Summer weed treatment is all about the long-game. Because temperatures are high and soil moisture more frequently low, the likelihood of turf damage due to herbicides is much greater, leaving you with spot treatment as your only line of defense until you can treat your entire yard again the following spring. But in order to purchase the right spot treatment spray, you’ll need to be able to identify the two types of weeds: broadleaf vs grassy.

Broadleaf weeds

Though broadleaf weeds vary in many ways, one trait they all share is wide leaves with a central main vein off which smaller veins will branch. Some of the most common broadleaf weeds in Western NC are chickweed, clover, and violets.

How to treat broadleaf weeds

Typically, general purpose (non-selective) post-emergent herbicides will do the trick. Post-emergent merely means that you’re treating the weeds after they’ve begun to grow, and the best time to treat broadleaf weeds is in from early to late fall when perennial species are storing energy reserves in preparation for winter.

But if you’re treating broadleaf in the summertime, remember the following tips:

• try to only use spot treatment, rather than blanketing your lawn
• spray enough to wet the leaf, not dowse it
• do not apply when soil moisture is low
• apply on clear days when temperatures are between 50º-85º
• don’t mow the treated area for at least three days after spraying

Grassy weeds

Grassy weeds are a bit more difficult to identify compared to broadleaf weeds, because, true to their name, they resemble desirable grasses with a single blade germinating from each seed. One of the most common grassy weeds in Western NC is crabgrass.

How to treat grassy weeds

The problem with treating grassy weeds in summertime is that even selective post-emergent herbicides (solutions specifically designed for particular weeds) may end up seriously damaging the turf. If you feel the need to spot treat your grassy weeds, be sure to use only the selective herbicide meant for the species in your yard. Then, when early spring hits, be sure to treat your entire lawn with a pre-emergent herbicide.

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