Don’t let the yellow flowers fool you. Black Medic is a tough, low-growing weed that signals a major problem with your lawn.
It loves compacted soil and thin turf. If you see it, your grass is likely struggling for air and nutrients.
In Idaho Falls, Black Medic weed often thrives right next to sidewalks or driveways. Foot traffic packs the dirt down, and this weed moves in to fill the gaps. It’s hard to pull and even harder to kill with standard store-bought sprays.
Killing Black Medic weed is a process, not a one-time event. Because it produces thousands of seeds that turn black and hardy, you have to hit it with a specific herbicide at just the right time. Most homeowners fail because they wait too long to act.
The real solution is fixing the soil. Annual aeration is the best way to prevent Black Medic weed from coming back. By loosening the ground, you allow your grass to grow thick enough to crowd out this yellow-flowered invader.
Black medic weed has teardrop-shaped leaves, often found on clover, but has pom-pom-like yellow flowers. It’s called black medic because the seeds turn black when they’re ready to drop.
Black Medic weed is like a pesky warning sign that your lawn isn’t healthy. It tends to sprout in thin, weak lawns, or lawns with compacted soil.
Black Medic weed loves compacted soil. You’ll often see it growing by the roadside or next to sidewalks, where soil has been compacted by wheel and foot traffic.
So, think aeration. Those tiny cores of soil that aeration removes helps break up compacted soil, allowing water, air and other nutrients to reach the roots so your lawn will breathe easier.
Annual aeration is a great way to help prevent black medic in your lawn.
Black Medic weed can be tough to control, but lawns on a comprehensive lawn care program that includes weed control don’t usually have a big problem with it.
How to kill Black Medic weed? Lawns with a lot of black medic will likely need a specialized herbicide to completely knock it out.
Don’t expect your yard to be weed-free after one treatment.
Different types of weeds emerge at different times throughout the year, and need to be specifically targeted at different times.
That’s why a comprehensive lawn care program is your best bet. Not only does it target weeds at just the right times, but a high-quality program also includes products that improve soil and plant health, which will reduce weed populations.
High-quality fertilizer — not the cheapest stuff on sale — is key, too, for helping your lawn grow thick and healthy, better crowding out weeds like Black Medic.
When you choose Lawn Buddies in Idaho Falls, ID, 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 perfectly timed throughout the year.
Most weeds are banished over the course of the six-step program. But some extra-tough villains like black medic weed may 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.
The best method of controlling weeds like black medic is establishing healthy turf, including proper fertilization, 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, taking over weak spots. So your best line of defense is to keep your grass thick, lush and healthy with an annual lawn care maintenance program that supports strong roots. Then weed seeds will have a tougher time sprouting.
Stop worrying about weeds like Black Medic weed and partner with an Idaho lawn care company that’s an expert in weed control.
Choose a professional lawn care service in Idaho Falls, ID area that bundles your yard’s most-needed treatments into one convenient, no-fuss plan that tells you the cost up front.
Lawn Buddies features 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. Just fill out the form on this page, call us at (208) 656-9131 or read more about our services. Then you can kick back and relax in your healthy, thriving yard.
Image Source: Black medic weed