Preventing Weed Growth Between Hardscapes with Proper Lawn Care
Guest article by Harley Grandone
Picture this. You’re sitting out in your courtyard, café au lait in hand, the scent of chicory in the air and you’re enjoying a quiet moment to yourself. Then you notice it… Small weeds pushing up between the cracks of your blue flagstone patio. How can you prevent weed growth from even becoming an eyesore?
Why Weeds Show Up Between Hardscapes
In New Orleans, many homes have older driveways and walkways that weren’t built for today’s needs. Off-street parking can be limited, and existing driveways are often cracked, uneven or worn down from heavy rain and soft ground.
As these surfaces break down, small gaps form and collect moisture. Add in grass clippings, soil from the lawn and weed seeds, and it creates the perfect place for weeds to grow between driveways, walkways and entry paths.
Keeping these areas well maintained, with proper drainage, clean surfaces and regular lawn care, helps prevent weeds and keeps your space looking neat and easy to use.
Here’s what you can do to prevent weeds sprouting in your lawn and hardscapes:
How Lawn Care Keeps Weeds Out of Hardscapes
A healthy lawn acts as a barrier that helps stop weeds from spreading into nearby patios, walkways and driveways. When your grass is thick, weeds have less room to grow and fewer resources to take hold.
Regular mowing, edging and routine lawn maintenance can help keep weeds out of your hardscapes:
Mowing
Regular mowing is one of the best ways to keep your lawn thick and reduce weeds. Healthy grass can handle frequent mowing, but many weeds cannot, which helps keep them from taking over.
To get the best results:
Mow at the Right Height
- St. Augustine and bahiagrass: 3 inches or higher.
- Bermudagrass, Zoysia and centipedegrass: 1.5 to 2.5 inches.
Manage Clippings Carefully
- Point mower discharge away from patios and driveways.
- Blow or sweep off hard surfaces after mowing.
These simple mowing habits help build a thicker lawn that reduces weeds in your grass that can spread into nearby hardscapes.
Edging
Edging does more than make your yard look neat. It helps stop weeds and grass from spreading into your patio, walkway or driveway. A clean cut, 4- to 6-inch deep trench works by slicing through roots and stopping grass from creeping into cracks and joints.
You can also install landscape edging like metal, plastic or stone to create a barrier that keeps weeds and grass away from hard surfaces.
Regular Lawn Maintenance
Keeping up with regular lawn care can make a big difference in preventing weeds from spreading into hardscapes. This includes watering, fertilizing, aerating, pulling weeds early, using lawn treatments when needed and keeping hard surfaces clean.
Water
Water your lawn in the early morning, about two to three times a week instead of every day. This helps grass grow deeper roots while keeping the soil surface from staying too wet, which is what weed seeds need to grow. Aim for about an inch of water each week, including rainfall, and avoid overwatering to prevent disease and weak grass.
Fertilize
Fertilizing your lawn with the right amount of nitrogen helps grass grow thick and strong. In Louisiana, warm-season grasses grow most actively in spring and summer, so that’s the best time to focus on nitrogen fertilization. Giving your lawn the nutrients it needs during this time helps it stay healthy and better able to crowd out weeds.
Aerate
Aerating your lawn helps loosen compacted ground, which is common in Louisiana’s heavy soils. Late spring through mid-summer, from about April to July, is a good time to aerate.
Aeration allows water, air and nutrients to reach the roots, helping grass grow stronger and making it harder for weeds to take over. Weeds like annual bluegrass, goosegrass and dallisgrass often show up in compacted areas, so they can be a sign your lawn needs aeration.
Pull Weeds by Hand
Even with good lawn care, some weeds will still sprout. You can hand-pull small patches of weeds to stop them from spreading. The sooner you remove them, the less chance they have to produce seeds that can end up in your hardscapes.
Herbicides and Organic Options
For more stubborn weeds, targeted herbicides may be needed. Some flowering weeds spread quickly and can easily move into nearby joints and cracks.
Keep Hard Surfaces Clean
Regularly sweeping or blowing off patios, walkways and driveways removes dirt and debris before it builds up. That buildup can act like soil, giving weeds a place to grow. Keeping these areas clean makes it much harder for weeds to get started.
Don’t Let Weeds Take Over Your Courtyard
Across New Orleans, from Uptown to Lakeview and beyond, courtyards are designed to be both beautiful and functional. But as you already know, it doesn’t take much for those NOLA weeds to sneak in and start taking over those cracks and joints.
With a little regular care, you can stay ahead of weeds. So instead of spotting weeds creeping between your hardscapes, you can step out into your own charming courtyard, café au lait in hand, and actually enjoy the view of your beautiful blue flagstone patio, just like those tucked-away spaces in the French Quarter.
Exterior Designs, Inc., led by Beverly Katz, specializes in addressing New Orleans’ outdoor design challenges, including beautifying lawns and combatting weeds.
Harley Grandone is a writer and landscape designer. After 20+ years of being a landscape designer, she loves combining writing with her love of the industry. When not writing, she spends her free time having fun with her family in the Philadelphia suburbs. And yes, she enjoys café au lait!
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