You might have a bunch of questions about lawn weeds. Like, is it OK to set your whole lawn on fire to get rid of those stupid weeds? Or, what did you do to deserve a lawn full of ugly crabgrass? You’re basically a nice person.

Let’s set those aside for a minute for more practical questions, especially if you’re weighing organic DIY weed control vs. hiring pros. Do organic weed killers work? And is professional lawn care actually safe?

Jump to Section

• First, Do Organic Weed Killers Actually Work?
• Does Professional Weed Control Damage Your Lawn?
• Do You Know What You’re Doing Out There?
• Is Professional Lawn Care Actually Safe?
• Relax & Leave Weed Control to the Pros
• Help Prevent Weeds with a Healthy Lawn
• Banish Weeds Safely with Lawn Buddies

Organic products generally don’t work as well on weeds as the professional products skilled pros use, especially on the toughest weeds. And professional lawn care is safe, if the lawn care professionals you hire are trained, knowledgeable and carefully follow the product directions for safe lawn care practices.

Who you hire definitely matters.

Dillon Beardall, manager of fertilizer operations for Lawn Buddies, shares some insight on weed control in lawn care.

Keep reading to learn more about DIY vs professional weed control.

First, Do Organic Weed Killers Actually Work?

You care about the environment as much as the next guy. You might wonder if organic weed control products will kill your weeds.

“It doesn't work as well and requires more frequent treatments, so it isn't cost-effective for many,” Beardall says. When it comes to getting rid of ugly weeds, most of us aren’t patient— and don’t want to spend more than we have to.

Why don’t organic products work as well?

A quick science lesson: 

• Organic weed killers work by disrupting a weed’s cellular structure, causing it to get dehydrated and die. These products are typically contact-type herbicides that only kill the weed’s foliage, and will probably need repeated applications to kill the roots. This is especially true when it comes to killing older, larger or particularly stubborn weeds.
• While organic products can be effective on young weeds with shallow roots, they tend to work more slowly and be less effective than chemical herbicides, especially on larger, well-established weeds with deep root systems.
• If a weed control product doesn’t kill the weed's roots, the weeds quickly regrow. And you just get more frustrated.

Meanwhile, professionals in lawn care and weed control have access to weed control products that are tough and effective. And they can custom mix products or mix them in higher concentrations than the pre-mixed products homeowners can buy at the store.

Even better: they know the precise amounts to use safely. They get results — and by following safe lawn care practices.

Does Professional Weed Control Damage Your Lawn?

No, professional weed control shouldn’t damage your lawn if you hire skilled and knowledgeable lawn care pros who know what they’re doing out there and use safe lawn care practices.

Experienced professionals use selective weed control products designed to kill the weeds in your lawn — not your grass.

Reputable lawn care companies in Idaho Falls and Boise provide extensive training for their lawn care technicians so they know how to identify weeds and other lawn care issues, apply exactly the right products and carefully follow the directions and protocol so they kill the weeds without damaging your grass.

Skilled lawn care crews use precise techniques to apply products safely and effectively, minimizing the risk of over-spraying or applying too much weed control.

But all of the above is important.

Lawn care teams can cause damage to your lawn if they use the wrong products, use too much of them or use them at the wrong time, like on new tender grass. Some weed control products are non-selective, which means they kill surrounding grass and plants, too — not just the weeds.

When it comes to lawn care and weed control, it’s really important to know what you’re doing.

Do You Know What You’re Doing Out There?

Maybe you really want to tackle your weed problem on your own. The home improvement store shelves are packed with products, right?

No offense, but when it comes to effective and safe weed control practices, you might not be doing it right, Beardall says.

He sees lots of homeowners head out using a pre-mixed jug of weed and grass killer to spray weeds, then wonder why they have big brown circles of dead grass. Or they’ll grab the sprayer from the garage and forget exactly what was in it. Oops — turns out it contained glyphosate, a non-selective herbicide that kills everything. (More on this in a bit.)

Other challenges when it comes to DIY vs professional weed control?

Lots of homeowners use too much of the weed control product, Beardall says. Suddenly, “the whole lawn goes brown.”

But do you know why it’s brown? You're not a lawn care expert. Nobody expects you to be. Maybe you’ll mistake the dead grass for insect damage and start using a pesticide unnecessarily.

So now you have a dead lawn. You’ll need to reseed. But did you know some weed control products require that you wait several weeks before you can seed? Ugh.

Also, do you know the difference between selective and non-selective weed killers in lawn care weed control?

Selective herbicides are designed to selectively control only certain weeds. Non-selective herbicides will kill everything they touch, including the lawn and surrounding plants. They can’t “select” what to control.

Do you really want to spend time thinking about this stuff?

Correct measuring is super important, too, Beardall says, and many homeowners don’t even use a measuring device when dumping products into their sprayer.

“They use the glug method,” he says.

Hmm, three glugs per gallon of water seems about right. 

“In reality, a lot of products will only require one or two ounces per gallon of water,” he says.

So not only are you risking your lawn health and the environment by applying too much weed control, you’re wasting money, too. And a lot of time mixing and spraying when you might not even get results.

Wouldn’t you rather leave this to the pros? 

But Is Professional Lawn Care Actually Safe?

It is, if products are applied safely and correctly.

Beardall is happy to share the details when customers ask, explaining the product ingredients and, in the case of pesticides, sharing safety precautions they should take, like staying off the lawn until products have dried, which usually takes a couple of hours.

“But I try to help them understand that they are pesticides and they need to be respected,” he says.

Is professional lawn care safe? Knowledge is key, Beardall says.

“I do think there are too many people and companies that don't have an understanding of pesticides and what they're applying,” he says, “and I don't think that necessarily does anyone any favors.”

Choosing a reputable Idaho Falls and Boise lawn care company with trained technicians and a strong commitment to following safety guidelines helps ensure your lawn care is as safe as possible.

Relax & Leave Lawn Weed Control to the Pros

A lot is going on here, from deciding which weed control products to use to knowing where to use selective vs non-selective to making sure you’re using the right amount — safely.

And imagine never again stubbing your toe on that pile of lawn care products in the garage. Bonus.

Why deal with the hassles of weed control when you can hand over the whole annoying chore to the pros?

When you choose Lawn Buddies in Idaho Falls and Boise, you get one premium, six-visit lawn care program that includes everything your lawn needs to grow healthy and green, including weed control that’s applied throughout the year safely, efficiently, in the right amounts designed to get results.

Most weeds are banished over the course of the six-step program.

But some extra-tough weeds like thistle, field bindweed and black medic often require a different herbicide, which is an additional visit on top of the normal lawn treatment.

Controlling weeds is a process, not a one-shot deal.

Help Prevent Weeds with a Healthy Lawn

The best method of lawn care weed control is establishing healthy turf, including proper fertilizing, watering, and mowing.

Weeds hate a thick, healthy lawn. Dense grass crowds out weeds and blocks the sunlight their seeds need to sprout.

Weeds love to push through struggling lawns to take over weak spots. So your best line of defense is to keep your grass thick, lush and healthy with a lawn care service annual maintenance program for healthy, strong roots.

Then weed seeds will have a tougher time sprouting.

Banish Weeds Safely with Lawn Buddies

Stop worrying about weeds and partner with professional weed control experts you can trust. This is what we do every day.

Choose a professional lawn care service in the Idaho Falls or Boise, ID area that bundles your yard’s most-needed treatments into one convenient, no-fuss plan that tells you the cost up front.

Welcome to one premium, six-visit lawn care program that includes everything your Idaho lawn needs to grow healthy and green.

Fertilizer, weed treatments, and grub control, all wrapped up in six visits, each perfectly timed throughout the season, so your grass is green and strong and resists weeds.

Got a few minutes? That’s all you need to get started. Call us at (208) 656-9131 or fill out the form on this page. Then, you can kick back and relax in your healthy, thriving yard.