CULTIVATE YOUR WEED COSTS

Lawn care operators challenged with managing weeds in ornamental beds can save money and satisfy customers by using an integrated weed management program that includes herbicides and mulch. While hand-weeding always will be important to weed management, an integrated herbicide program can minimize labor greatly. Proper herbicide applications can provide weed control for two months or longer, creating consistently clean landscapes. However, developing a herbicide program can be challenging because of ornamental selection, placement within a landscape bed, the presence and growth of weeds, and germination expectations. Advance consideration of which chemical and mulch techniques are compatible with a landscape can cut traditional hand-weeding labor costs in half. Here, Kalmowitz discusses how to minimize pricey labor with an economical herbicide plan.