Gardening: Pat Munts offers strategies for weed control

As soon as we get a little warm weather, the weeds are going to explode out of the ground. It’s time to get your weed control plan in place.

There are two categories of weeds in my book; noxious weeds and obnoxious ones.

Noxious weeds are a group of legally defined weeds that are such a detriment to our local environment, economy and cultural use of land that they are under the control of the Spokane County Noxious Weed Board. Check them out.

The obnoxious weeds are all the rest of the common weeds that invade our yards and gardens. They are opportunists that thrive in full sun where there is little or no competition from other plants. Therefore, the goal of your weed abatement program is to cover those bare spots before the weeds can get a foothold.

If the bare spots are in your lawn then it’s time to improve your lawn maintenance program. Mow your lawn at a height of 2 to 3 inches, no shorter. This leaves enough leaf area to support the sod’s root system and by extension create a healthy lawn that will fill in the bare spots. Set your watering schedule such that water gets down 4 to 6 inches into the soil where the roots can take it in.

Apply a slow release fertilizer that will release its nutrients over several weeks. Fast acting fertilizers cause rapid growth that then stresses out the grass plants and reduces their vitality. A very dark green lawn is not a healthy lawn. Apply fertilizers in early spring, again in early June and then in September.

For major bare areas in a lawn you can overseed now while the weather is still cool. Core aerate your lawn first and then broadcast new seed onto the soil. Lightly rake it in and then cover it with a pelleted mulch. The mulch will expand and cover the seed to keep it moist until it germinates. Be sure to select the right seed for your project. If your lawn is in shady areas, use a shade tolerant seed.

For weeds in garden areas, apply 2 to 3 inches of compost, medium texture bark or shredded leaves or pine needles around the plants to block the sunlight. I have taken this strategy one step further. I no longer rake all the winter debris out of my beds. I simply rake it off the tops of the plants and let it lie. It has saved me hours of work.

If you must use an herbicide, choose one that will kill the weeds you have. If you need to identify your weeds bring them to the WSU Spokane County Master Gardener Clinic. Apply the herbicide according to the directions. Most herbicides need to be applied when temperatures are above 60 degrees to be fully effective. If you can just spot spray the weeds, do so. This reduces the overuse of the chemical and the potential for groundwater contamination.