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It's OK to Have Some Weeds in Your Turf... Really

Hello Gardeners, I'm Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. The University of Maryland's Extension makes a bold statement in their fact sheet about environmentally responsible weed control strategies. It is perfectly acceptable to have a tolerable level of weeds in a home lawn -really. "Really" is their word although I agree 100 %. Growing turf grass in our part of the world is hard - we have freezing cold temperatures one week followed by barefoot weather the next.
 
Most of us in SC grow warm season turf grasses which are susceptible to cold damage and excess moisture - just what we've been experiencing. The first step toward having a healthy turf grass is to grow grass in an area that gets plenty of sunlight and has good drainage. Look at your yard and decide if there are areas where trees and shrubs would be better suited. Maybe this is the year to quit fighting nature and work with her instead.

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Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.