What to do when that happens? Pulling weeds is one way to go, if you’ve got the time and energy for the job. But a lot of weeds are stubborn. If manual labor doesn’t do the trick, you might consider using a post-emergent herbicide. There is a wide range of products in this category, and before you use them, you’ll want to know the type of grass you have and the kind of weeds you’re trying to control. It never hurts to ask an expert at your local lawn care store for guidance on what to apply and how to apply it.

3. Bolster your lawn’s natural defenses

When your body gets run down, it’s more susceptible to illness. Something similar is true of your lawn. The sparser it is, the more susceptible it becomes to invaders. One of the best ways to keep your turf lush and robust—and more resistant to invaders—is to avoid common pitfalls, such as mowing to the wrong height. Here, again, a lot depends on climate and turf type. For cool-season grasses, aim for a mowing height of around 3 inches. For most warm-season grasses, you can go lower, with a target height of 1.5. to 2. 5 inches. Shade and water are important factors, too. Not all turf types require the same amount of sunlight or irrigation. Knowing what kind of grass you have — and the kind of care it calls for — is essential to your battle against weeds.

4. Stick with it

Controlling weeds is like controlling your golf ball. Both take consistent effort. Quick fixes will only last so long. If your lawn-care regimen is paying dividends, keep doing what you’re doing. And if it’s going sideways? Don’t hesitate to ask for help at your local lawn-care store or through a university extension program.

5. Be realistic

Trying to keep up with the Joneses is tough enough. Trying to keep up with a superintendent is pretty much impossible. Greenskeepers are experts with ready access to expensive equipment, and even they lose some battles against weeds. If your lawn doesn’t look as perfect as the manicured fairways at the local club, give yourself a break. There’s no reason that it should.