Weed Control for Commercial Properties: 5 Things You Should Know

The landscape at your commercial property is like a welcome mat for your clients and visitors, and unsightly weeds do not leave a good first impression.

Weeds invading your turf and flower beds can leave your landscape looking lackluster and sloppy, but how do you begin to manage these stubborn intruders? Let’s explore five things you should know about how to battle weeds with commercial weed control programs so your Greater Chicagoland property can look its best. 

Commercial Weed Control: Tips for Battling Lawn Weeds

To grow a healthy, lush lawn, you need regular commercial weed control for your turf. Let’s look at two tips to help you manage weeds specifically in your lawn. 

Tip 1: The Most Effective Commercial Weed Killer: Pre-Emergent Weed Control

Prevention is key to winning the battle against lawn weeds. Pre-emergent weed control acts like a shield by stopping weeds from taking root in the first place. This commercial weed killer is usually applied in early Spring after the snow fully melts. When consistently applied at the right time, pre-emergent weed control can lessen the amount of post-emergent weed control applications you need. 

Issues with difficult-to-battle weeds, like crabgrass, typically arise because pre-emergent weed control was not effectively utilized. When preventative steps like pre-emergent applications are not taken, weeds take hold and are much more difficult to eliminate. 

Tip 2: Utilize Post-Emergent Weed Control As Needed

Even with the best pre-emergent weed control products, your commercial property will need post-emergent weed control as well. Post-emergent weed control targets existing weeds that usually begin growing in May and June in the Chicago area. Typically, your lawn should get all it needs to battle weeds in the 3-4 fertilization and weed control applications, however, if your property has not received weed control or did not apply pre-emergent, you may need additional treatments to help control weeds that are very established in your grass. 

Commercial Weed Killers: Defeating Weeds Throughout Your Chicagoland Property

Unfortunately, weeds are not only an issue when they pop up in your turf grass. Let’s look at how to deal with weeds in your landscape beds and two additional tips that will ensure your property looks its best this season.

Tip 3: Managing Weeds in Landscape Beds

Weeds tend to be the biggest eyesore when they pop up in landscape beds. Weeds left unattended can grow quite large and begin to take much-needed nutrients away from your plantings. Try battling weeds in your landscape beds using these steps:

• Install fresh mulch each season. Before most experts lay mulch into your landscape beds, they install a thin layer of pre-emergent weed control. This acts as a barrier to weeds and makes it more difficult for them to grow through the mulch. It also makes it more manageable to control weeds throughout the season.
• Try hand weeding when you can. If you decide to hand weed your landscape beds, be sure to get the entire root of the plant, or it will simply grow back. Also, in the Spring months, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a perennial plant beginning to grow and a weed. That’s why we recommend reaching out to professionals for help with commercial weed control.
• Use herbicides carefully. When used correctly, spot-spraying weeds in your landscape bed is very effective. In some cases, this may not be an option as weed-killing herbicides do not selectively kill only weeds. If an area is dense with healthy plantings, the weed killer you spray could damage more than just the weeds you hope to kill. 

Tip 4: Partner with Professionals

 In the state of Illinois, landscapers or any professional company using any form of chemicals on your landscape must be licensed. These licensed commercial pesticide applicators are required to pass a difficult test as well as take continuing education to ensure they are using the safest possible practices. Educated and trained professionals will select the right product and apply it correctly to keep your landscape healthy and protect the environment. 

Professionals also have access to more effective weed control products. Professional commercial weed control spraying companies do not use fertilizer or weed control that you can find at your local hardware store. Many times, professionals buy in bulk and then use their expertise to mix the right herbicide at the correct strength to effectively kill weeds, but not harm the environment or other portions of your landscape. 

Tip 5: Control Weeds through Good Landscape Maintenance Practices

Any good commercial weed control program also includes practices that help your lawn and landscape’s health overall. When your turf and plantings are healthy, they naturally help to crowd out weeds. Be sure your landscape maintenance plan includes the following maintenance practices:

• Proper lawn mowing practices- Mowing your grass with a dull blade, leaving it too long, or cutting it too short can all lead to turf damage, which allows weeds an opportunity to flourish.
• Consistent watering- Providing your grass and plantings with enough water helps them to grow and thrive in their environment. Lack of water creates stress in plants, which can allow for weeds to take hold.
• Regular fertilization including weed control- Your property should be fertilized with applications that include weed control at least 3 times a season. These applications feed your plantings, helping them to grow larger and stronger to battle weeds.
• Aeration and Overseeding- If weeds have invaded your lawn and left it patchy, aeration and overseeding can help restore your grass. Aeration punches out small plugs from the grass and soil. These plugs allow for water, nutrients, and air to reach the grass at its root level and can encourage growth. Overseeding right after aeration helps grass seeds to bury into the ground and successfully begin growing.
• Humic Acid Treatment- This organic treatment helps to create a stronger and more healthy turf by providing nutrients and promoting root growth.

Choosing a Commercial Weed Spraying Company You Can Trust 

Selecting the right partner for your commercial weed control needs is crucial. Unfortunately, even with the best lawn care partners, established weeds at your property will not disappear overnight. That’s why you don’t have time to waste on inexperienced or one-size-fits-all weed control partners. 

Weed control for commercial properties is a multifaceted challenge that requires a combination of proactive strategies, effective treatments, and sustainable practices. With over 45 years of Chicagoland commercial maintenance experience, we know what works when it comes to commercial weed control. We offer a customized landscape maintenance program that manages more than just weeds. Each of our commercial clients is partnered with an experienced account manager who sticks with you every step of the way, so you can get back to all of the other things on your to-do list.

Want to learn more about how James Martin Associates can help you get rid of weeds at your commercial property? Get started by filling out our contact form.