How Soon After Spraying Weeds Can I Mow? (Explained)

How soon after spraying weeds can I mow

If you have weeds in the lawn, you have to get rid of them or they will soon take over the entire yard. The easiest thing to do is spray them with weed killer.

How soon after spraying weeds can I mow? We are going to discuss that here, so continue reading.

How Soon After Spraying Weeds Can I Mow?

Wait a couple of days after spraying weed killer before you mow your lawn. Don’t mow your lawn immediately after applying weed killer, as you need to give it time to work and don’t mow it immediately before applying weed killer.


Why You Should Get Rid of Weeds


So, you have a weed problem? Just to be clear, we are talking about weeds that you find in the garden or in your lawn. 

In this particular case, we are talking about the weeds in your lawn. 

Here’s the deal:

There are a lot of weeds that are just unattractive. That should be reason enough to get rid of them. 

However, there are also weeds that could just blend in with the grass or other plants. There are even some weeds that actually look quite attractive. 

However

Weeds can be considered parasitic plants wherein they get all their nutrients from other plants. 

In this case, the weeds will be competing with the grass for sunlight, water, and nutrients. They will also take up soil space. 

These weeds are also plants. They have roots that would invade the space of the grass roots.

As a result

They could suffocate the roots of the grass and eventually kill them. The weeds will also take up nutrients solely intended for the grass, which would make the latter weak and eventually dead. 

The grass, too, could become dehydrated with the weeds trying to absorb water that was supposed to be intended just for the grass. 

That’s not all!

Some of these weeds also carry diseases that could damage the lawn.

That’s why if you see weeds starting to crop up in your lawn, you have to stop them immediately. You need to get rid of the weeds to ensure the survival of your lawn and that your grass will grow healthy, lush, and vibrant. 

Here are some ways to get rid of weeds:

Man pulling weeds

1. Removal by hand

This is going to be really taxing. However, if you start pulling out weeds as they start appearing in the lawn, then it’s not going to be that tiring. 

As soon as you see weeds, pull them out. That would leave them little chance of propagating. 

You have to know

There is still a large chance that more weeds will grow since they could spread by wind. When you pull them out, some of the seeds will be scattered by the wind. 

You need to pull out the entire plant, which includes the roots, to leave less opportunity for them to grow back. 

2. Using a trowel

You can also use a trowel to remove the weeds in the lawn. 

3. Using organic products to kill the weeds

There are reportedly around 8,000 species of weeds in the world. There are also different ways to kill them. 

There are a number of natural solutions you can use in order to kill weeds. 

For example:

You can mix a gallon of vinegar with a cup of salt and a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. You can then spray or pour this solution onto the weeds. 

Just make sure you spray only the weeds or you might also kill some of your grass. 

Also

If you have crabgrass and other similar weeds, you can just cover them with newspaper and they will die from the lack of sunlight. 

For weeds with really long roots, you can pour a substantial amount of pure vinegar on them and they will die in just a few days. 

Or it could be as simple as this:

Boiling water. You boil water and pour it onto the weeds. Just make sure to keep your pouring focused on the weeds or you may also kill the grass. 

Herbicides on shelf

4. Spraying herbicide

This is probably the most powerful way to kill the weeds since chemicals are involved. Of course, you have to be careful since it’s powerful enough to kill the grass and other nearby plants as well. 

Just a note on the use of herbicide, it would be more effective if you spray when the temperature is not cold. 

This means

You should apply during midday when the sun is out.

Read the instructions on the label before using the herbicide. Also, keep your children and pets away from the area. The area should be free from animals and people at least a day–three would be better. 

About herbicides

You could also apply herbicide as a precaution. During fall or spring, you could apply pre-emergent herbicide on your lawn to stop the germination of weeds. 

Can you start mowing after applying chemicals onto the lawn? Not immediately!


How Soon After Spraying Weeds Can I Mow?


Herbicides need time to work. In fact, even if you are using the natural weed killer, you still need to give them time to work their magic. 

So, don’t mow your lawn immediately after applying herbicide. 

Why not?

Obviously, when you mow the lawn, you are shortening the height of the grass blades. That would also include shortening the leaves of the weeds. 

As such, there would be less surface space for the herbicide to move through. Mowing means decreasing the area from which the herbicide can work through the entire weed. 

This also means

You shouldn’t mow the lawn just before you plan to apply the weed killer. 

This doesn’t mean that you should wait until the weeds are longer. You can’t do that since you are only giving the weeds more time to propagate. 

You can apply the herbicide at least two days after mowing the lawn. 

You see

This will give weeds time to grow and give the herbicide more broadleaf space for efficient penetration. 

How long should you wait?

Wait a DAY OR TWO after application to start mowing the lawn.

If not, you are basically just cutting off parts of the herbicide you just applied. You want the chemicals to be thoroughly absorbed by the weeds. 

In fact, you should do the same with water. Don’t water your lawn a day or two after you have just applied herbicide on weeds. 

For similar reason

You don’t want the water to wash away the weed killer you just applied.

In the same manner, you should also check the weather forecast before you apply herbicide or any other weed killer. You don’t want rain to just wash away the chemicals you applied. 

To be clear

Different rules apply for pre-emergent herbicides when it comes to water. In this case, you actually want to water the lawn immediately after applying the chemicals. 

The water will help the chemicals seep into the soil and prevent weeds from ever growing. 

Although

Mowing should be done a couple of days after the application. 

What if the weeds grow back?

When you’ve mowed the lawn days after applying herbicide but notice that there are weeds popping up here and there, wait for three to five more days before applying the weed killer. 

It’s the same logic, you want to give the weeds time to grow so the herbicide has more surface area to be more efficient. 

Woman Mowing Lawn

Summary


How soon after spraying weeds can I mow? It’s definitely not soon after. You need to wait at least a couple of days because you want the herbicide to have time to really work its way through the plant. 

You really shouldn’t mow the lawn days before and after spraying herbicide. You want the herbicide to have more broadleaf space to be more efficient. Mowing means cutting the height of the leaves and giving the weeds less space for the chemicals to penetrate. 

In the same manner, you can’t water the lawn immediately after applying the herbicide. It’s for the same reason. You just want to give the chemicals time to really work. 


Useful Resources

  • Make Your Own Natural Weed Killer – HGTV
  • When to Mow After Spraying a Concentrated Weed Killer – SFGATE
  • Tips for Getting Rid of Weeds – Journal Star
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