Some homeowners are intensely proud of their lawns. "Half an acre of fine, green grass and not a weed to be found," they declare. But don't ask how much time is spent pulling and digging up stray weeds or how much money is spent on bags and boxes and bottles of pre-emergent weedkillers and spot herbicides. If a weed-free lawn is among your higher priorities, by all means do it! If not, consider the alternatives.

Most homeowners settle for a more-or-less comfortable accommodation with unwanted vegetation. The best thing you can do is to maintain the health and vigor of your lawn, which will inhibit weed seeds from sprouting and crowd out most seedlings that do emerge. Weeds take over when soil pH, climate, and other factors are more favorable for their growth than for turf grass.

If weeds are rampant on a portion of your lawn, pull them by hand or rake them up, then cultivate the area and scatter some good lawn seed right away so the area will be repopulated with grass instead of weeds.

What's the difference between a weed and a wildflower? Crabgrass certainly qualifies as a weed; it's an annual that spreads rampantly and persistently. But violets? Some people spray them with herbicides and others enjoy their charming spring flowers. Some people think the little white flowers and round leaves of clover ruin their lawn's appearance, while many others add clover to their turf seed mixture. (Clover "fixes" nitrogen from the air and reduces the amount of fertilizer your lawn needs.) If you decide you must use weedkillers, follow the label directions carefully as an errant gust of herbicide spray can kill your favorite roses or cabbages.

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C.R.S., Inc. · Spokane, Washington · USA