Controlling Weeds In And Around Curbs And Tight Spots

The best defense against weeds in your lawn is a good thick and healthy lawn. If your lawn is thick then weeds just won’t get the opportunity to reach maturity. It they don’t mature, they don’t set seed or send off runners – weed problem solved. However, there is one place in most gardens where weeds often do get a foothold, and often, it is because of poor maintenance. That area? Curbs, tight spots, around paths and around driveways.

Now I said around paths and driveways, however, the problem often starts in these areas.  In most homes, paths and driveways are not made of a single sheet of concrete, for example. They are often poured in sections with a very narrow strip between each section – this is to allow for expansion and shrinkage when the weather is very hot or very cold. The problem is, weeds find a real foothold here, and start to grow quickly and aggressively.

A weed’s next stop is along the edges of curbs, paths, driveways and tight spots around trees and other obstacles. These are areas where lawns often struggle to grow in abundance. If weeds can get a foothold in these areas, they will slowly expand, suffocating your lawn as it expands.

As a gardener there are two things you can do to prevent this. The first is to remove by hand every weed that appears in driveways or pathways. Your second step is to get your lawn to grow as thickly as possible as close to these objects as possible. You will need to keep a firm eye on fertilizers, watering, and sunlight and to have an effective over sowing program in place.

Your over sowing needs to be done well. For best effect, use a grass care tool to perforate the area as close to the path, curb, driveway or any other obstacle as possible. Sow at about twice the recommended rate for a new lawn and water daily for the first week. After you see the seeds starting to germinate, reduce water to no less than every second day. Don’t be too quick to cut this grass. Let it get a good growing period in first then reduce by a third.

To keep weeds at bay, and to ensure a good even looking lawn, keep the grass as thick as possible across the whole lawn, particular curbs and tight spots – don’t let them become your lawn’s defensive weakness.