Dreaming about a white lawn…

Wait a minute…. we’re not talking about snow, so don’t panic! We are all hoping for a long, mild fall before Old Man Winter shows up. However, we would like to see a white lawn for a completely different reason. The white we are talking about is actually a very good thing and doesn’t need to be shoveled! It is a sign that our hard work is paying off and that the troublesome weeds in your yard are dying and going bye-bye.  

Weeds that can cause a white lawn.

Crabgrass, foxtail and yellow nutsedge are some of the more common grassy weeds found in lawns around the Omaha Metro area. All of these can be kept under control or eliminated with organically acceptable and reduced-risk products used by Paradise Lawns. One of our weed control products can be seen in action causing these weeds to turn white when dying, more details on that below!

Crabgrass and Foxtail – These annual weeds find their way into your yard through various weather elements, wind, animal carriers and birds.

Yelllow Nutsedge – Part of the sedge family, yellow nutsedge grows at a faster rate than grass, so it is often mistaken as a spot missed by the mower. However, the yellow color and waxy texture to the blades are a giveaway that it is a weed, and not grass you want.

To learn more about these common, pesky weeds, check out our past blog, “Weed Me Alone: how to keep weeds from bothering your lawn.” 

A white lawn is safer for you, your family, your pets, and the environment.  

With our recent weather patterns of cool, rainy weather followed by hot days, many weeds have come back to life and are thriving once again. This doesn’t mean you have to put up with a yard full of ugly weeds though. Paradise Lawns can apply a spray treatment that is derived from the bottle brush plant that prevents photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is needed by plants to turn sunlight into energy.  “If a plant doesn’t have photosynthesis, it doesn’t grow and will die.” When a plant is unable to derive energy using photosynthesis, it turns white before dying off. So, seeing white in your yard shows that our weed spray treatment is working. And this means that your weeds are being controlled, they are dying, and your lawn is getting that much closer to “total weed domination”!

If you haven’t noticed, Paradise Lawns cares about your family’s health, your pet’s health, as well as the environment, so we use products that are safe. With allegations in the recent news about chemical-based weed control products causing health issues, like Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, it is smart to be concerned about what is used to treat your property. We apply organically acceptable and reduced risk (as determined by the EPA) weed control products that give you peace of mind. An example is our use of Tenacity®, – it is great for both established lawns and seeded turf.  And the best thing is that you don’t have to choose between a great lawn, the environment, or your health… You can have it ALL!

 Weed control along with Fall Recommended Lawn Maintenance

Our weed control treatments won’t put your fall recommended lawn maintenance on hold. In fact, we encourage you to schedule your fall aeration, overseeding and topdressing with compost soon if you haven’t already. The benefits are numerous and discussed in more detail in our previous blog titled, “Aeration, Overseeding and Topdressing: Fall RX for a healthy summer lawn.” Help to crowd out summer weeds with strong, healthy turf-grass through regular fall aeration! “The best defense against weeds is a thick, well-managed lawn that will compete with weeds.“

While it is true that chemical weed control treatments can pose an issue with overseeding because “most preemergence herbicides cannot distinguish between crabgrass seed and turf grass seed.” The lawn products we use, like Tenacity®, are different. The active ingredient is “mesotrione” which is safe to use on bluegrass and fescue seedlings right away. So there is no reason to hold off on overseeding because you have weeds. Overseeding benefits your lawn by introducing new grass seed cultivars that are continuously being improved to resist weeds.

Topdressing with compost provides your seeds and grass additional nutrients, which enables them to grow stronger.  It is by far the BEST cultural practice you can do for your lawn.

So, if you have an increase in weeds and want to see your lawn turn white this fall before the snow flies, call or text us at 402-612-1527 or send Paradise Lawns a message. We would love to add your home to our fall schedule and take care of those weeds, so they don’t return in the spring.