Though there are simple methods to control them, weeds can be annoying in your lawn and garden. Naturally lower weeds by mulching, building elevated garden beds, or maintaining your grass health. Homemade weed killers like vinegar can help for a more environmentally friendly solution. Include lovely plants like hydrangeas or bell peppers in your garden to improve its appearance and reduce weeds. Keeping its health calls for a thorough care regimen including effective irrigation, and appropriate fertilizing. Remember, year-round care is essential for keeping your garden in top shape, no matter the season.

RELATED 1: Top Hand Push Mowers for 2025

RELATED 2: Top Weed Killers to Tackle Stubborn Invasive Plants

1 | Crabgrass, Digitaria Ischaemum

With spreading stems that hug the ground, crabgrass derives its name from its crab-like look. Germinating early spring, before warm-season lawn grasses, it's an annual grass that finishes its life cycle in one year.

Ways to Prevent Crabgrass Regular Mowing:

1. Mow your lawn often to lower the quantity of seed crabgrass generates as it develops seed heads in late summer. A thick, rich grass can help control crabgrass.
2. Timing is Important Usually when the soil temperature hits 50 to 55°F, use pre-emergent herbicides before crabgrass seeds grow. When forsythias start to blossom is a good sign.

2 | Dandelion, Taraxacum Officinale

Especially once they have established in your lawn, dandelions can be difficult to eliminate owing to their thick tap roots. Preventing them from taking over depends on a healthy, lush lawn since they flourish in thin, sparse grass. Here is how to efficiently get rid of and prevent dandelions:

1. Regular overseeding helps to maintain the thickness and health of your lawn, hence limiting the area dandelions can flourish.
2. Remove Grass Clippings: Grass clippings can nourish the soil, thereby encouraging grass growth and so helping to control dandelions.
3. Apply Pre-Emergent and Iron-Based Herbicides: These crabgrass-fighting herbicides can help control dandelias as well.
4. For a quick fix, use a hand weeder or trowel to remove as much of the root as possible. One plant can generate hundreds of seeds, hence pulling immature dandelions before they go to seed is preferable.

3 | Prostrate Knotweed, Polygonum Aviculare

A common summer plant, knotweed is recognized for its thin, blue-green leaves and wiry, spreading stems growing near the ground. Its name comes from the expanded, knot-like areas at every stem node.

Advice on Prevention and Removal:

• Aerate the Soil Often: Knotweed flourishes in compacted soil, thus aerating your lawn will help to make it less appealing.
• For most household lawns, manually eliminating established knotweed is quite successful.

Applying herbicides

1. Effective against young knotweed plants, iron-based herbicides are Apply iron-based herbicides to target young plants if chemical control is required.
2. In late winter or early spring, use a product like Barricade Professional-Grade Pre-Emergent Weed Control. This stops knotweed seeds from growing and sprouting.

4| Clover Leaf, Trifolium Ripens or Trifolium Pratense

Clover is a wonderful visually pleasing and low-maintenance substitute for conventional grass lawns. Rabbits eat this perennial plant, which returns year after year. Although many house owners appreciate its appeal, there are ways to control clover if you would rather not have its little white or pink flowers.

Ways to Control Clover Without Using Herbicides:

• Use nitrogen fertilizer: A nitrogen-rich fertilizer helps your grass to grow stronger and outcompete the clover.
• Mow Higher: Your lawn should be at least three inches tall. Taller grass limits the sunshine clover needs to flourish by shading the soil.

5 | Prostate Spurge, Euphorbia Maculata

A tough ground plant that grows in gardens, thin lawns, and even sidewalk cracks is Prostrate Spurge. Its thick, spreading character makes it a difficult weed to control.

Suggestions for Controlling Prostrate Spurge:

• Weed Early: As soon as you see new growth, get rid of it. Wear gloves since the sap could harm your skin.
• Spread mulch over garden beds to stop prostrate spurge from starting and expanding.
• Maintain a thick, well-kept grass. A healthy lawn reduces more place for prostrate spurge to establish root, so helping to maintain your yard weed-free.

6 | Henbit, Lamium Amplexicaule

Often, henbit—a typical winter annual or biennial—invades lawns in late fall and early winter. Its purple flowers, which cluster amid the higher leaves, make it rather obvious in April.

How to Keep Henbit Under Control

• Choose a turfgrass type appropriate for your area and keep it healthy with appropriate watering, mowing, and fertilizing to maintain a Dense Lawn. A well-kept, lush grass naturally inhibits henbit and other weeds.
• Change Your Watering Practices: In late summer and fall, water deeply but seldom. Henbit seeds need surface moisture to sprout; so, lowering extra moisture would help stop its growth.

7 | Nutsedge, Cyperus Esculentus (yellow nutsedge) and Cyperus Rotundus (purple nutsedge)

Nutsedge, a grass-like plant with triangular or V-shaped leaf blades, thrives best in well-irrigated areas. Its extensive underground network of bulbs, roots, and fibrous rhizomes makes it hard to keep since bits of the plant sometimes remain after hand-pulling.

The Best Ways to Handle Nutsedge:

Controlling irrigation and improving drainage will help you to reduce the probability that nutsedge will spread throughout your lawn.

Though tiny areas may benefit from this approach, be sure to dig deep and remove the whole root system. Regular monitoring and regular removal could be necessary to eliminate regrowth.

When Chemical Control Is Required:

Use Specific Herbicides: For large infestations, Ortho Nutsedge Killer for Lawns is one herbicide that could be applied. Always follow the directions of the product for proper use.

8 | Creeping Charlie, Glechoma Hederacea

A fast-spreading perennial with bright green, scalloped leaves, ground ivy—also known as creeping Charlie—is Its strong root system and trailing branches make it difficult to uproot once it takes hold.

Best Methods to Get Rid of and Stop Creeping Charlie

• Keep a Thick Lawn—The greatest defense is a thick, healthy grass. To guarantee robust growth that can surpass creeping Charlie, select a turfgrass type appropriate for your area.
• When feasible, hand-pull; removing creeping Charlie by hand can be efficient. To weaken the root system and delay its spread, be sure to pluck up as many trailing stems as you can.
• Overseed Shaded Lawns: Overseeding can help fill in gaps and stop creeping Charlie from taking over if your lawn has shaded sections where cool-season grasses are diminishing.
• Applying iron-based weed herbicides to actively growing creeping Charlie can help restrict its spread without hurting the surrounding grass.

9 | Quackgrass, Elytrigia Repens

Long, coarse blades and seedheads that mimic wheat characterize the tenacious weedy grass known as quackgrass. Its extensive root structure makes it hard to eradicate since it can sprout from even the tiniest root remnants left after weeding.

Best Ways to Control Quackgrass

• Maintain Lawn Thickness—A thick, healthy lawn naturally inhibits quackgrass. To cover gaps and stop it from taking hold, overseed thin areas.
• Mow Regularly - Regular mowing helps to inhibit the spread of quackgrass and stop seed generation.
• Hand-Pull When Possible - If practicable, remove quackgrass by hand, making sure you pull out as much of the root system as you can to stop regrowth.
• Apply pre-emergent herbicides in early spring to stop quackgrass seedlings from setting. They can hinder new grass seed growth, so if you intend to overseed, stay away from using them.

10 | Poison Ivy, Toxicodendron Radicans

Poison ivy isn't only in the woods; it may also overrun gardens. Contact with this plant causes rashes and irritation, hence safe and efficient removal is crucial.

Best Ways to Control Poison Ivy

• Wear long sleeves and gloves to protect yourself. To stop regrowth, carefully dig or cut off the plants, removing as much of the root system as you can.
• Apply Chemical Herbicides—For efficient control, use glyphosate- or triclopyr-containing herbicides. For safe and correct use, always follow the manufacturer's directions.

11 | Horsetail Weed, Equisetum Arvense

A hardy perennial plant, horsetail grows by means of strong roots and leafless brown stalks. Its tenacity makes it difficult to get rid of, but with the correct method, you can control it.

Best Ways to Control Horsetail Weed

• Avoid Pulling It: Pulling horsetail can cause its roots to expand, making it even more difficult to remove.
• Cover impacted areas with mulch and a weed barrier to stop horsetail from spreading.
• Applying nitrogen-based fertilizers helps your grass grow well, hence enabling your lawn to outperform horsetail.

12 | Black Nightshade, Solanum Nigrum

Belonging to the nightshade family, this broadleaf weed is closely related to tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers. Although bees are drawn to its blossoms, the plant and its berries are harmful to many creatures, including people. Control is crucial since it sometimes competes with garden and agricultural produce.

Best Ways to Control This Weed

• Applying mulch and putting weed barriers can help to stop this weed from growing all over your garden.
• Fertilize Your Lawn—Applying nitrogen-based fertilizers helps your grass grow vigorously, hence enabling your lawn to naturally outcompete weeds.

RELATED 1: The Perfect Time to Water Your Lawn for Vibrant Grass and Maximum Efficiency

RELATED 2: How to Know When to Fertilize Your Lawn for a Lush, Healthy Green Yard