Weed Control for Commercial Properties: Everything You Need to Know

Maybe until now, everything you need to know about weeds has been how much would it cost to rent a flamethrower to torch them all for good.

They drive you crazy, right? Popping up on your commercial property lawn right before the company owners come to visit; the morning of commencement at your university campus; or your shopping center’s big 20th anniversary celebration. 

Great timing, weeds. 

If allowed to spread, dastardly weeds compete with your lawn for water, sunlight, and important nutrients. They’ll happily take over your whole lawn, if you let them.

The good news? The right tools and the right timing wrestles crabgrass and other pesky weeds under control.

How do you get rid of weeds on a commercial landscape? Put down the flamethrower and let’s take a look.

Commercial Weed Control Services: Why Pre-emergent Herbicide is Crucial

At Level Green Landscaping, we keep a close eye on the calendar when it comes to commercial property weed control. 

Many of our customers are in Maryland, and Maryland law allows application of herbicides and fertilizer only after March 15.

So that's when we dive in with pre-emergent weed killer, the first line of defense when controlling weeds on a commercial property.

How Does Pre-Emergent Herbicide Work?

Level Green crews apply pre-emergent weed killer between March 15 and early April. 

This targets weed seeds before they germinate, so pesky weeds don’t even have a chance to sprout. The weed is killed when it begins to sprout from the seed and hits the herbicide barrier.

This pre-emergent herbicide kills crabgrass — one of the big problem weeds in our area.

Why Timing Is Everything with Commercial Property Weed Control

There’s a fairly small window of opportunity here. While the calendar tells us when we can legally begin to apply pre-emergents, ground temperature is key, too.

Weed seeds germinate at varying temperatures. Crabgrass germinates when soil temperatures reach about 55 to 60 degrees for three consecutive nights.

Apply pre-emergent after this happens, and it won’t do any good. So you want to apply pre-emergent herbicide when the temperature is still in the 50s.

Why Post-Emergents Play A Role, Too

How to control weeds on a commercial property? Weed seeds are sneaky. Despite our best efforts, they figure out ways to spread — on the fur of dogs that might wander past your property, floating on an early spring breeze, on the bottom of visitors’ shoes.

Pre-emergent herbicides don’t catch everything. That’s why right after we apply the pre-emergent and fertilizer mix, we apply a liquid post-emergent weed killer, too. 

This type of herbicide also targets broadleaf weeds like dandelions and those pervasive annual weeds, chickweed and henbit.

Don’t Forget The Flower Beds

Commercial property weed control includes flower beds, too. Weeds love sprouting there. So when we visit your property for spring clean-up and mulching, we apply pre-emergent herbicide to any flower beds, to stop weeds before they sprout.

Commercial Weed Control Services: Once Isn’t Enough

Once May 1 rolls around, we repeat the same weed control process we did in early spring. The annoying thing about crabgrass? It keeps germinating, month after month.

And because it grows faster and taller than our cool season turf grasses, your lawn looks unsightly and neglected quickly if crabgrass isn't controlled. It loves to grow over sidewalks, too, if the edges aren't treated.

We visit again in July or August to spot spray only for any broadleaf weeds that have popped up. No need to spray everything just for the sake of spraying. Spot spray is better for the environment, but still targets weeds.

Need Commercial Weed Control Services? Trust Level Green

Hate weeds? Join the club. But no need for that flame thrower. You’ll put somebody’s eye out.

Trust us for expert commercial weed control services in Maryland, Washington DC and parts of Virginia. 

If you’re not already a Level Green Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers. Our focus is on commercial properties like offices, mixed-use sites, HOAs, municipalities and institutions in Maryland, Washington DC and parts of Virginia.

Contact us at 202-544-0968. You can also request a free consultation online to meet with us one-on-one.

We’d love to hear from you.