Why Are Weeds Suddenly Growing in My Lawn?

If you’ve been one of the lucky ones, congratulations! You were one of those blessed homeowners who never seemed to be impacted by weeds, with not much more maintenance than your regular mowing and watering… until recently.

But now, you’re seeing weeds in your yard for the first time. And you’re wondering where they came from and if you need to consider weed control measures.

This blog is for anyone struggling with weeds for the first time and wanting to take control of your lawn.

Why Do Weeds Suddenly Appear in a Lawn?

The unfortunate truth is that there are any number of reasons that you might start struggling with lawn weeds out of nowhere for the first time. And identifying the cause is crucial to weed control.

There are many conditions that could cause this increase in the number of weeds. Here are just a few:

• Lack of fertility

• Heat or drought stress

• Insect damage

• Winter damage

• Lawn diseases

All of which result in a thin or weak turfgrass which can develop into large bare areas, which are an ideal home for these weeds to take over!

What Changed in Your Lawn?

Ask yourself if any of these changes could apply to you:

Bare or thinning grass

Does your lawn look a little thinner this year? Have you noticed new thin or bare patches in the yard?

A thick and healthy lawn is always your best defense against weeds. Healthy turf will naturally squeeze weeds out of your yard. At the same time, weeds are opportunistic, and they will flock to any thin or bare patches. Once they are there, they can thrive because they don’t need as much sun or water as desired turf grass.

Compacted soil

Soil can become compacted over time due to natural weather and foot traffic. When your soil becomes too compacted, it’s not able to absorb sun and water as well as it should. This can lead to the thin or bare patches we described above.

The healthiest weed-free lawns usually get professionally aerated once or twice a year.

Seeds travelling to your lawn

Broadleaf weed seeds can be very durable, which means they can survive travelling from one yard to another. This means you can get a weed seed in your yard through:

• Birds

• Water runoff

• Borrowed lawnmowers or other lawn equipment

Drought or heat weakened your turf

Some cities across North America are constantly seeing headlines that read “Hottest Day Ever,” while drought conditions and restrictions are becoming increasingly more common for others.

This means your lawn is likely having to stand up to more heat than ever, while it may be getting less water than it needs to thrive. And as we mentioned, weeds will take advantage and invade a weakened or bare lawn. They don’t need as much water as more desirable turf grass.

Improper mowing or watering

Many homeowners are surprised to learn how much control they have over the number of weeds in their yard, and how much impact their simple mowing and watering habits can have.

If you’re wondering how to mow your lawn the right way, follow these guidelines:

• Trim your grass to about 4” (or 10 cm) to ensure it has enough length to protect your soil

• Never remove more than one third of the blade

• Make sure your lawnmower blade is sharp so you’re cutting the grass and not ripping it

On the other hand, watering your lawn the right way is just as crucial. You will want to:

• Water deeply, but infrequently

• Aim for watering to 1½ to 2 inches (3 to 4 cm) of water every week

• Wet the soil to a depth of 3 to 4 inches (7 to 10 cm) each time

• Water your lawn between 5 and 9 am, not in the evening or afternoon

Maintaining these habits on a constant basis will help keep common weeds like dandelions out of your yard.

Why Weed Identification is Important Before Treatment

Different types of weeds require different types of treatments. There is no cure-all solution, despite what so-called weed-killer sprays at the hardware stores may promise.

How Do You Get Rid of Weeds Without Damaging the Lawn?

Off-the-shelf weed-killer sprays often contain harsh chemicals that can harm the healthy grass, and replacing a weed on your lawn with an ugly dead spot is far from ideal.

At Weed Man, we use selective herbicides that (as the name implies) control weeds without harming the turf, as long as you follow the label directions correctly.

At the same time, we’re like doctors. Our first rule is, “Do no harm.” We use Integrated Pest Management, which is an ecosystem-based strategy that uses a combination of:

• Biological control

• Habitat manipulation

• Resistant grass varieties

How Can You Prevent Weeds From Coming Back?

A healthy lawn is always going to be your best defense against any lawn weeds, diseases, or pests.

This means really locking in and committing to the right lawn care habits that lead to the best results. Your best weed defense strategy requires a combination of:

• Using the right fertilizer, the right way, and at the right time

• Mowing your lawn to the right height and not cutting the grass too short

• Getting into a regular watering routine, which includes watering at the right time and right amount

We’ve also found that homeowners who get a professional aeration once or twice a year also see the best results.

When Should You Call a Lawn Care Professional?

You definitely don’t want to wait for a weed infestation before reaching out to a lawn care professional. Talk to the pros immediately when you see the first signs of an invader in your yard… Or if you simply want to have the best lawn on the block.

FAQ About Lawn Weeds

Why did weeds suddenly appear in my lawn?

In most cases, weeds enter your yard one of two ways:

• Seeds travelling: Your lawn can pick up weed seeds through birds, wind, water runoff, or even borrowed lawn equipment like lawn mowers.

• Weakened turf: Weeds are opportunistic and will seek out thin or bare patches of your lawn. They will pounce on a lawn that is being neglected or experiencing heat or drought conditions.

Knowing how and why weeds are now popping up in your yard can be crucial to controlling them.

Can weed seeds remain dormant in soil?

The bad news is yes, they can. The deeper the seed, the longer it can remain dormant. Seeds buried below the germination zone can survive for years.

Does cutting grass too short cause weeds?

Cutting your grass too short can leave you vulnerable to several lawn problems, including a weed infestation.

Your lawn needs a healthy amount of grass to protect it from sun damage and foot traffic. Aim to cut your grass to about 4” (or 10 cm), and never remove more than one-third of the blade.