Finding the best weed killer for clover and dandelions can be tricky. You would think that just by sprinkling it on the weeds, you are done. The truth is, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration when choosing the right chemical for your garden. What is safest for your lawn and garden may not work as well on your neighbor’s yard. Your local home and garden center may not have what you need, and there are literally hundreds of weed killers on the market.
Before you decide on the best weed killer for clover and dandelions, you should first know why they grow in the first place. This will help you figure out what chemicals you should use to treat them. They grow due to nutrients that the plants get in the soil. Without those nutrients, weeds cannot survive.
Dandelions and clover need very similar nutrients to grow. They need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, along with several others. You can’t just sprinkle fertilizer on the soil and hope that everything will work. There are special nutrients that only these plants need to survive.
The first step in making sure that your soil is rich in nutrients is to aerate your soil. Take a shovel and turn the soil until it is loose and aerated. This will allow oxygen to get to the roots so they can absorb the needed nutrients. If your soil has been compacted in a while, you may need to add some fertilizer to improve it before aeration can take place.
The next thing you need to consider is the weed itself. While clover can tolerate most weeds, there are some that will have to be treated specifically. Keep in mind that if the weed is deeply rooted, it will most likely be more difficult to remove. This is especially true of weeds that are particularly thick.
If you do choose to use pesticides on your clover lawn, be aware of which ones you are applying. Although it is labeled as natural, some pesticides have been banned in other countries because they have proven to be carcinogenic. Others are linked to severe birth defects. To be safe, consult your local agriculture department to see which products are allowed and which need a special permit.
You should also know that clover grows very fast and is very susceptible to being damaged by frost. Frost destroys clover’s root system, which makes it extremely difficult to grow. This is why the best weed killer for dandelions and clover needs to be treated around the growing seasons. Be sure to use a non-chemical lawn fertilizer around those times and to fertilize new lawns every three weeks during the winter. As the clover grows in the fall and winter, it will need supplemental fertilizer every year until it is fully developed again.
Finally, the best weed killer for dandelions and clover requires the assistance of professionals. There are many chemical applications available but many of them require too much specialized attention from a technician or grower. Many homeowners want to do the work themselves and save money but do not realize that doing the work themselves can cost them more than using the service. If you are planning on attempting to treat your clover lawn on your own, then learn as much as you can before you begin and only seek professional help when necessary.
Clover and dandelions tend to occur throughout lawns. They tend to show up at the edges where grass has been mowed short, creating open spaces where they can easily take root and spread quickly. If you have young, green grass that is still growing and breaking down, weeds need to be removed at this stage in the life of your lawn.
When clover and dandelions appear early in the lawn’s development, they often have a hard time getting the fertilizer and attention they need. Therefore, it is imperative that you take care of them before they spread and destroy your lawn. The best way to do this is to pull the weeds as soon as you see them and apply a herbicide to help prevent them from growing any further. You should also water your lawn often to help keep the weeds from growing.
As the weeds start to sprout and grow, they will need to be removed and replaced with new, healthy plants. You can choose to simply replace the weeds by pulling them out of the ground or you can dig a hole in the ground next to your existing grass and lay new organic soil where the weeds are planting. If you choose to do it the second way, make sure that the soil is well raked and moist when you do this, so that the weed seeds don’t get a chance to start germinating. It is best to use an organic weed killer when removing the weeds, because they will not poison your grass when they are removed. You should be sure to water the new lawn once it is established, because the roots will need to adjust to the lack of weeds. Once the lawn is established, you can lightly weeded it to keep the weeds from coming back.