Your thick, lush lawn is deeply satisfying. But lately, you’re seeing weeds pop up, and you need to get rid of them. Your neighbor and the guy at the nursery keep talking about broadleaf weeds. But what are broadleaf weeds, and why do you care? Can’t they just be pulled, like any other weed?
Unlike grassy weeds, broadleaf plants have wide leaves with a central vein running down the center, branching to form many smaller veins on each side. Broadleaf weeds are simply plants with these characteristics that grow in unwanted places, like your lawn. Unfortunately, many common broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions, chicory, thistle, plantain, and curly dock, also have deep roots that can regenerate the weed if a portion of the root is left behind. Worse, they also have many tiny seeds that are easily dispersed throughout your yard when you pull the weed.
Broadleaf weed control requires strategies specific to these hardy and resilient plants.
Identifying Broadleaf Weeds in Your Lawn
Common lawn weeds fall into two categories:
- Grassy weed: slim, grass-like leaves with hard-to-see veins running parallel down each leaf
- Broadleaf weeds: wide leaves with multiple visible veins branching from a central vein in each leaf
Grassy weeds include crabgrass, quackgrass, and foxtail. Effective weed control for grassy weeds has little effect on broadleaf weeds because the two types respond differently to herbicides designed for their unique structures.
The size, shape, and organization of broadleaf weeds vary greatly. For example, dandelions can grow more than two feet tall if left unmanaged, with long, deeply lobed leaves and a long, thick taproot that can reach 10 to 15 inches deep. Bright yellow flowers are soon replaced with many tiny seeds, each equipped with fluffy white fibers that catch the breeze to disperse far and wide.
But clover, another broadleaf weed, grows just four to eight inches tall and has small, trifoliate leaves and a shallow fibrous root system. Clover blooms are small, ball-shaped clusters of tiny pink or white tubular blossoms. Despite their differences, both broadleaf weeds are difficult to remove by hand-pulling because they can regrow from a small, broken portion of their roots left behind.
Methods for Controlling Broadleaf Weeds
Once broadleaf weeds have invaded your lawn, there are two primary methods for controlling them:
- Hand-pulling
- Herbicide
When pulling broadleaf weeds by hand, getting every piece of root is essential to prevent the weeds from coming back. This is challenging with deep tap roots, and even shallow roots may extend wide enough to escape your grip. A trowel or dandelion fork can help.
Timing is important for pulling broadleaf weeds. Be sure to get them long before the flowers set, or you’ll risk spreading the seeds.
Herbicides designed for broadleaf weeds are available in two types:
- Pre-emergent: prevents the weed seeds in the soil from germinating
- Post-emergent: kills existing, growing weeds
Timing is critical for using herbicides for broadleaf weeds. Pre-emergent herbicides for broadleaf weeds should be applied in early spring before the weeds appear. Once the weeds begin to grow, only a post-emergent herbicide will kill them.
There are additional concerns when using broadleaf herbicides:
- Never spray herbicides on a windy day
- Protect other plants from the spray
- Never apply herbicides when new lawn seedings are developing
- Do not mow for two to three days following herbicide treatment
- Do not water for several days following herbicide treatment
Preventing Broadleaf Weeds Through Proper Lawn Care
A healthy lawn is one of the best ways to prevent broadleaf weeds from growing. Dense grass crowds out weeds, preventing them from getting the nutrients, sunlight, and water they need. Proper lawn care is essential:
- Fertilizing the lawn with the proper nutrients and timing feeds the leaves and roots of the lawn, making it grow stronger. Improper fertilizing can kill the grass and feed the weeds!
- Frequent mowing following the one-third rule cuts off the broadleaf seed heads before they can develop.
- Proper watering, about 1.5 inches of water each week, keeps your grass healthy. Remember that watering less frequently and more deeply is best for a healthy, resilient lawn.
- Aeration revitalizes your lawn’s health and disrupts the germination of broadleaf weed seeds.
- Re-seeding the lawn to fill in bare patches and make it more lush helps your lawn remain thick enough to keep broadleaf weeds from invading. Aerate before re-seeding for best results.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Controlling Broadleaf Weeds
Broadleaf weed control is necessary to ensure a healthy, beautiful lawn. But it’s critical to avoid these common mistakes:
- Using too much herbicide: More herbicide is not better and may damage or even kill your lawn.
- Applying herbicide at the wrong time: Apply pre-emergent before you see weeds and post-emergent herbicide when they are actively growing.
- Using the wrong herbicide: General use or grassy weed herbicide won’t be effective on broadleaf weeds.
- Pulling weeds improperly: Pulling weeds at the wrong time spreads thousands of tiny seeds. Leaving any root behind allows the weeds to regrow.
- Allowing weeds to go to seed: Letting blooms develop spreads broadleaf weed seeds throughout your property (and your neighbors’).
- Mowing too short: Tall turf makes for healthier, stronger grass and blocks the growth of broadleaf weeds.
- Failing to follow up: Broadleaf weed control is never a one and done. It requires ongoing vigilance to keep these hardy plants out of your lawn.
Professional Broadleaf Weed Control Services
The grass experts at Lawn Pride® are happy to advise you on proper lawn care procedures. But sometimes, it’s just easier to have the pros take over some or all of the necessary chores. Lawn Pride provides comprehensive lawn care services to ensure your lawn is the pride of the neighborhood. We know you’ll be pleased with our work because it is backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise™️.
Please contact us with any questions. And when you’re ready to turn over your broadleaf weed control or all your lawn care, request a free estimate. We’ll make yours a lawn to be proud of!
This article is intended for general guidance only and may not apply to every situation. You are responsible for determining the proper course of action for your property and your situation. Lawn Pride is not responsible for any damages that occur as a result of any advice or guidance derived from blog content. For the most accurate guidance, contact an independently owned and operated Lawn Pride for more information and a professional on-site assessment.