Weed killers contain potency synthetic chemicals that act quickly to eliminate vegetation. Unfortunately, they also pose risks of contamination to water supplies, wildlife injury and soil erosion over time.
Nonselective weed killers kill all plants they come into contact with, even healthy grass. This can damage soil health and deprive trees, flowers and shrubs of essential nutrients they need.
Weeds tend to spread much faster than grass or other vegetation, taking advantage of your soil’s resources such as nitrogen and potassium for their own gain before they are used by other plants.
Weeds are a natural part of your lawn
Weeds are an inevitable part of lawncare, yet few homeowners enjoy seeing them in their yards. Their presence can be unwelcome with yellow dandelions bursting through daisy-shaped blooms or long stalks of clover or even creeping bellflowers causing unsightliness.
If weeds are an issue for you, there are natural solutions available to control them without harming your grass. From planting seeds for native species that support improved soil health to pre-emergent herbicides that won’t harm them directly; there are plenty of effective and nontoxic ways of controlling them without hurting grass growth.
There are also ways to prevent weeds from sprouting and growing in the first place, including aerating your lawn, adding gardeners sulfur to lower the pH level and applying nitrogen-weighted fertilizers. If you opt for using weed and feed products, be sure to follow label directions precisely; excessive usage could harm nearby untreated plants.
Weeds are invasive
We all understand that for plants to flourish, certain conditions must exist, but did you know this also applies to weeds? Certain weeds need specific conditions in order to grow and others require specific times of year in order to die off – for instance dandelion or poison ivy that come back year after year require systemic herbicides that penetrate deep down through their root systems and poison it off without harming surrounding grasses.
Expert gardeners advise waiting until weeds have been stressed by lack of moisture, such as by drought. This allows their pores to open wider and take in more of the chemical being applied. Also, spraying when sunlight shines best as photosynthesis occurs at this time. However, certain products suggest not spraying within 24 hours due to rain potentially washing away all the chemicals applied at once.
Weeds can damage your lawn
Weeds compete with grass and other plants for water, nutrients and space. Furthermore, they carry diseases which harm lawns and plants – not to mention being consumed by people and pets alike!
Weed control is an essential element of lawn maintenance programs, but using the correct products is key. Selective herbicides like 2,4-D can effectively target specific weeds without harming grass plants nearby. Be sure to spray weeds on calm days so the product doesn’t spread and harm surrounding vegetation.
Hand weeding is often the best method for smaller lawns when it comes to targeting specific weeds. This approach works especially well when targeting annual broadleaf weeds such as chickweed. Plus, hand weeding won’t damage surrounding grass as much and is much safer for people and animals.
Weeds can damage your family
Herbicides used to kill weeds can be hazardous to both you and your pets. Their chemicals can pollute drinking water supplies and have adverse health impacts; in addition, they may damage desirable plants as well as pollute soil.
These chemicals may linger in the environment for years. Depending on their use, they can impact wildlife and plants that play an essential role in ecosystems; some chemicals even pose health threats to both people and animals alike.
Natural weed killers can be just as effective as commercial products, yet more environmentally and family-friendly. You could try making homemade bicarbonate weed killers at home that won’t contaminate the environment while remaining safe for children and pets. Be sure to apply it only during clear weather as rain could irritate other plants through spray drift. Cover desirable plants first with plastic sheeting for best results when applying the weed killer.