When Should I Spray Weed Killer On My Lawn In Canada?

In Canada, people eagerly wait for winter to be over so that they can enjoy sunny days on their beautiful, vibrant lawns. Canadian winters can be harsh, freezing, and snowy, which means people get to enjoy their lawn only for a few months every year. However, weeds can hinder the experience by taking over the entire yard and leaving bare patches throughout the lawn. How do you get rid of invasive weeds from your beautiful lawn? Well, you have landed on the right page.

Below, we will walk you through all the steps you need to take to stop weed invasion and killing weeds from roots. We will discuss what is the best time of the year to spray weed killer on your lawn. So, if you are interested, keep on reading. (Related read What Kills Weeds But Not Grass In Canada?)

How to Prepare Your Lawn for Weed Killer Application?

When it comes to achieving a weed-free and healthy lawn, preparing it for weed-killing application is the key. Here are a few essential steps to follow to ensure your lawn is ready for spraying the weed killer. 

• Identify Weeds Type: To know how to kill weeds in your lawn, you must first identify what type of weeds you are dealing with. The weeds are usually categorized as broadleaf, grassy, sedges, and moss/algae. Some of these weeds grow year after year, while others grow once a season, dying at the end of it. The most common weeds that grow in lawns across Canada include dandelion, chickweed, clover, quackgrass, crabgrass, and more. So, to kill the weeds, determine what type of weed is growing in your lawn. 

• Choose the Right Product: When it comes to killing the weeds in your lawn, you must choose the right product. There are different types of weed-controlling and killing products for various kinds of weeds. For instance, for broadleaf weeds, you must select herbicides with 2,4-D or Dicamba. Similarly, you must apply post-emergent herbicide for grassy weeds for a success weed removal. 

• Choose the Best Time: Now, after you have determined the weed type growing in your lawn, timing plays a crucial role in spraying weed killers. For instance, spring or fall is the ideal time to spray pre-emergent herbicides to prevent weeds from taking over the entire lawn. You want to apply weed killer during their growing season when the temperature is neither hot nor cold to see the results. 

• Mow Your Lawn: Once you have identified the weed type and know the time to apply weed killer, mow your lawn about 5 days before the application. Make sure you are not cutting the weeds short and maintaining a 2.5 to 3 inches of grass height. This will reduce the stress on your lawn while spraying the weed killer and will also allow herbicide to reach deeply into the weeds’ roots. 

• Water Your Lawn: After mowing the lawn, leave it for about 5 days and then water it lightly for about 1 to 2 days before spraying the weed killer. You can also apply it early in the morning when the grass is moist with dew. The goal is to keep the lawn moist and not soaking wet. This is because moist lawns will allows the herbicide to work better and prevent the lawn from any damage. (Read more about How To Resod A Lawn)

• Clear Debris: When preparing your lawn for weed killer application, make sure there are no leaves, sticks, and debris in the lawn. You want to keep the lawn clear of any debris so that you are spraying the weed killer directly on the weed and not on debris first. 

• Check Weather Conditions: One of the most important factors to consider when preparing your lawn is ensuring the perfect weather conditions. Since the lawn cannot be soaked wet before application, ensure no rain is forecasted for at least 24 hours. Plus, the weather cannot be windy on the day of spraying the weed killer. This is because the weather is windy, and the spray can drift to other plants and flowers and end up killing them as well. 

• Protect Desirable Plants: Usually, there are other plants and flowers in the lawn, along with undesirable weeds. So, to ensure you are not killing them as well in the process, cover them adequately. You can also use a spray shield to protect them from weed killers. 

• Read and Follow Instructions: Of course, when spraying the weed killer, you must read and follow the instructions to ensure proper and safe application. However, it can be tricky for seniors to carry out the job themselves safely. So, hiring a weed removal service in Canada like Custodia is the safest way to get rid of the weeds. 

Best Time to Spray Weed Killer on Lawn in Canada

When it comes to killing weeds in your lawn timing can make all the difference. In Canada, choosing the best times of the year to spray the weed killer depends on where you live and your local weather patterns. Based on these factors, you can choose the right time to catch and kill weeds before they take over your entire lawn and kill other plants and flowers.

Spring

The ideal time to kill weeds in your lawn is spring (April to June). This is because you can catch weeds in their growing season while they are still sprouting before they get a chance to fully grow. During this season, you can control and kill annual weeds, biennial weeds, and perennials effectively. 

Moreover, it is the ideal time for spraying pre-emergent herbicides because the weather is warm and the soil is moist due to rain. The damp soil allows herbicides to get absorbed into the soil, which then activate the product for it to kill weeds in your lawn. If the soil is dry, the herbicides will sit on the soil instead of being soaked up by the soil to work its magic. 

So, to make sure the product is working, make sure the soil is wet.  However, even if it is not, you can water your lawn about 1-2 days before the weed-killing application to ensure it is fully prepared for the process. To spray post-emergent herbicides, you need to wait till late spring or early summer when the weed-growing season is at its peak. 

Fall

After spring, fall (mid-September to early October) is the best season for the weed removal process. During this time, you can kill different types of prennials weeds, like dandelions and thistles, that continue growing in the winter as well. These weeds store nutrients and carbohydrates, allowing them to thrive even in the cold weather of Canada. 

Spraying weed killers during fall will ensure they do not survive the winter and do not grow back in spring. Plus, when you apply weed killer in the fall, the herbicide absorbs deep into the roots of the weeds, where they store nutrients to survive. This allows you to target and kill plants from their roots, preventing them from growing back in the coming spring. 

Another reason why fall herbicides are usually preferred is because they are less likely to damage and kill desirable plants. Fall is the time when most plants and flowers are already slowing down their growth, which means even if the herbicide is sprayed away from the intended area, it will not damage the plants. 

Summer

Summer is usually not the ideal time to spray herbicides as it is less effective and may not deliver the desired results. However, sometimes it becomes necessary to spray weed killer on your lawn during the summer. One of the reasons why removing weeds becomes essential during the summer is when weed is fully grown and starts to compete with other plants and flowers for nutrients, sunlight, oxygen, and water.

Since weeds cannot produce food through photosynthesis, they steal all the nutrients from other plants, eventually killing them and taking over the entire yard. However, some weeds like kochia and redroot pigweed can thrive in hot and dry weather as their photosynthesis mechanism is different from that of other weeds. This makes it necessary to get rid of them in summer. 

So, while it is not recommended to apply herbicides, Custodia offers herbicide-free options for seniors wanting to remove weeds during summers in Canada. These alternatives can be used all year round as they are not dependent on local weather conditions. 

Final Words

Controlling and killing weeds in your lawn can be challenging if you are not aware of how to do it properly. To get rid of the weeds successfully, follow the steps mentioned above to prepare your lawn for the application. However, the entire process requires you to handle equipment and put in days of effort to achieve your desired results. For seniors, mowing the lawn, clearing the debris, and then applying the weed killer would be time-consuming and tiering. So, to ensure your lawn is free from weed invasion, you can contact professionals like Custodia to handle the job for you.