Is this lawn-care addage just a myth?

18 years ago

"Let your grass grow long and it will choke out weeds."

From my experience, this seems like an old wives tale.

I see lawns and fields (my own and others) that have really tall grass and so they also have really tall weeds.

I understand the premise behind the addage, but in actuality, my lawn is at least 25% clover and probably a good 15% a large variety of weeds. They don't bother me; when I mow the lawn the whole thing looks nice. If I were to let the grass grow long, the weeds would still be there and just grow along with the grass.

Thanks for any opinions!

-Katy

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Comments (3)

andee_gw
18 years ago
Glad you have the courage to point this out -- it's my experience also. That "clover" just keeps climbing. I think it is not so much how high the grass it (although mowing it high keeps it healthier) it is how thick it is. Good thick grass will choke out many weeds.
gk5040
18 years ago
In the hot summer months, what you dont want to do is cut the healthy lawn too low that you allow the sun to dry and burn it out. Then the weeds will take over.
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yarddoctor
18 years ago
Dear Andee

Thanks for the inquiry. The adage of let your grass grow tall to choke out weeds is correct to a point, but it is slightly taken out of context. First if there are already weeds, it will not work, you are right. The taller grass will shade out new weeds from getting the light necessary to germinate, but not the ones that are already there. Second, you need fertilizer to allow grass to spread and out-compete weeds. If this is not present, the yard is out of balance. Lawn care is like a three legged stool, with the legs being proper mowing, fertilizing and watering. If these legs get short, long or weak, the weeds will have a chance to compete (and some will anyway, regardless, as perfection is hard to attain, and even harder to maintain. Consider the following as some starting guidelines.

To begin with, you must mow frequently and follow the one-third rule. This means never cut more than one-third of the leaf blade off in any single mowing. This promotes turf density and the density is the key to preventing the light requirement for the weed to germinate. Second, follow a balanced nitrogen fertility plan. Apply judicious amounts of nitrogen when the grass is actively growing. For cool season grasses, this centers on spring and fall and for warm season grasses, late spring and summer. Do not over fertilize as this will cause rapid growth and then you will end up scalping the grass if you cannot keep up with the mowing and then weeds can encroach.
The final issue is watering. This one is not straight forward as climate, soil type, grass, and time of year will dictate the water needs of the plant. One rule to begin with is to assume that your turf will need 1.0 inch of water per week during the growing season. This can be applied in a variety of ways and rainfall needs to be counted in the total. For best results, try to water early in the morning. The wind is at it least and you can be the most efficient with the least contribution to disease pressure.

Again, thanks for the question and let me know if you have more.

Respectfully

Trey Rogers, The Briggs & Stratton Yard Doctor, YardDoctor.com

Is this lawn-care addage just a myth?

Comments (3)

andee_gw

gk5040

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