By Kyle Caldwell, Owner & Agronomist, Century Outdoor Services | Austin, TX
Keeping a lawn weed-free in Austin isn’t just about spraying weeds after they appear. In fact, some of the most important steps happen before you ever see a weed.
At Century Outdoor Services, we take a preventative approach to weed control. A healthy, dense lawn combined with properly timed pre-emergent applications, good mowing practices, and proper irrigation gives homeowners the best opportunity to reduce weeds throughout the year.
Austin’s climate makes weed control challenging. We have long growing seasons, hot summers, periods of drought, watering restrictions, and relatively mild winters. All of these conditions can influence when weeds germinate and how well your lawn competes against them.
Here are the most important things Austin homeowners can do to keep weeds under control.
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is waiting until weeds are visible before thinking about weed control.
Pre-emergent herbicides are designed to prevent certain weeds before they become established. Timing is critical because the application needs to be in place before the targeted weeds germinate.
In the Austin area, we generally have two major weed-germination periods to prepare for.
An early fall pre-emergent application helps prevent many of the weeds that germinate as temperatures begin cooling and then become noticeable during the winter and early spring.
If you wait until winter weeds are already growing throughout the lawn, you have missed the best opportunity for prevention. At that point, post-emergent weed control may be needed.
Pre-emergent applications are also important before summer annual weeds begin germinating.
As soil temperatures increase during the spring, summer weeds begin to emerge. Getting the pre-emergent barrier established ahead of germination can dramatically reduce the number of weeds you have to fight later.
This is why our fertilization and weed control program includes strategically timed pre-emergent applications rather than relying solely on spraying weeds after they appear.
Pre-emergent is one of our most important weed-control tools, but it isn’t a force field around your lawn.
Some weeds aren’t effectively controlled by pre-emergent products, and weeds can still appear in thin turf, damaged areas, bare soil, or places where the pre-emergent barrier has been disrupted.
That’s where post-emergent weed control comes into the program.
When weeds do appear, they can be selectively treated when appropriate for the weed, turf type, temperature, and time of year. Some weeds are relatively easy to control, while others can require multiple treatments.
The goal isn’t simply to spray more herbicide. The goal is to combine prevention, treatment, and good lawn management.
One of the best forms of long-term weed control is healthy, dense turfgrass.
Whether you have Bermuda, Zoysia, or St. Augustine grass, weeds are much more likely to establish themselves when the lawn becomes thin.
Thin turf allows more sunlight to reach the soil surface and creates open areas where weed seeds can germinate.
This is why weed control and lawn health go hand in hand.
A good fertilization and weed control program can provide the nutrients and treatments the lawn needs, but it cannot overcome poor mowing, inadequate irrigation, severe shade, or poor soil conditions.
Mowing is one of the most overlooked parts of weed prevention.
During the growing season, we generally recommend mowing weekly. Regular mowing encourages a denser turf canopy and helps the lawn compete with weeds.
Allowing the grass to become extremely tall and then cutting a large portion of it off can stress the lawn. Repeated stress can cause turf to thin, which creates opportunities for weeds.
Mowing height also matters and should be appropriate for your turfgrass variety.
For example, we typically recommend keeping Bermuda grass around 1–2 inches when possible. St. Augustine and Zoysia have different mowing requirements depending on the variety and growing conditions.
The objective is simple: keep the lawn thick and healthy enough to occupy the space where weeds would otherwise grow.
Proper irrigation is another major part of weed prevention in Austin.
During our hot Central Texas summers, lawns can become stressed quickly if they aren’t receiving enough water. Areas with poor irrigation coverage often become thin first, and those thin areas can eventually become ideal places for weeds to establish.
We generally prefer deep watering that moves moisture through the root zone rather than frequent, shallow watering.
Your soil also matters. A lawn with several inches of healthy soil can store considerably more moisture than turf growing over extremely shallow soil or rock.
Check your irrigation system regularly for broken heads, clogged nozzles, poor coverage, and areas that aren’t receiving enough water.
A fertilization and weed control program can’t compensate for an irrigation system that isn’t providing the lawn with the water it needs.
If the same part of your lawn constantly fills with weeds, don’t just focus on killing the weeds. Ask why the grass isn’t growing there.
Common problems we see around Austin include:
Weeds often take advantage of an existing lawn problem. Correcting that underlying problem can be just as important as treating the weeds themselves.
If your goal is a weed-free lawn, don’t wait until weeds have taken over.
The best approach is a year-round strategy that combines properly timed pre-emergent applications, post-emergent weed control when needed, proper fertilization, weekly mowing, good irrigation, and healthy soil.
At Century Outdoor Services, our lawn care program is built specifically around Central Texas conditions and the needs of Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine lawns.
After years of working with lawns in the Austin area, one thing is clear: the healthiest lawns usually have the fewest weed problems.
Prevention gets you ahead of the weeds. Good cultural practices help you stay ahead of them.
For Weed Control and Fertilization, Aeration, and Moisture Manager, the price is calculated by every 1,000 ft². Click here to see how we determine our prices.
If you’d like to receive an estimate, you can call us at (512) 786-1694 or send us a quick message.
No, Century does not require contracts for residential services. We set up a Service Agreement for your property based on the services accepted. This agreement requests at least a 24-hour notice of cancellation of service.
We’ve provided the most reliable weed control & fertilization to customers in Austin, Bee Cave, Dripping Springs, and nearby areas in Texas since 2013.
