Step 10: Fight ragweed with a healthy lawn
Control ragweed more effectively by shading it with a thick, healthy lawn. A thick lawn provides a dark canopy, preventing ragweed seeds from germinating.
Water your lawn thoroughly once a week to encourage the grass root system to go deeper. Your lawn will then be more robust and heat tolerant. Avoid short and frequent waterings. These “sips” will promote a shallow and weaker root system in your lawn.
Keep your lawn mowed to a height of 5 to 8 centimeters. Mowing it shorter than 5 centimeters reduces the vitality of the lawn and gives weeds a chance to take hold. Also, be sure to keep your lawn mower blades sharp so they don’t tear the grass and leave grass clippings on the lawn as a natural fertilizer.
Weeds thrive in areas where compacted soil deprives grass roots of the air and water circulation they need. If your garden is prone to compaction or has a lot of clay, use an aerator every two years.
Avoid lawn fertilizers that indicate “fast greening.” These contain excessive nitrogenous ingredients that will weaken your lawn over time, making it more susceptible to weeds. Instead, select a fertilizer product with half its nitrogen under slow release. For a plot of approximately 95 square meters of lawn, use less than 1.5 kilograms of nitrogen per year.
Weed-damaged areas should be seeded in the fall, when the days are warm, the nights are cool, and you get dew in the morning.
