How do you avoid being that person in the neighborhood whose lawn is always overrun by weeds? Well, it all starts with good weed control. That does not have to mean having your lawn professionally sprayed every month, though that is definitely a smart move if your lawn is already weedy. If your lawn is in decent shape right now, following these simple weed control tips should do the trick.

Keep your lawn well-watered. 

Sometimes people will see that weeds are starting to spring up in their lawn, so they'll back off on watering, figuring that the water will only make the weeds grow faster. But actually, the presence of weeds generally indicates that you're not watering your lawn enough. When it has enough water, the grass can out-compete the weeds, but when water is scarce, the weeds start out-competing the grass. 

Here are some ways to do a better job of watering your lawn, thereby keeping weed growth down:

• Water late in the evening or early in the morning when it's less sunny.
• Water in long sessions to make sure the water penetrates to the grassroots.
• Apply more water in areas where you see more weeds.

Pluck small weeds out early.

When you notice a weed in your lawn, pluck it out. Try to do this when the weeds are small. If you remove the weeds when they are small, they will not become mature enough to release seeds, which should keep the weeds from proliferating. Some seeds may still blow in from neighboring properties, but at least your lawn won't be getting weed seeds from your own weeds.

Choose a fertilizer with less nitrogen.

Grass does not need that much nitrogen to thrive. In fact, if it gets too much nitrogen, it will turn yellow. Many weeds, on the other hand, thrive when given more nitrogen. So, when you fertilize your lawn, make sure you select a fertilizer that is lower in nitrogen. Most fertilizers made and marketed specifically for laws will fit the bill. Don't over-fertilize your lawn, either. Most lawns only need to be fertilized once or twice a year. More than that, you might just be fertilizing your weeds.

If you're practicing and you follow the tips above, you should have an easier time keeping your lawn's weeds under control. If they do start proliferating, make sure you call a landscaping service sooner rather than later.