Many gardens have weeds, whether just a few or all over; although this is normal most of us don’t want them among our healthy grass as they can look messy. There are ways to kill weeds, mainly with the use of herbicides. Most of us are wondering if it is more beneficial to mow the lawn before applying an herbicide.
It is best to mow your lawn before spraying herbicide to kill weeds. It evens out the grass helping the herbicide to reach the soil and be fully absorbed. Mowing your lawn contributes to weed control. Mowing the lawn after application can spread the herbicide to other plants, killing them.
The time you mow your lawn, whether before or after, impacts the effectiveness of the herbicide, which is why it is essential to do it correctly. We will also be discussing other tips on how to kill weeds.
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Is It Best To Mow Your Lawn Before Applying Herbicide?
Is it best to apply an herbicide, whether a pre-emergent or post-emergent, after you have mowed the lawn? This is because you will not be able to mow the lawn for a few days until the herbicide has been fully absorbed. If you cut the lawn after application, it can encourage the herbicide chemicals to spread to other parts of your garden, which can damage and even kill certain shrubs or plants.
Mowing the lawn after application can also lead to most of the chemicals being removed; this is because you cut off more of the leaves covered in herbicide and throw it before it is absorbed fully. If you don’t mow your lawn first before applying, it can lead to a few extra days of lawn growth, leading to very long grass that can become messy.
Mowing the lawn before also ensures that the grass is even throughout your garden; if there are places of thick and thin grass patches, this can lead to uneven herbicide application. Making sure the lawn is a uniform length will also help the herbicide reach the soil throughout the garden after it is watered.
The recommended length to cut it to before applying the herbicide is a height of 2 to 3 inches. When you mow the lawn before application, there will be grass clippings that are good to leave on the surface of the garden because they will provide additional weed suffocation due to reduced light and oxygen exposure.
How Long To Wait Before Mowing After Spraying Herbicide?
You may be asking this question to determine when you can mow your lawn again after herbicide application. It is best to try to hold off mowing your lawn too soon so that the herbicide can be absorbed fully, and it is best to wait 24 to 48 hours after applying the herbicide.
If you mowed your lawn before application, then you won’t have to worry as the grass won’t get out of control until you need to trim again. If you didn’t cut the grass, you might have to wait longer than desired to mow the lawn again.
It is also essential to keep people and pets from walking and playing on the grass for at least 24 hours after application. This is to reduce its spreading to other places in the garden and prevent it from going into your household. Once you have mowed the lawn and notice that there are still a few weeds among your grass, make sure you wait a few days before reapplying the herbicide.
Does Mowing Your Lawn Help With Weed Control?
If you have weeds growing, the last thing you should do is avoid mowing your lawn, whether or not you are planning to apply herbicide now or in a few weeks. Not cutting your property will not make it easier to kill the weeds because seeing them easier but instead will do the opposite and allow them to get out of control.
It is best to mow your lawn often following a regular mowing schedule to help with weed control and reduce overgrowth. When weeds are left to grow more extensive and more mature, they become harder to kill, and they will then compete and weaken the surrounding grass, eventually killing it.
It would help if you never waited longer than a week between mows; by mowing your lawn weekly, you can reduce weed growth by 60%, which is vast. This will make such a big difference before even doing any other kind of weed control. This is a good reason why you should not miss your weekly mows, as it has a significant impact on the health of your lawn.
If you know your garden has quite a few weeds on the lawn, it will be a good idea to collect all the grass blades and throw them away. If you leave the grass blades that have many weeds on top of your lawn to help fertilize, you could end up with them spreading more throughout the garden, especially if they have seeds.
This can be prevented more by applying the herbicide to stop seed germination resulting in fewer weeds springing up and growing in your yard. So in the spring, summer, and fall seasons, mow your lawn, often keeping it tidy and reducing weed spread and growth. Also, apply herbicides to prevent further growth and spread of weeds to make your garden a weed-free area.
Wrapping Up
Mowing your lawn is essential not only for keeping it neat but also for weed control; it helps reduce weed growth and the spreading of weeds. When applying herbicide to kill existing weeds, it is best to apply after mowing your lawn as it helps spread it throughout the garden into the soil evenly.
It is best to do it before as you have to wait a few days before mowing again, which can lead to your grass growing longer than desired. It is best to cut it to a height of 2 to 3 inches before application.
Kevin is the owner of Land Lawn & Garden. In addition to taking a lot of pride in his lawn at home, he also helps manage the family land. You can find more about him here.