There’s a reason for the expression, “he’s growing like a weed!” Weeds grow fast and furiously, often gaining six inches or more overnight in some parts of the world. All it takes is some heavy rain and you might wake up to a jungle in your yard.
Although weeds can be annoying, especially when you live in rural areas, they’re not all bad. For instance, dandelions and nettle are considered weeds, but they’re actually full of nutritional benefits. Still, they can be annoying when left to grow out of control.
Do you take care of your weeds on a regular basis? Do you make use of residential weed killers? Or do you let your crab grass grow wild? If you don’t keep your weeds maintained, you might think it’s not a big deal. Maybe you’re not bothered by the sight of towering nettle or other types of weeds.
Even so, managing weeds is about more than aesthetics. When your weeds are out of control, an ugly yard is the least of your concerns. Here’s why you should get a handle on your weeds.
1. Weeds attract pests and insects
Pests and bothersome insects are attracted to uncontrolled weeds because it provides the cover they need to make their home. This includes mosquitoes, rats, mice, and even squirrels. These insects and pests want to nest in a place that provides them with shelter and protection from being seen by predators.
When you have overgrown patches of weeds everywhere, your entire yard can turn into a party for pests. You could end up with a mischief of rats under every bush and in the middle of every large area of overgrown grass.
Once your yard becomes ideal for pests and insects, they can easily take over your yard and sometimes your house. If their group gets too big, they’ll branch off looking for other places to nest and that could include your home.
When dealing with insects, you need to be especially cautious of attracting mosquitoes because they can spread serious diseases when they bite you.
2. Overgrown weeds make your home look bad
When people drive by homes that have overgrown weeds, it’s kind of a cringe moment. It looks bad even if it’s only seen for a split-second.
If you’re trying to sell your home, or you think you may want to sell your home in the near future, overgrown weeds will turn away plenty of buyers. Sure, weeds are easy to take care of, but first impressions matter. You want your home to look as good as possible at first sight.
Also, overgrown weeds will make your home value drop. If there are multiple people in your neighborhood with overgrown weeds, the value of homes in your whole area will drop.
Keep your home looking good by adopting a regular lawncare and landscaping routine. If you don’t like doing the work, hire a local high school student to at least mow the lawn and weed whack.
3. Your HOA might fine you
Do you live under a homeowners’ association agreement? If so, you probably don’t have a choice regarding your weeds. Most HOAs have a specific, written policy that forbids weeds to be more than a certain height. This usually includes your lawn, too. In this case, you may want to start using an herbicide to make the task easier.
If you’re bound by an HOA agreement, keep your weeds maintained so you don’t have to worry about getting a surprise fine. It’s possible that the longer your weeds are a violation, the higher your fee will be. HOAs don’t always give warning before a fine, even when a warning is part of the agreement. You might even get multiple fines at once if the problem has been persistent.
4. Weeds will take nutrients from your vegetables
Do you have a vegetable garden? Do you depend on that vegetable garden to feed yourself and your family? If so, an abundance of weeds will end up taking the nutrients from your vegetables.
Sure, you can weed your actual garden beds, but the more weeds you have in your yard, the harder and more often you’ll need to weed your vegetable garden. A good trick is to lop off the heads of weeds before they go to seed. When you do this, you’ll notice a huge reduction in how many weeds grow after the next rain.
Get your weeds under control
Whether you want a better-looking yard or you need to get your HOA off your back, getting your weeds under control will prove to be a good decision. Your yard will look good and you’ll feel more pride in your home.
Learn about quality weed. Check out this mid grade weed.
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