Ever notice bare dirt or dead grass right along the edges of your landscape beds? You're not alone. This common problem has a simple cause: overgrown shrubs, perennials, and annuals smothering your turf.
When landscape plants grow over the side of your beds and onto your lawn, they rob the grass underneath of sunlight, water, and air circulation. If left unchecked, this will kill your turf—sometimes faster than you might expect.
Fast-Growing Plants Are the Biggest Culprits
We see this issue frequently with plants that grow and spread aggressively during the growing season. In North Texas, some of the most common offenders include:
- Lantana
- Sweet potato vine
- Asiatic jasmine
- Sprawling perennials
- Overgrown ornamental grasses
These plants can expand dramatically in just one season, especially during our warm Midlothian and Prosper summers. What started as a nicely contained bed in spring can easily creep several inches—or even feet—onto your lawn by late summer.
What Happens to Smothered Grass
Grass needs sunlight to survive. When landscape plants grow over turf, they create dense shade that blocks photosynthesis. The grass underneath weakens quickly, turns yellow, and eventually dies. Even after you trim back the offending plants, the damage is often already done, leaving you with bare patches that need reseeding or resodding.
Beyond just blocking light, overgrown plants also compete for water and nutrients right at the bed edge. Your turf is fighting a losing battle on multiple fronts.
The Simple Fix: Stay Ahead of Growth
The solution is straightforward—pay attention to your landscape edges and keep your plants trimmed as needed. This doesn't require constant maintenance, but it does require regular observation, especially during peak growing season.
For homeowners in Prosper, Waxahachie, and throughout the DFW area, a quick walk around your landscape beds every few weeks can help you catch aggressive growth before it damages your lawn. Trimming plants back to the bed edge takes just minutes but saves you the headache of repairing dead turf later.
Protecting Your Investment
If you've invested in professional fertilization and weed control for your lawn, don't let overgrown landscape plants undo that work. A healthy, well-fed lawn can still be smothered by aggressive shrubs and groundcovers. Keeping bed edges tidy is an essential part of overall lawn care that's easy to overlook.
Watch the video below to see examples of turf damage caused by overgrown landscape plants and learn how to prevent it.
For professional lawn care and ornamental services in Midlothian and Prosper, contact Vista Lawn and Pest.
