Having a bright green beautiful lawn is something many people strive for, but weeds can quickly turn a beautiful green lawn into an uneven, ugly field. If you’re wondering how to get rid of a lawn full of weeds, I’ll cover your options in this article.
This article was last updated on by Lawn Chick Owner Sarah Jameson
Article content reviewed for accuracy by Horticulturist Arthur Davidson, A.S.
There are many ways to control weeds in order to keep your lawn looking nice and fresh.
Some methods involve stopping pests from feeding on your healthy grass, while others use fertilizer, natural techniques or chemicals to control weeds.
Learning how to identify which type of weed you will need to deal with, and what problem your lawn has is the first step to obliterating weeds from your lawn entirely.
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Common Types of Lawn Weeds
Just to have a bit of background knowledge, it is good to be able to identify the three main weed types, Broadleaf, Grassy and Grass-type.
Broadleaf have big flat leaves that do not look like grass or needles.
One famous broadleaf weed would be a dandelion, but black medic is another broadleaf weed you may encounter as well.
Grassy weeds can be deceiving because of their similar look to actual grass.
They grow in the same manner as grass as well.
Foxtails and crabgrass are two common types of grassy weeds.
Finally there are grass-like weeds which, again, are similar to real grass and grassy weeds as well.
The difference between grass-like and grassy weeds are that grass-like weeds can look more like a tube, and are not flat.
Wild onion and wild garlic are two well known grass-like weeds.
How to Get Rid of a Lawn Full of Weeds: Important Questions
Chemical or Natural Treatments?
The automatic choice for many people when trying to kill weeds is to grab some chemical lawn weed killer and pour it all over the lawn.
The bad part about this is that you are spraying chemicals in the ground, the water, and the air.
This is dangerous not only for the ground, but also for pets and people!
Eventually this can also create a weak environment for the lawn to thrive, and you may kill the grass you want in addition to killing the weeds you don’t want in your lawn.
The Impact of a Healthy Lawn
A healthy lawn begets a healthy lawn, and the more time you put into creating an environment in your yard where grass is able to thrive, the fewer problems you’ll have with lawn weeds.
A very thick well maintained lawn will leave no gaps in the canopy where weeds can take root.
When the grass is thick, it will take in all of the sunlight and nutrients, which will block the weeds from thriving.
If you are environmentally conscious and care about the health of yourself and pets, not using chemicals is usually the better option, but I’ll cover both choices here so you can make the best choice for your family and your lawn.
Lawn Weed Removal & Maintenance
If your weed problem is either just getting started, or you recently cleared out all the weeds and have a few coming back, it is important to maintain the weeds as they first come up.
Keeping your lawn well-watered, properly fertilized, and at a proper length are all ways to keep weeds at bay.
Specifically for dandelions, it is important to keep an eye out and pull them out before they seed.
These weeds famously will show you they are in their seeding period when their yellow flower changes into 15,000 seeds in a pouf on top.
Make sure to pull the plant out by the root and remove all root pieces from the grown if possible.
Pro-Active Lawn Care & Maintenance
Lawn maintenance is an important part of getting rid of weeds.
Mowing your grass is something that many think is a good preventative measure of weeds, but it can actually allow the weeds to have somewhere to obtain sunlight and grow even more.
Mowing and allowing grass to grow 2-4 inches is a good general guideline.
Fertilizing is also important, but over-fertilization can be a lawn killer and weed promoter.
Fertilizing definitely depends “on your lawn type, as well as the length of your growing season”(thisoldhouse.com).
Most lawns shouldn’t need more than two applications of fertilizer each year.
Make sure to do research on your soil type and area that you live in.
Too much fertilizer will create a space for weeds to thrive, while not enough will not allow your lawn to grow strong enough to keep them out.
Natural Methods for Weed Removal in Your Lawn
Many people nowadays are looking to natural methods to cure weed issues rather than using chemicals.
There is a natural remedy made with vinegar, salt and regular dishwashing liquid.
Vinegar has been known to be a natural weed killer by killing the plant above ground.
It needs to be a strong vinegar, at least 10-20% acetic acid. Place this into a spray bottle.
Next, take any regular dishwashing liquid and place a few drops into the vinegar.
This acts as a way to break up the vinegar so it can be absorbed more easily.
This should be placed directly onto weeds in areas that you would like the soil to remain usable even after removing these weeds.
If there is an area in which you would like to kill everything no matter what the case, then take a slightly different approach.
You should take a gallon of the same vinegar, and place in 2 cups of table salt or any other type of salt that can be bought at any grocery store.
Mix extremely well and add about a teaspoon or a few drops of the same dishwashing liquid.
Either pour or spray this onto the area of weeds and plants you would like to kill, and you should never have any issues with weeds growing here ever again as the salt will essentially “sterilize” the soil.
Herbicides for Weed Removal in Lawns
If your entire lawn is completely overtaken with weeds and nothing has seemed to work in terms of pulling up weeds, fertilizing, keeping the grass at 2-4 inches, and watering properly, the final resort is herbicides.
Beware of roundup, as it is not only toxic to other plants, but extremely toxic for humans and pets.
According to thisoldhouse.com, “Some herbicides work only within a certain temperature range; others work only when applied at a specific time of year.”
So always make sure to always follow the instructions carefully, and confirm that the grass you are growing can grow well utilizing that particular herbicide.
Excellent Video Demonstration of Mixing and Using the Herbicide Tenacity
Amazon Links to The Herbicides Mentioned in This Video:
- Tenacity Turf Herbicide
- Surfactant for Herbicides
- Blue Spray Pattern Indicator
- 2 Gallon Pump Sprayer
Weed Killer Recipe in the Video:
- 2 Gallons of Water in 2 Gallon Pump Sprayer
- 1 Teaspoon of Tenacity
- 3 Teaspoons of Surfactant
- 4 Teaspoons of Blue Dye
Everyone wants to have a nice lawn.
Even though it might feel like we are watering, mowing and fertilizing properly, sometimes we have to take another look to see if we are doing it according to what type of soil, grass and environment our lawn lives in.
Weed problems can be exhausting and can feel extremely frustrating but with a bit of work, and a lot of love, weed issues will be a problem of the past.
If this article has helped you learn how to get rid of a lawn full of weeds (or if you still have questions) let me know by leaving a comment.
At Lawn Chick, I am committed to publishing accurate, useful, and trustworthy resources for my readers. As part of this commitment, I’ve invited subject matter experts to review our articles for accuracy. I invite you to read our editorial policy and publishing standards which outlines in detail how every article on this site is sourced, edited, fact-checked, and vetted.
-Sarah
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