How to Kill Weeds and Maintain a Healthy Lawn in the Midwest

A vibrant, well-maintained lawn is a point of pride for homeowners and businesses in the Midwest. Yet, keeping it that way can be challenging, especially when battling weeds. 

Weeds not only detract from the appearance of a lawn, but they also compete with grass for vital nutrients, sunlight, and water.

Whether it’s clover, dandelions, or crabgrass, achieving a lush, weed-free lawn requires understanding how to manage and eradicate these persistent invaders properly. 

Understanding Weeds and Their Impact on Lawns

Before we delve into the methods of killing weeds, it’s important to understand what weeds are and how they affect your lawn.

Weeds are unwanted vegetation that grows in lawns, gardens, or landscapes and can rapidly take over if left unchecked. 

Some common types of weeds that invade Midwest lawns include: 

• Dandelions – Known for their bright yellow flowers, dandelions are perennial weeds that spread quickly. 
• Crabgrass – A fast-growing annual grass that competes with your lawn for space and nutrients.
• Clover – A broadleaf weed often found in lawns, with three-lobed leaves and white or pink flowers.
• Thistles – A prickly, aggressive weed that can be hard to control once established.
• Chickweed – A common, fast-spreading annual weed that can quickly cover bare spots in a lawn.

These weeds, among others, can cause significant harm to your lawn. They compete with your grass for resources, making it difficult for your lawn to thrive. 

Weeds can also damage the overall health of your soil, making it less suitable for grass to grow. This is why weed control is such an essential aspect of lawn care.

How to Kill Weeds: Effective Strategies

When killing weeds, several effective strategies can help you eliminate these unwanted plants while keeping your lawn healthy.

The best approach often depends on the type of weed you’re dealing with, the time of year, and the condition of your lawn.

Pre-Emergent Herbicides: Prevention is Key

Pre-emergent herbicides are one of the most powerful tools for weed control, especially when applied early in the growing season.

These herbicides stop weed growth by preventing the weed seeds from germinating, effectively halting the weeds before they can even emerge and stopping the problem before it starts.

How pre-emergent herbicides work is that they create a barrier in the soil that inhibits seed germination. Once a weed seed tries to sprout, the herbicide disrupts the growth process, preventing the weed from emerging.

However, they won’t kill weeds that are already growing, making timing essential. 

Best Practices for Using Pre-Emergent Herbicides:

Application timing

The key to success with pre-emergent herbicides is applying them at the right time. Timing is critical; applying too early or too late will reduce the effectiveness of the herbicide.

For lawns in the Midwest, this typically means you should spray the herbicide in early spring, just before weed seeds begin to germinate.

Late March to early April is often the ideal window, depending on local weather conditions. 

Proper coverage

Pre-emergent herbicides need to be applied evenly across your lawn for the best results. Uneven application can leave gaps where weeds can sprout.

Watering

After application, most pre-emergent herbicides need to be watered into the soil to activate them. The appropriate amount of water, according to the product’s instructions, should be used.

Common Weeds Controlled by Pre-Emergent Herbicides:

• Crabgrass
• Foxtail
• Goosegrass

Key benefits of pre-emergent herbicides:

• To stop weeds before they start growing.
• To reduce the need for post-emergent herbicides later in the season. 
• Safe for most types of grass when applied correctly.

Post-Emergent Herbicides: Tackling Weeds Already Present

When weeds have already sprouted and are actively growing, post-emergent herbicides become the go-to solution.

These herbicides are effective at killing weeds after they’ve established themselves.

Post-emergent herbicides come in two main types:

Selective post-emergent herbicides

These herbicides are formulated to kill specific types of weeds, such as broadleaf weeds, without harming the surrounding grass.

Selective herbicides are ideal for lawns since they target unwanted weeds like dandelions, clover, and chickweed while leaving your turf intact. 

Non-selective post-emergent herbicides

This weed killer will kill any plants they come into contact with including your grass.

Non-selective herbicides are usually reserved for areas where total vegetation removal is desired such as cracks in driveways or around landscaping features or for spot treatments in a garden area where you plan to reseed or plant new grass.

Best Practices for Using Post-Emergent Herbicides:

• Timing: Post-emergent herbicides work best when applied during the active growing season when weeds are in a vulnerable state. Mid to late spring, summer, or early fall are good times to spray this weed killer, depending on the type of weed.
• Targeting specific weeds: For example, a broadleaf herbicide will control weeds like dandelions but won’t affect grass.
• Spot treatment: To avoid damaging your lawn, apply non-selective herbicides only as spot treatments, targeting individual weeds or small areas. This minimizes collateral damage to nearby plants. 
• Weather considerations: Apply post-emergent herbicides on calm, dry days to prevent the product from drifting to nearby plants. Also, avoid applying before rain to ensure the herbicide has time to work.  

Common Weeds Controlled by Post-Emergent Herbicides:

• Dandelions
• Clover 
• Chickweed
• Thistle
• Nutsedge

If you opt for post-emergent herbicides, carefully read and follow the instructions to ensure safe effective application. 

Manual Weed Removal: A Hands-On Approach

While herbicides are effective for large-scale weed control, manual removal is an excellent option for small infestations or when chemical use isn’t preferred or may not be practical.

This method involves physically pulling weeds from the ground, roots and all. 

Manual weed removal works because pulling weeds by hand ensures that the entire plant, including the root system, is removed. This is crucial for plants that can regrow from root fragments left in the soil such as perennial weeds.

Best Practices for Manual Weed Removal:

• Use the right tools: Simple hand-pulling can be effective for shallow-rooted weeds, but for deeper-rooted stubborn weeds like dandelions or thistles, a weeding tool or garden fork can help you get the entire root.
• Remove weeds when soil is moist: Weeds are easier to pull out after watering or light rain when the soil is slightly moist. This softens the ground and makes it easier to extract the root system from the surrounding soil.
• Dispose of weeds properly: Don’t leave uprooted weeds in your lawn, as some can re-root if left in contact with the surrounding soil. Bag them up and dispose of them or compost them if the seeds and roots are not viable. 

Best for controlling:

• Dandelions
• Clover 
• Thistle

While pulling weeds by hand can be labor-intensive, it offers an excellent chemical-free alternative for managing unwanted plants.

Organic Weed Control: A Sustainable Option

For environmentally conscious homeowners or businesses, natural weed-killing solutions provide a sustainable alternative to traditional herbicides.

Organic options may include the use of natural herbicides made from plant oils or acids, as well as cultural practices that promote a healthy lawn. 

Organic Herbicides: 

Corn gluten meal

A natural pre-emergent herbicide that can suppress the growth of weed seeds. It is safe for most grasses and works best when applied in the spring.

Vinegar-based herbicides

Vinegar, particularly those with a higher concentration of acetic acid (10%-20%), can be used as an organic weed killer.

These solutions work by drying out the weed leaves, eventually killing the plant. However, acetic acid can also harm grass, so it’s best used as a spot treatment. 

Table salt and boiling water

Another option for spot-treating weeds is applying a sodium chloride solution or boiling hot water directly to the weed, which dehydrates and acts as a weed killer.

Be cautious, as sodium chloride can make the soil unsuitable for future plant growth. 

Cultural Practices for Organic Weed Control:

Mulching

Applying a layer of mulch in the garden, flower bed, and around plants can help prevent weeds from growing by blocking sunlight.

Organic mulches also improve soil quality as they decompose such as wood chips, straw, or shredded leaves.

Proper lawn care

A thick, healthy lawn naturally resists weed growth. Practices like regular fertilization, mowing, and aeration promote dense grass, which outcompetes weeds for resources. 

Natural Weed Suppression: Ground Covers and Dense Turf

One of the most effective long-term strategies to kill weeds permanently is preventing weeds from ever taking root. This can be achieved by creating dense turf and planting ground covers in areas prone to weed growth. 

Ground covers:

• Clover: Many homeowners in the Midwest are turning to micro-clover as a ground cover to naturally suppress weeds. Clover fixes nitrogen into the soil, helping improve lawn health while crowding out invasive species.
• Other ground covers: For garden areas, low-growing plants like creeping thyme or sedum spurium can cover bare soil, minimizing the chances of weeds establishing themselves.

Promote dense grass:

Maintaining thick healthy grass is one of the best ways to prevent weeds. Regular overseeding can help fill any bare spots, making it harder for weeds to gain a foothold.

Flame Weeding: Heat-Based Weed Control 

For small areas or gravel driveways, flame weeding is an effective way to kill weeds without chemicals. This method uses a torch connected to a propane tank to apply heat directly to the weed, causing it to wilt and die. 

Best for:

• Driveways
• Sidewalk cracks
• Gravel pathways

Achieve a Healthy, Weed-Free Lawn With SunCo

While each of these strategies is effective on its own, combining methods often yields the best results.

For instance, using pre-emergents in the spring, followed by regular lawn maintenance and spot treatments with a post-emergent herbicide or manual removal, can significantly reduce weed populations over time. 

Working with a professional lawn care service ensures your weed control strategy is tailored to your lawn’s needs.

Contact SunCo today to learn more about how we can help you maintain a healthy, weed-free lawn all year long!

Call us at (402) 972-8603 or visit our website to schedule a consultation with our lawn care experts.