In the past I've used weed be gone & MSMA to kill weeds after they pop up. I don't want to do that anymore.

What is the best way to get rid of weeds when the lawn is active, say this summer?

Thanks

Using natural products, mowing & watering properly will control most of your weed problems. Spot treatment with a vinegar spray helps. Ck these forums and the main web site for a lot of suggestions. If you listen to Howard on Sat. & (or) Sun. there will be a lot of help also. In fact, you can call Howard directly & get help. Those chemicals you are using are a short term solution at best. They kill trees & plants, contaminate your yard and the ground water. Most importantly, they don't improve the soil which is why you have most of the weed problem.

To everybody reading this thread:
Please NEVER use MSMA. It is one of the worst 'nasty' chemicals there is. It should never have been developed. There is a friendly organic alternative to every bad chemical. If you have any questions about the alternative, please ask. With as many people. that read and post, someone will have the answer. If not, there is always the Dirt Doctor to ask. We need to take care of our environment for our children and future offspring. There is no better time then now to start.

Vinegar/Orange Oil/Soap solution. There are lots of threads in this forum (Weeds) and over in the Home Brews forum which address this topic.

The best way to control weeds is with good management.

1. Water deeply and infrequently. Deeply means at least an hour in every zone, all at once. Infrequently means monthly during the cool months and no more than weekly during the hottest part of summer. If your grass looks dry before the month/week is up, water longer next time. Deep watering grows deep, drought resistant roots. Infrequent watering allows the top layer of soil to dry completely which kills off many shallow rooted weeds.

2. Mow at the highest setting on your mower. Most grasses are the most dense when mowed tall. Bermuda, centipede, and bent grasses are the most dense when mowed at the lowest setting on your mower. Dense grass shades out weeds and uses less water when tall. Dense grass feeds the deep roots you're developing in 1 above.

3. Fertilize regularly. I fertilize 4 times per year using organic fertilizer. Which fertilizer you use is much less important than numbers 1 and 2 above.

You can "control" weeds to an extent through management, but you won't eliminate them altogether. Don't become discouraged when after following steps 1-3 you still have weeds. So for those weeds that will inevitably still present themselves, even after following Steps 1-3, you will have to rely on hand removal or the Vinegar/Orange Oil/Soap solution.

Mr. Clean, Would you please share the 'Vinegar/Orange Oil/Soap' Solution?

Thanks!

All Thumbs,

Welcome to the Dirt Doctor forums, where a group of like minded people practice the organic approach to gardening. I'll happily point you to just one of many threads that discuss this very topic.

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=13690&highlight=#13690

I think you will find this site a very comprehensive guide to many of your organic gardening questions. It will take some reading, but after a good read, I'll bet that most of your questions will have already been covered at least once. Enjoy the site!