Some people respond to the first signs of spring by donning their gardening gloves and gathering their tools. Others tend to look forward to sunny days but dread the need to do yard work. Whether you are an avid gardener or view yard care as a necessary evil, it is critical to make weed control one of your first priorities of the season. Controlling weeds as early as possible is worth the effort when you see your property’s landscape come to life. Dormant Weed Seeds are Already Waiting Last year’s weed problem often becomes this year’s unresolved issue. Many varieties of weeds have seeds that survive the winter by going dormant while they rest in the ground. Once the right combination of sunlight and warmth arrives, they’ll be ready to start growing. Treating any weed seeds that you might have missed last year gives you a fresh start for your yard. Launch an Attack Before You See the Enemy It only takes one or two weeds showing up in your landscaping’s rock garden to ruin the entire desired effect. You might also discover that weeds can grow faster than the grass, which will cause it to look uneven. Early spraying makes it possible to avoid getting weeds in the first place. Pre-emergent sprays prevent weeds from sprouting, and won’t have to worry about cleaning up dead weeds after the spray does its job. Halt the Spread by Disrupting the Life Cycle Weeds spread at an alarmingly fast rate. Some weeds have a life cycle that spans only 5 to 6 weeks. This means that as soon as they sprout through the ground they begin to spread as many seeds as possible. Stopping weeds from emerging makes it impossible for them to reproduce. Your decision to apply pre-emergent spray in the early spring means you’ll have less of a battle during the summer months, since you’ve broken the reproduction cycle. Avoid Costly Damage to the Surrounding the Life Cycle Many yard problems are caused by out-of-control weeds. The fast growth rate and life cycle causes them to suck up all of the water in your yard before grass and desirable plants get a chance to soak up the water they need. Once weeds get big enough, they can also block sunlight. Given enough time, you may start to find, for example, dead spots in your grass, which then get filled in with more weeds. Prevent Pest Invasions and Allergies Unwanted weeds are unsightly and bad for your yard, but the problems don’t stop there. Fast-growing weeds provide a haven for fleas, ticks and other insects that use the overgrown plants to hide and lay their eggs. Many people are also allergic to the most common weeds that grow in Arizona. If your family struggles with springtime allergies, then starting your control methods early can help them stay healthier. Procrastination can make clearing out unwanted weeds from your yard harder. The ideal time for applying pre-emergent sprays often comes earlier in the year than you might expect. We typically recommend making sure that you have someone come out to spray around the time the last frost hits, which can happen as early as March. You can also sign up for an annual package, so you don’t even have to think about this essential part of your spring yard maintenance plan. Custom Weed & Pest Control has been in business since 1989, serving the greater Phoenix metro area for both residential and commercial. We offer an affordable weed and pest control package, with customized service to meet your specific needs.