As late summer fades into early autumn, garden care shifts from active harvesting to preparation and planning for the next growing season. Weeds can feel like an overwhelming management task as the summer species burst into flower and spread seeds.

However, late summer and early fall is the single best time for weed control that lasts year-round. What gardeners do at this time of year will determine how clean, productive and manageable their garden beds will be when spring arrives.

As a professor of horticulture who is involved in teaching gardening skills to commercial gardeners and homeowners, here’s what I recommend for weed management during that time period:

1. Manage late-summer weeds

The immediate priority is stopping mature late-summer weeds from reproducing. A single mature crabgrass or dandelion plant can drop thousands of viable seeds that lie dormant in the soil for years.

If time is limited, prioritize cutting off seed heads and flower structures. Late-summer and early fall weeds typically feature fingerlike grass spikes, papery composite daisylike heads, or dense, spiked seed clusters. Mowing or shearing off blooms before they set seed halts the next generation.

Annual weeds, such as crabgrass, purslane and pigweed die with the first........

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