How to Get Rid of Weeds in Your Lawn

🧰 Tools & Materials

Tools

• Work gloves
• Hand weeder or garden trowel
• Pump sprayer or ready-to-use spray bottle — if using liquid weed killer
• Lawn spreader — if using a granular product
• Garden hose

Materials

• Selective lawn weed killer appropriate for your grass type — optional
• Weed-and-feed product — optional
• Lawn-safe pre-emergent — optional, depending on the weed and season
• Grass seed and lawn soil for repairing thin or bare areas — if needed

Before You Buy

Before buying anything, figure out what type of weeds you’re dealing with.

You don’t necessarily need to know the exact species, but it helps to determine whether you’re dealing with:

• Broadleaf weeds such as dandelions and clover
• Grassy weeds such as crabgrass
• Sedge-type weeds such as nutsedge
• A few isolated weeds
• Weeds spread throughout most of the lawn

This matters because one weed killer does not control every type of weed.

More importantly, make sure any product you choose is labeled as safe for your type of lawn grass. A product that’s safe for one lawn may damage another.

If you don’t know what grass or weed you have, take a few clear pictures to a local garden center or county extension office before applying anything.

💡 Pro Tip: For a handful of weeds, you may not need weed killer at all. Pulling them by the root is often the simplest and cheapest solution.

Before You Start

Read the entire product label before applying any lawn treatment.

Pay particular attention to:

• Which weeds it controls
• Which grass types it can be used on
• Recommended application rate
• Temperature restrictions
• Rain and watering instructions
• Mowing restrictions
• When people and pets can return to the lawn
• How long you must wait before planting grass seed

Check the weather as well. Avoid spraying on a windy day, when rain is expected too soon after application, or when temperatures fall outside the range listed on the label.

If you recently seeded the lawn, check the weed killer label carefully. Some products can damage young grass.

Step 1: Decide Whether to Pull or Treat the Weeds

Walk around the lawn and get a sense of how widespread the problem actually is.

If you only have a few weeds scattered around the yard, hand-pulling or spot treating is usually enough.

If weeds are appearing throughout large portions of the lawn, a broader lawn treatment may make more sense.

Avoid treating the entire lawn just because you spotted three dandelions.

What You Should See: A clear idea of whether you’re dealing with isolated weeds, several problem areas, or a lawn-wide infestation.

If Yours Looks Different: If weeds make up a large percentage of what looks like your lawn, don’t immediately cover everything with herbicide. The grass may be too thin to compete, and you’ll probably need to address the lawn itself after controlling the weeds.

Step 2: Pull Isolated Weeds by the Root

For a small number of weeds, put on gloves and use a hand weeder or garden trowel to loosen the soil around each plant.

Grip the weed near the soil and pull upward slowly.

Try to remove as much of the root as possible.

Dandelions and other deep-rooted weeds can grow back if a significant portion of the root remains underground.

It can be easier to pull weeds when the soil is slightly damp rather than rock-hard and dry.

What You Should See: The weed should come out with its root attached, leaving a relatively small hole in the lawn.

If Yours Looks Different: If the leaves keep breaking off while the root stays underground, loosen the soil deeper with your weeding tool instead of pulling harder.

💡 Pro Tip: Don’t shake weeds containing mature seeds all over the lawn. Put them directly into a bucket or yard-waste container.

Step 3: Spot Treat Remaining Weeds

For weeds that can’t easily be pulled, use a selective lawn weed killer labeled for both the weed and your grass type.

Apply it directly to the weeds according to the label.

The leaves usually need to receive enough product to be treated effectively, but they shouldn’t be dripping.

Keep the spray as close to the target weed as practical to reduce drift onto flowers, shrubs, vegetable gardens, or other plants.

What You Should See: The weed leaves should be evenly treated without the surrounding lawn being soaked.

If Yours Looks Different: If spray is drifting sideways or blowing onto nearby landscaping, stop and wait for calmer weather.

Step 4: Treat Larger Weed Problems if Necessary

If weeds are spread throughout the lawn, a lawn-wide selective herbicide or an appropriate weed-and-feed product may be more practical than treating hundreds of individual plants.

Follow the product’s coverage rate carefully.

For granular products, adjust your spreader to the setting recommended on the package and apply the product evenly.

For liquid treatments, walk at a steady pace and avoid repeatedly spraying the same areas.

Don’t overlap applications excessively.

What You Should See: Consistent coverage across the areas being treated without piles of granules or heavily soaked sections.

If Yours Looks Different: If you spill a pile of granular product, sweep or scoop up the excess. Don’t simply spread the concentrated pile around with your foot.

💡 Pro Tip: More weed killer doesn’t mean faster weed control. Overapplication can injure the grass you’re trying to save.

Step 5: Give the Treatment Time to Work

Don’t expect treated weeds to disappear overnight.

Depending on the weed and product, you may notice the leaves curling, yellowing, wilting, or gradually turning brown over several days or longer.

Follow the label before mowing or watering the lawn after treatment.

Avoid immediately applying another dose because the weeds still look healthy the next morning.

What You Should See: Treated weeds should gradually show signs of stress while the surrounding lawn remains healthy.

If Yours Looks Different: If the surrounding grass begins yellowing or browning too, check the product label. You may have applied too much, used the wrong product for your grass type, or treated during unfavorable weather conditions.

Step 6: Remove Dead Weeds and Repair Thin Areas

Once the weeds have died, remove large dead plants and rake out heavy patches if necessary.

Small weeds can often decompose naturally without creating a problem.

If removing the weeds leaves bare soil, you’ll eventually want to establish grass there so new weeds don’t immediately take their place.

Before reseeding, check the herbicide label for the required waiting period. Some weed-control products can prevent grass seed from germinating.

Once it’s safe to seed, loosen the soil, spread matching grass seed, and keep the area consistently moist while it establishes.

For the full repair process, see How to Fix Bare Spots in a Lawn.

Step 7: Make the Lawn Harder for Weeds to Invade

Getting rid of existing weeds is only half the job.

A thick, healthy lawn naturally leaves less room for new weeds to establish.

Focus on:

• Mowing at the proper height for your grass
• Keeping mower blades sharp
• Watering deeply rather than constantly providing shallow water
• Fertilizing appropriately for your grass type
• Overseeding thin cool-season lawns when appropriate
• Repairing bare areas
• Correcting heavily compacted soil
• Addressing drainage problems

Depending on the weeds you’re fighting, a properly timed pre-emergent can also help prevent certain annual weeds before they germinate.

What You Should See: Over time, grass should begin filling thin areas and the number of new weeds should decrease.

If Yours Looks Different: If weeds return quickly despite repeated treatments, look beyond the weeds themselves. Thin grass, compacted soil, improper mowing, drainage problems, or poor growing conditions may be the real cause.

🛑 Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using the wrong weed killer: Always verify that the product is safe for your grass type and labeled for the weeds you’re treating.
• Spraying every weed with a non-selective herbicide: Products designed to kill all vegetation can also kill your lawn.
• Applying too much: Increasing the application rate can damage grass without improving weed control.
• Spraying on windy days: Drift can damage nearby flowers, shrubs, gardens, and other plants.
• Treating right before rain: Rain may wash some products away before they have time to work. Follow the label.
• Mowing at the wrong time: Some treatments need to remain on the weed leaves for a certain period.
• Reseeding too soon: Some herbicides interfere with grass-seed germination.
• Ignoring bare spots: Open soil creates an easy place for the next round of weeds to establish.
• Expecting instant results: Many weed treatments take days or longer to fully work.

Troubleshooting

Problem: The weeds aren’t dying.

Give the treatment the amount of time listed on the product label. If enough time has passed, confirm that the product actually controls that particular weed and that it was applied under the recommended conditions.

Problem: The weeds came back after I pulled them.

Part of the root may have remained underground, or new weeds may be growing from seed. Loosen the soil deeper when removing taproot weeds.

Problem: Weed killer damaged the surrounding grass.

Stop applying the product and check the label to confirm it was appropriate for your grass type and applied at the correct rate. Keep the lawn appropriately watered and allow mildly damaged grass time to recover.

Problem: Weeds keep appearing in the same area.

Look for thin turf, compacted soil, excess moisture, poor drainage, excessive shade, or mowing problems. Repeated weed growth often points to an underlying lawn problem.

Problem: I have weeds everywhere.

If weeds make up a significant portion of the lawn, killing them may leave large bare areas behind. You may need to combine weed control with overseeding or more extensive lawn renovation.

❓ FAQs

Should I pull weeds or spray them?

Pulling works well when you only have a few weeds and can remove most of the root. Spot treatment is useful when weeds are difficult to pull or more widespread.

Will weed killer kill my grass?

A selective herbicide designed for lawns can control certain weeds without killing compatible grass when used correctly. Always verify that the product is safe for your specific grass type.

What’s the difference between selective and non-selective weed killer?

Selective herbicides target particular types of plants while leaving compatible lawn grasses largely unharmed. Non-selective herbicides can damage or kill nearly any vegetation they contact.

How long does weed killer take to work?

It varies by product, weed type, and weather conditions. Visible effects may take several days or longer. Follow the timeframe listed on the label.

Should I mow before applying weed killer?

It depends on the product. Some herbicides work through the leaves, so mowing immediately before or after treatment can reduce the leaf surface available for absorption. Follow the label’s mowing instructions.

Can I seed my lawn after killing weeds?

Usually, but not necessarily right away. Many herbicides require a waiting period before grass seed can be planted. Check the product label before reseeding.

Does weed and feed work?

It can be useful when your lawn needs both appropriate fertilization and control of weeds listed on the product label. It isn’t automatically the best choice for every lawn or every weed problem.

Will weeds eventually go away if my grass gets thicker?

A dense lawn can significantly reduce opportunities for many weeds to establish, but existing weeds may still need to be removed or treated first.

📞 When to Call a Professional

Consider calling a lawn-care professional if:

• Weeds cover a large percentage of the lawn
• You can’t identify the weed or determine which treatment is safe
• Weeds continue returning after repeated treatment
• Large areas of grass are dying along with the weeds
• You suspect lawn disease or insect damage
• You have a difficult invasive weed problem
• The lawn may need extensive renovation rather than spot treatment

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