Keeping your lawn alive and green is only one part of lawn care. Lawn weed control is another important task that cultivates healthy green grass that is beautiful to look at and will last years. If you are struggling with pesky weeds despite your landscaping savvy, try these three tips to control unwanted growth. 

How Do You Prevent Weed Growth? 

1. Raise Your Mower Height

If you typically mow your lawn on a regimented schedule, it may actually be too short to properly prevent weed growth. By mowing at a higher blade height, you allow the grass to act as a weed barrier. Thicker, taller grass, even if only by an inch, can help shade underlying soil and act as a preventative barrier.

2. Add Mulch 

When you add a generous amount of mulch around trees, grasses, and shrubs, you block sunlight and water from reaching weed seeds. This deprives them of the chance to perform photosynthesis. If you don't want to use chemicals to kill weeds, adding mulch is a great way to naturally practice lawn weed control. You'll need to put down a 2- or 3-inch layer of cypress, pine, or cedar mulch to properly shield seeds from the sun. 

3. Fertilize Your Lawn

Fertilizer helps grass thrive while keeping weeds at bay. However, these products have varying N-P-K ratios, or nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ratios, which may make it difficult to decide which to spread. Each macronutrient aids the health and growth of your lawn, but different ratios exist for different climates and grass types. Your landscaper will know which option will provide the best results. When they routinely lay down fertilizer, it will keep your lawn thick and healthy and prevent bare patches where weeds can grow and wreak havoc on your lawn.

If you are looking for professional landscaping services in the Columbia, MO area, choose Oasis Landscapes & Irrigation. Since 1989, they have been providing various services to residents throughout Boone County. Whether you need sprinkler system design and installation, lawn weed control and fertilization treatments, or general landscape design and maintenance, they can help. They also offer backflow prevention and testing. Call (573) 446-0858 to receive a free quote, or visit the website to learn more about their services.