Tired of fighting weeds in your lawn and landscape all year long? Look at any finely manicured lawn and behind it you will find an owner who hires a professional lawn care company or licensed chemical application company. If they don't, then they are probably retired and have the time it takes to keep their lawn at its best.

Chemical lawn treatments don't usually cost as much as most people think. Most homeowners only consider the cost of herbicide treatments as the price of the chemicals at the local lawn and garden supply center. This is only part of the total cost. What is your personal time worth? We live in a fast paced world these days where our careers and our families take all of our time. We have even less time if we consider adding a hobby or enjoyable activity. Chemicals plus our valuable labor equal the total cost. In most cases, it is cheaper to hire a qualified and licensed professional who will custom tailor a weed control program for our lawn and landscapes. Another advantage is that the treatments will be performed on time when they need to be applied as to be the most effective.

A weed control program will usually comprise of one or two pre-emergent herbicide applications, with several post-emergent applications on a monthly or bi-monthly basis in a calendar year. Crabgrass, Spurge, and Dandelion are just some of the over one hundred species of weeds that can be found in a lawn or landscape. Weed control treatments can also be combined with fertilizer services to ensure that you have the most healthy and beautiful lawn, with the least amount of work and cost.

What is a pre-emergent herbicide? A pre-emergent herbicide is a chemical application, when applied over the entire area where you wish to control, and watered into the soil will prevent most seeds from germinating. It is not a persistent herbicide, so it will expire within four to six months. It only affects seeds, so it will not harm living plants.

What is a post-emergent herbicide? A post-emergent herbicide is a broadleaf weed killer, when applied that will kill any weed it comes into contact with. Post-emergent herbicides are classified as either selective or non-selective. A selective herbicide is one that will only affect certain weed species or types, such as broad leaf weeds in a lawn. A non-selective herbicide will kill any plant it comes into contact with. One example of this is Round-up broadleaf. Care should be taken when selecting and applying any post-emergent herbicide, as desirable vegetation can be harmed.

Professional lawn care companies and licensed chemical application companies are educated in which herbicides are the most effective and cost effective for your area and application. Timing, chemical selection, and application procedures are all factors of a successful chemical weed control program. Contacting a professional lawn care or licensed chemical application company early in the year will ensure a weed free lawn and landscape.