Those Pesky Weeds--Revisited

           I sprayed my lawn today, so it seemed like the perfect time to repost this article, which first appeared on my blog two years ago.

           First let me make it perfectly clear that I love making dandelion chains as much as the next girl, and I've done my share of making a wish before blowing the fluff off a dandelion that has gone to seed. I find dandelions absolutely delightful in the right place. The right place just doesn't happen to be in my lawn.

         We usually think about spraying for dandelions and other weeds  in spring, because that is when they bloom most heavily and so are most noticeable. However, efforts to kill weeds early in the season often only burn off the top of the weed leaving the root intact. In early autumn perennial plants, including perennial weeds, prepare for winter by carrying much of what they take in down to their roots. This means herbicides applied in early autumn are more likely to be carried to the roots. And if the roots die, the plant dies. So early autumn is a great time to spray for weeds in lawns and landscapes.
       Spray on a day when there is no wind or rain--these may be at a premium this time of year, so grab one when it comes. Spray lawns with a selective herbicide that  kills broadleaf plants but won't kill grass. For other areas, perennial plants can be sprayed with a nonselective herbicide that kills all plants. For really tough perennial weeds, like bindweed and thistle, I spray with both a selective and a nonselective herbicide and plan on multiple applications.