1. If your lawn is less than 10% weeds, live with it. You will never organically rid yourself of every weed, and chemicals will only cause more problems. If your lawn has more than 25% weeds, it definitely needs help. More than 50% weeds means till it under and start from scratch.

   To determine what percentage of your lawn is weeds lay a garden hose or rope straight across your lawn. Walk the length of the hose with pencil and paper in hand. Have the paper divided into two columns: "grass" and "weeds".

   After every step (maybe every other step for large lawns) look down at your feet. If there is a weed at your toe, put a slash in the weed column. If there is grass at your toe, put a slash in the grass column. When you reach the end of the hose, pick it up and lay it perpendicular to the last position and go through the same steps.

   Once you have finished, count up the number of weeds and the number of grass blades you came across. Add the two numbers together and divide the number of weeds by this total. Multiplying the answer by 100 will give a rough estimate of the percentage of weeds in your lawn.

2. Don't Use Chemicals!!! Every time you apply a chemical weed control product to solve one problem you create at least one more.

   Chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers) destroy the natural balance of the soil and kill off many beneficial insects and organisms. This in turn causes other diseases and pests to spring up because their natural competitors are no longer present to keep them in check.

   In addition, grasses do not take well to the higher acidity levels and salts caused by most chemical applications (including fertilizers). Thus, you may begin to see bare patches in your lawn where the lawn has died off. These are the places where weeds will spring up.

3. If you have a high percentage of weeds in your lawn, you must have some areas lacking grass. If grass covered the entire plot, there would be no room for weeds. Therefore, it would be good to overseed the lawn (at least those areas where weed infestation is the worst).

   Overseeding is best done in the fall or spring, preferably fall. For more information on seeding or overseeding a lawn, click on the following link:

   Seeding Information

4. Mow your lawn high (about 2 to 3 inches) and often (normally once per week is sufficient). This keeps sunlight from reaching dormant weed seeds and causes the lawn to fill in on its own.

5. If the weeds are going to seed such as when dandelions get that cottony puff head, catch the grass clippings when you mow so that the seeds don't have a chance to spread. Make sure to put the clippings someplace where the weed seeds will not blow back on the lawn.

6. If you have an area that has a high percentage of crabgrass already, and it is too late to "beat them to the punch" try spreading black plastic sheeting over the area for about a week to 10 days.

   The grass will yellow, but the crabgrass will die off for lack of sunlight. The grass will come back within a short period of time. Try to choose a week that won't be particularly hot and sunny. Too much heat under the plastic might burn the lawn.

   To prevent the crabgrass from coming up again, follow the above outlined procedures at the recommended time of season.

7. A new method being used for weed control measures is to spread corn gluten meal as a pre-emergent. This is a great alternative to chemical pre-emergents and apparently works very well.

   It is also a good source of nitrogen for the lawn. As such, it is a good idea to wait at least a month after the application of corn gluten meal before fertilizing.

   For more comprehensive information try doing a search on the web for corn gluten meal and see what you come up with.

8. If all else fails, here are are a few sure-fire non-toxic weed killers. They are sometimes specific to a certain type of weed, so if one doesn't work on a particular weed, try another.

   ** 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water sprayed from a pump spray bottle. Great for most broad-leaf weeds. Try not to spray other plants you would like to live. For an extra precaution, bring a piece of cardboard with a curved edge which you can place around the weed to protect turf or other plants from getting sprayed.

   ** Try 3 to 5 tablespoons of alcohol to 1 quart of water applied through a pump spray bottle. As with the vinegar solution, try not to spray plants you want to keep.

Taken from "The Lawn Care Bible" by Mike Kaufman, Guarding-Our-Earth.com. (Free to Download)