The warm weather has arrived, and with it, weeds are appearing on your property. These invaders will constantly try to expand, to the detriment of your lawn and plants. They will steal nutrients, take over the space and shade them.
All is not lost, however. When it comes to weed management, everything hinges on early season action and perseverance. This guide presents the best strategies for preventing infestation and effectively controlling different types of weeds, ultimately leading to a healthy garden and a healthy lawn that is easier to maintain.
Why act early in the season?
In spring, new weeds are young and their root systems are still shallow. This alone makes them easier to pull, less resistant to weeding and more susceptible to herbicides. At the seedling or rosette stage, their tender tissues eagerly absorb the products, resulting in increased effectiveness.
On the other hand, perennial weeds, having had other springs to establish themselves, have depleted some of their energy reserves during the winter and are investing in regrowth. They are more vulnerable, and treating them at this time hinders their ability to regrow.
Finally, by acting early, you also prevent flowering and seed production, which, in the case of some plants, occurs relatively early in the season. For dandelions, the peak flowering occurs in April and May, and their seeds are quickly dispersed by the wind. By preventing flowering, you reduce the number of weeds for subsequent seasons.
Weather conditions also contribute to excellent results. Wetter, more crumbly soils in the spring facilitate manual removal. This makes it easier to extract the entire roots and thus prevent the plant from regrowing. On the contrary, roots trapped in dry, hard soil are more likely to break, and the plant can regrow.
By controlling weeds early in the season, you encourage easy regrowth for lawns and other plants. Not having to compete for light, water and nutrients, they can focus all their energy on growing, thriving, flowering and producing!
Know your enemy to better defeat it
Understanding the type of weed you're dealing with allows you to adjust your strategy. Annuals (like amaranth and foxtail) germinate, grow, flower and go to seed in a single season. The goal is therefore to prevent them from self-seeding. The following spring, the parent plant will be gone, but all its seeds, having overwintered under the snow, will quickly be ready to invade your space.
Biennials form a rosette in their first year and flower the following year. It's best not to take any chances and treat them early, at the rosette stage.
Perennial weeds, finally, will return every year unless they are exterminated. They grow from roots, rhizomes or stolons left in the soil, each time larger, stronger and more firmly rooted. This is the case with dandelions, plantain and quack grass, which quickly reach formidable proportions if left unchecked. When the roots in the soil are the size of a carrot, pulling them up without breaking them becomes a real challenge. Selective herbicides then often become the only option.
The keys to an effective weed control strategy
Effective weed control relies on three essential keys. Acting early, meaning acting at the beginning of the season when weeds are young and their underdeveloped root systems don't yet allow them to establish a strong foothold in the soil. Acting effectively: adapting the strategy used to the type of weed enhances effectiveness. And finally, being consistent. Inspect your garden regularly, intervene frequently, and above all, never let them flower.
Here are several proven methods for weed control.
Manual removal
Manual removal is suitable for small patches and isolated perennials. For firmly established weeds, the various tools available on the market help remove more roots, including the taproot of dandelions.
For small weeds that have recently taken root in flower gardens or vegetable patches, a light hoeing can break their fragile roots and stop them from spreading. Repeat every 10 to 15 days for best results!
Tip: After rain, the looser soil makes it easier for roots to penetrate, especially in taproot perennials like dandelions. Their single root anchors the plant firmly and seeks water deep in the soil, making them difficult to pull up when the soil is dry.
Solarization or occultation
This method involves placing an opaque tarp or a transparent sheet (depending on the method) over damp soil in summer and leaving it in place for 4 to 6 weeks. (Note that for some invasive plants like Japanese knotweed, it may be necessary to leave the tarp in place for up to two years, with regular inspections.)
This method destroys seeds and weakens shallow roots. Similarly, smothering grass and weeds with cardboard covered in a thick layer of mulch is a quick and effective way to destroy existing vegetation before planting a new flower bed.
Selective herbicides
Selective herbicides target broadleaf weeds in lawns without damaging the grass. Effective at eliminating some tough weeds, they are applied to the top growth of actively growing weeds when no rain is forecast within 24 hours and the wind is light.
Offering a great alternative to weeding, the selective herbicide WEED OUT permanently eliminates weeds in lawns, penetrating to the root and preventing regrowth. Its effect is visible in just 24 hours. It is a simple, effective and quick option for achieving a healthy and uniform lawn.
Featuring an active ingredient derived from a plant hormone, WEED OUT eliminates the following weeds: dandelions, plantain, ragweed, white clover, hawkweed, black medic, cinquefoil and fall leontodon.
Pro tip: Avoid mowing the lawn 2 to 3 days before and after application to promote absorption.
Non-selective herbicides
Non-selective herbicides for weeds and grasses such as WIPE OUT can be applied everywhere except in lawns. Eliminating a wide variety of weeds, they are perfect for treating paths, borders, along foundations and fences, driveways, gravel walkways, etc.
WIPE OUT can also be used in flower gardens, protecting any plants you wish to keep and preventing runoff. Finally, since they leave no residual activity in the soil, it's possible to spray and plant on the same day.
Effective as soon as the temperature reaches 15 °C, it can be used early in the season, when young plants are more vulnerable and easier to eradicate.
WIPE OUT is the preferred option for controlling the following weeds and grasses:
- Quack grass
- Ragweed
- Dandelions
- Poison ivy
- Plantain
- Crabgrass
- Chickweed
- Ground ivy
- Amaranth
- Bindweed
- Algae, lichen, liverworts and moss
The importance of choosing the right strategy
Adapting the strategy to the type of weed enhances the effectiveness of weed control. For dandelions and plantain, two taproot perennials, it is crucial to remove the taproot as early as possible, before it becomes too strong. A targeted herbicide, applied at the rosette stage, often provides better results than pulling the weeds out.
For quack grass and rhizomatous grasses, avoid fragmenting the rhizomes and dispersing the fine roots through excessive tillage. The best options for getting rid of them involve depleting the plants' reserves by installing a weed barrier or applying a non-selective herbicide when they aren't growing in the lawn, or by mowing frequently when growth is active.
For summer annuals like amaranth and foxtail, frequent hoeing in May and June and the application of a thick layer of mulch give the best results. Consistency is key to preventing the plant from going to seed. Finally, for biennials like burdock (thistle) or wild carrot, the best strategy is to pull the plant out in its first year, when it's still in the rosette stage and before flowering, taking care to remove the entire root system.
How to get rid of weeds in your lawn
Unwanted plants are opportunistic and tend to appear when the lawn is weak or sparse.
To prevent weeds, it's important to keep your lawn healthy and strong. That's why you should inspect it frequently. By keeping an eye on your entire lawn, it will be easier to react quickly when you notice any changes.
Prevention remains the best way to stop weeds from taking hold.
In a thicker, longer lawn, weed seeds will find fewer bare patches to germinate. Here are our tips for simplified lawn care that help limit weed growth:
- Mow to a length of 7.5 to 9 cm, never cutting more than a third of the grass blade. This helps the lawn better resist drought and weed seed germination.
- Overseed in spring and late summer to fill in bare patches.
- Enrich the soil with compost or enriched topsoil to correct conditions that encourage weed growth.
- Fertilize 2 to 3 times a year for a stronger, more resilient lawn that is better able to compete with unwanted weeds.
- Ensure the lawn receives 2.5 to 3 cm of water per week (including rain). Water less frequently (1 to 2 times per week), but water deeply to promote the development of longer roots that can draw water and nutrients from deeper in the soil.
- Use WEED OUT to permanently eliminate weeds in the lawn.
How to prevent weeds in your flower beds
Once your flowers and shrubs are planted, cover the soil with 5 to 8 cm of mulch (but leave the crown of the plants exposed) to prevent light from reaching the soil. This will create a barrier to weed germination. Avoid leaving gaps in the planting areas and respect the recommended spacing. If the plants are not susceptible to fungal diseases, you can even plant them a little closer together. The smaller the space between plants, the less chance there is of weeds taking root.
For tough weeds like bindweed, where the roots are difficult to pull out, WIPE OUT is the solution. Protect nearby ornamental plants and avoid any runoff of the product. Also, avoid applying it on a windy day to prevent drift onto neighbouring plants.
Interesting fact about weeds
Most weeds only live for one season, which is why they tend to produce thousands of seeds that remain dormant. The dormant phase of these seeds can last for years. They are simply waiting for sunlight to germinate. This is why it's important not to disturb the soil, as this will activate the germination process.
How to prevent weeds in your walkways and on your patio
When creating walkways, installing geotextile fabric effectively separates the gravel from the soil beneath. To facilitate maintenance, keep the joints between the paving stones to a minimum and fill them with sand promptly. While masonry sand is inexpensive and commonly used, polymeric sand is a better option because it hardens when watered and is more resistant to erosion, ants and weeds. Each spring, check the joints and add more sand as needed.
In sunny walkways, weeds are less likely to grow. Shady paving stones that remain damp are more conducive to weed germination. WIPE OUT will make them easy to remove.
Tip: When planting near gravel walkways, paved patios or a permeable driveway, protect the surfaces with a tarp to prevent soil from seeping into the gaps, as this would facilitate weed growth.
Season after season: consistency makes all the difference
Keeping a small log of observed species, emergence periods and interventions helps adjust the schedule season after season. The golden rule: prevent flowering. Every plant removed before seed formation potentially eliminates thousands of seeds just waiting to germinate.
For weeds that haven't been removed, don't postpone the fight until next year. Fall is also a good time to treat with WEED OUT and WIPE OUT. At this time of year, plants are voracious. They store everything they can to build up the nutrient reserves needed to get through the winter. Herbicide included!
