Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Fall herbicide care in a drought
In a “normal” year, now through late October would be the best time to put down a herbicide for broadleaf weeds. Dandelion, plantain lily, white clover and wild violets are actively growing.
HOWEVER, for 2021, for drought stricken areas, homeowners are being urged NOT to use treatments. The biggest reason is that, if the weeds are wilted the herbicide won’t be nearly as effective and if your lawn is dormant, the chemicals aren’t good for it either.
IF you’ve been watering your lawn and it looks healthy (except for those pesky weeds), then you can apply a herbicide if you continue to water when necessary. Here’s more information from the University of Iowa Extension.
In a non-drought year, perennial lawn grasses ARE still growing which means they have an opportunity to fill in where you’ve killed the broadleaf weeds. If you use a liquid herbicide you can add a little dishwashing liquid to the mixture. This will help hold the liquid on the leaves longer providing better coverage. Always follow directions on the label.
If you want to treat Creeping Charlie, wait till after the first hard frost. Don’t get nervous if you see Creeping Charlie start to grow again in the Spring, it should die off. Although I won’t guarantee that! It’s a tenacious one! Part of me thinks the flowers are very cute and the scalloped leaves add a fun contrast to the blades of grass. That’s the story I’m sticking to anyway! PS, I do not recommend using borax, you can kill your lawn for a long time if you don’t do it precisely right.
And a reminder that this is NOT the time of year to worry about crabgrass or other annual weedy grasses as the first frost will generally take them out.
