How to Get Rid of a Lawn Full of Weeds

All year long, we look forward to sinking our feet into lush, radiant green grass. But nobody wants stringy ivy, coarse clovers or fuzzy dandelions grazing your toes instead!

And once you've spotted one, you're sure to see more! Weeds seem to keep multiplying until they’re a huge, unattractive problem.

Luckily, you can bring your lawn back to life by ridding it of weeds and boosting your turf's health. Here’s how to get rid of weeds in your grass for good.

My lawn is all weeds. What should I do?

Taming a lawn full of weeds might feel daunting, but it’s all about keeping your turf as healthy as can be.

What's the best way to get rid of weeds permanently?

Even though we consider weeds a nuisance, they’re plants–just like grass, flowers or shrubs! That means they’ll grow just as thick and rampant as our favorite herbs if we let them.

So, the best way to get rid of weeds is to make your lawn an environment where it’s difficult for them to thrive.

Low-mowed grass, compacted soil and water-deprived turf all encourage weeds. Reversing these problems and maintaining a healthy lawn is the best way to permanently say goodbye to weeds.

Any tricks for killing weeds in the lawn without killing grass?

Pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides are designed just for this. Both are made especially for weeds. So, the pre-emergent for crabgrass or post-emergent for dandelions were created just for those plants. They won’t hurt your lawn (if applied correctly).

If you’re looking for natural ways to kill weeds, scroll on. And if you go that route, your lawn will be just fine.

How to Get Rid of a Lawn Full of Weeds

If weeds are starting to overturn your turf, here are four steps to stop them in their tracks:

1. Examine your lawn to figure out what weeds you’re dealing with. Since treatments are made to target specific weeds, you’ll need to figure out what’s plaguing your lawn before buying products.
2. Choose a treatment made both for the type of weeds and the stage they’re in. If you plan to target weeds in spring before the growing season, you’ll need a pre-emergent. For established weeds, get a post-emergent.
3. Kill the weeds by carefully following the directions for both how much product to apply and when to use. Read the bag at least three times before starting to be safe!
4. Keep up with a proper lawn maintenance schedule to help keep your lawn weed-free.
   • In the fall, seed your lawn and aerate if necessary.
   • Give your turf one last short mow and fertilization treatment before winter.
   • Come spring, start fresh with pre-emergent and hand pick any lingering weeds.
   • Mow your lawn regularly in spring and summer, being careful not to remove more than a third of grass at a time.
     
     

Can I get rid of weeds in a lawn naturally?

Yes! But it may take more time and effort. Spraying vinegar directly on weeds is a natural way to get rid of them. It dries out the plant leaves and kills what’s above the ground.

Also, pick vinegar that contains more than the standard 5 percent acetic acid. Head to a home improvement store instead of the supermarket to find vinegar with 10 to 20 percent acetic acid.

If you spray that, you can kill 80 to 100 percent of weeds’ top growth, found USDA research.

This method works best for a few weeds spread throughout the lawn. For larger spreads, it’s best to go with a safe, effective herbicide.

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