Weed Control

Tips for Your Lawn in Medicine Hat and Areas

Diamond Cut Lawn Services Ltd kills existing weeds in your lawn with our professional-grade weed control products in the Medicine Hat area. We spray these solutions on the existing and actively growing weeds to get them out of your lawn and keep it lush and healthy. This is usually done two times a year: spring and fall, to achieve better control year-round.

Have a look at the tips and suggestions from our experts:

Q: What to expect after booking a weed spray with Diamond Cut Lawn Services Ltd?
A: You will receive a phone call from the office to book a specific date with a three-day window.
Q: Why is there a three-day window?
A: A three-day window actually makes the process of getting your lawn sprayed for weeds more efficient. The window is a buffer that allows the applicators to complete the spray without constantly having to have the client called in order to reschedule the booking day every time environmental factors shut down work. The applicators will do their best to treat your lawn on the day booked but there are many environmental conditions that can prohibit spraying. This is why a three-day window is given!
Q: What are the environmental conditions that prohibit spraying?

A: Wind exceeding 15 km/hr: Wind causes the spray to drift off-site which may cause adverse effects to non-target plants.

  • Dead calm: Having dead calm conditions can be extremely detrimental. After spraying, vapours are formed. If there is no wind to disperse these vapours they can reach high enough concentrations that they can drift and kill non-target plants.
  • Inversions: An inversion is a reversal of the normal behaviour of temperature where a layer of cool air is overlain by a layer of warmer air. Inversions can be just as detrimental as dead calm conditions because they greatly increase the potential for the spray to drift and kill non-target plants.
  • Rain: Rain dilutes the spray concentration thus reducing its efficacy. The herbicide label stipulates that it takes 6 hours after a spray application for the weed to properly absorb the herbicide to produce good kill.
  • Temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius: Labeling states temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius decrease the proper uptake of the herbicide thus decreasing its efficacy.
  • Temperature at time of application is greater than 25 degrees Celsius: Labeling states temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius or greater cause excessive evaporation of the product decreasing absorption rate of the plant.
  • Workers in the area: If it is apparent that there will be people working in close proximity to the application site, our applicators won’t spray. Applicators will come back later to see if the workers are gone. Some people are adversely affected by the fumes of the spray, and others just don’t want to be around it. We do our best to respect that.
  • Pets are left outside: Sometimes our best friends get forgotten or are just plain sneaky and get out. Our applicators will not spray an area if it is accessible by a pet. Our applicators will call available phone numbers to see if the four-legged friend can be brought inside!
Q: What should I let the office staff members know?

A: Inform the office staff of any pertinent details which may help or hinder the applicators. These details will be added to your work order sheet for them to see. Important details we need from you include:

  • Lawn cut days – If you have a company or person mowing your lawn or your own strict schedule.
  • If you’re going out of town and if it’s ok to spray while you’re away.
  • An irrigation schedule will be needed if you would like to be sprayed while gone.
  • Is your lawn really dry?
  • Drought conditions inhibit the plant from properly absorbing the herbicide.
  • The lawn must be properly watered and not stressed before any weed spray.
  • Do you have pets that go outdoors?
  • Was your lawn recently fertilized? If so, when?
  • Do you lock your gates? These will need to be unlocked for applicator accessibility.
  • Do you have a preferred method of entry into a fenced area?
  • Are there dates or times you absolutely do not or do want us there to spray.
Q: What to do before we come spray your yard for weeds?

A: Do not cut your lawn but if you must, no shorter than 3 inches. The herbicide is absorbed through the leaf surface so the more surface area there is the better the kill.

Turn off your sprinklers.

a. Do not water your lawn after 3 am.

i. Depending on the route applicators take they can be there quite early, at around 5 am.
ii. If the lawn is too wet, the applicators will not spray.
iii. If it is moderately wet, they will go ahead with the treatment but must apply more products to offset the dilution caused by the extra water.

b. After the weed spray is done, if your lawn is watered before the label required six-hour absorption period, then the treatment will be ineffective.

c. If your sprinklers are turned on within 24 hours after the spray treatment, the kill rate can decrease and results can take longer to show up.

We spray on an average 30 yards a day
and use the overall results as a guideline to the efficacy of the spray for
that day.

Door hangers and lawn signs: A door hanger and lawn sign in the front yard indicates that your lawn was sprayed.

a. If you only had your backyard sprayed then just a door hanger will be left.
b. Door hangers have after-care instructions for you to follow.

i. These instructions are very important, and we urge you to adhere by them.

c. Lawn signs are for your neighbours’ and the general public’s notification.

You can remove the lawn sign after 24 hours.

No door hanger or lawn sign: Our applicators were unable to treat your lawn that day. If there are still days left within the three-day window, it is ok to water the grass as long as it is not done after 3 am.

a. If it is the last day in the available window then commence with your regular lawn maintenance schedule and the office staff will call to rebook.
b. If you decide to go with another company before we have a chance to spray your lawn, we ask that you call the office and leave a message informing us our services are no longer required.

Q: What to do after we sprayed your lawn for weeds.

A: 1. Do not water for 24 hours

a. But, do water your lawn after the 24-hour limit is up!

2. Do not cut your grass for 48 hours.

a. This is a label requirement.

3. Stay off grass for 6 hours or until the spray has dried. (Statement from herbicide label)

a. Our door hangers and lawn signs say to stay off for 24 hours.
b. We feel the longer you can stay off the better.
c. Pets can go on the lawn after the minimum 6 hours of dry time as the label states.

Q: After being sprayed, it takes 2 weeks for the treated weeds to completely die.

A:

  • Weeds will appear droopy.
  • Leaf edges of weeds will begin to brown and curl.
  • Weeds will eventually turn a purplish black indicating the death of the entire weed – from the top to the bottom root system.
  • Treatment does not prevent new weeds from growing; it only kills actively growing weeds.

Please give us a call in no later than 10 days if you feel the weed spray application was ineffective.

Keep Yourself Safe

Many people don’t realize that herbicides are a class of pesticides. Hiring someone who does not have the proper credentials to apply herbicides can result in you being financially liable for any damages and legal actions caused by the applicator. At Diamond Cut Lawn Services Ltd, our licensed pesticide applicators have the expertise and experience to apply herbicides in your property. Contact our certified applicators today!

FAQ

Have a look at some of the FAQ’s we get from most of our customers:

Q: How many times should I spray my weeds?
A: This really depends on the healthiness of your lawn. We recommend a weed spray be done every spring and fall but clients whose lawns are in good health can get away with one spray a year. Fall sprays work best for a once-a-year client.
Q: Why do your applicators wear those creepy white suits? Is the spray for weeds that dangerous?
A: The herbicide label states that an applicator wear coveralls, long sleeved shirts, long pants, chemical resistant gloves, socks and shoes while spraying. When it comes to personal protective equipment (PPE) used while spraying we prefer to over-kill the requirements. Our applicators spray on an average 2000+ liters of weed-control products a day. They do this on six days in a week. Their exposure is much greater than the general public.
Q: When are my kids and/or pets safe to go back onto the lawn after a weed spray?
A: The herbicide labels states that a pet (or person) is safe to go onto a treated area six hours after the weed spray application. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) stringently regulates pesticides to ensure they pose minimal risk to human health and the environment.
Q: I heard weed killers cause cancer. Is this true?
A: There are numerous articles out there stating the dangers of herbicide use. A lot of them promote fear mongering and misinformation to further promote their own ideals.

Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) stringently regulates pesticides to ensure they pose minimal risk to human health and the environment.

Q: How long does it take until I see results from the spray?
A: It takes 2 weeks to see full results but you should see the weeds beginning to look droopy by the next day. Eventually the leaves will begin to brown on the edges, curl and finally turn a purplish black and die.
Q: What happens if the spray doesn’t kill the weeds?

A: If after 10 days, you don’t notice any results or see poor results from the weed spray, call the office. An applicator will be sent to your property to assess the weed spray’s efficacy. If deemed poor, a re-spray will be done.
We spray on an average 30 yards a day and use the overall results as a guideline to the efficacy of the spray for that day.