Weeds are more than an eyesore. If you let them grow, they can choke out your yard and garden plants, suck up valuable water and nutrients and become a pain to pull out. Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to keep them from taking over your lawn.

Mow the lawn regularly. Mowing the lawn keeps weeds from spreading and gives grass the space it needs to grow. Keep your blade sharp to give grass a clean-cut and mow weekly in the summer, when grass grows quickest.

Add fertilizer to the lawn. Fertilizer helps grass grow thicker, so it can crowd out weeds before they spread and choke out their roots so they won’t grow back. Apply fertilizer with a spreader four times a year during spring and summer, then again in fall and winter if you live in a warm climate.

Add mulch around plants. Mulch protects flower beds from weeds by blocking sunlight that allows seeds to germinate. Add mulch around plants at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep for best results, and reapply it once or twice a year as needed.

Spray weed killer on the weeds you do have. If you already have weeds growing in your yard or garden, spray them with weed killer.

Use the methods above, and you will drastically increase your ability to keep weeds out of your yard!