How Do I Fight Spring Weeds in my Albuquerque Garden?
Weeds couldn’t get here fast enough this spring but boy are they here! Not only did Albuquerque see easily the mildest winters on record for 2025/2026, most of the west and country got a break by seeing their winter blues come to an end and spring start early! We also saw many areas of the country experience a warm winter and had very little snowpack. The lack of snow melted away quickly this spring causing spring weeds to show up earlier than normal. So, what weeds should you be looking for this spring and how do you fight them? Read below to learn all about common spring weeds and how to fight spring weeds in Albuquerque.
The best time to begin a weed prevention program is early spring. However, it’s literally never too late or too early to start. Different weeds germinate at different times throughout the growing season and because of this you could have weeds popping up in spring, summer and fall. Before you do ANYTHING to your garden you should first remove ALL weeds. This will give you a clean slate to start your garden off right.
Henbit
Henbit might be good for farmers that have erosion problems, but it isn’t good for your garden. This mint-member grows in gardens, by roadsides, in cropland, pastures, waste places, and even lawns. It thrives in dry, cultivated soil so make sure to pull henbit out of your garden as soon as possible. Once pulled, these weeds have shallow roots and should be easy to get out. Be sure to follow up with an application of Preen Garden Weed Preventer to stop it from returning.
Chickweed
Common chickweed can produce up to 800 seeds per plant and can take up to 8 years to completely eliminate. Yikes! Don’t let this pest take over your garden. Like most springtime weeds, chickweed grows best in moist, cool soil. Because it has a shallow root system you can easily remove chickweed by hoeing or hand pulling. Just be sure to remove it at the first sight of it coming up.
Crabgrass
With crabgrass you definitely want to prevent it before it appears but if you have it popping up you want to attack it and stop it from setting seed. The best way to stop crabgrass in its tracks is to pull up existing weeds, lay down some mulch, and apply Preen. This will help prevent new seeds from germinating.
Purslane
If you have yet to apply a weed preventer to your garden now is the perfect time to ensure you don’t see purslane. This succulent looking weed comes to gardens in late spring or early summer. Purslane reproduces through tiny black seeds and stem fragments. It loves warm weather and moist, fertile soil. To avoid purslane in your garden apply Preen Garden Weed Preventer! If you already are seeing the signs of purslane you can remove it by simply hand weeding.
Lambsquarters
This garden pest grows rapidly and is found most everywhere in the northern half of the U.S. Its seeds are small and light allowing it to travel by wind easily. Lambsquarters can easily take over an area once it finds favorable conditions, leaving your garden soil without moisture. To prevent your garden from drying out make sure to remove lambsquarters ASAP. Use a sharp hoe or digging tool to remove this weed from your garden. Once fully removed you can apply a high-quality weed preventer to stop it from returning.
Using a Weed Preventer is the final stop weeds will come to visit your garden!
Now that you’ve taken the time to remove all weeds from your garden how do you stop them from coming back?! By applying a quality weed preventer early on in the season AND if they pop up you can still prevent them! You can apply weed preventers throughout the entire growing season, but it may mean more work up front weeding your garden areas.
Here are some easy steps to follow when using a weed preventer:
Remove ALL weeds in the area you want to apply your weed preventer. Trust us, you don’t want any weeds popping through after your hard work! Make sure to pull all the way to their roots.
Add mulch to the area. We recommend adding a 3-inch layer of mulch to help retain moisture and temperature of the soil. Mulch also adds another barrier of weed prevention to your garden.
Apply weed preventer. Grab your product and sprinkle weed preventer over top of mulch but make sure your garden is dry! Weed preventer granules will not adhere to wet leaves.
Water and you’re done! After you’ve applied your weed preventer granules, you’ll want to water them to activate. The water will allow the ingredient to form an invisible barrier that blocks weed growth from beneath the soil.
Epilogue to Albuquerque Weed Prevention
In Albuquerque if you’re not up to the hassle and drudgery of yard clean up and weeding your garden and you feel an investment in a lawn and garden maintenance service is worth the investment, call the pros at R & S Landscaping today at 505-271-8419 for free quote!