Maintaining a lush, green lawn is a challenging task for many homeowners. One of the most significant problems that people face when it comes to lawn care is the growth of weeds. Weeds can cause extensive damage to your lawn, making it look unsightly and unhealthy. In this article, we will cover the most common lawn weeds, how to identify them, and how to control them safely.

Identifying Common Lawn Weeds

It is essential to identify the type of weed that is growing in your lawn to find the right solution. The following are some of the most common lawn weeds and how to identify them.

Dandelions

Dandelions are one of the most recognisable lawn weeds. They have bright yellow flowers that turn into white fluffy seed heads. They have a deep taproot that makes them hard to pull out. Dandelions are easily spread by wind and can quickly take over your lawn.

Clover

Clover is a weed that can be identified by its trefoil leaves or three-part leaves, and small white or pink flowers. It can grow well in poor soil conditions and fixes or stores nitrogen sourced from the air in the soil. It has a shallow root system and can quickly spread throughout your lawn.

Controlling Lawn Weeds

There are several ways to control lawn weeds, including cultural and chemical methods.

Cultural Control Methods

Cultural control methods involve changing the environment of your lawn to make it difficult for weeds to grow. Some of these methods include:

Raking the weeds out of your lawn or even scarifying. This vertical cutting is very disruptive to many weeds, especially creeping varieties.
Proper mowing: mow your lawn at the right height to prevent weed growth. Larger leaved weeds will find it hard to photosynthesise when they have their leaves cut off.
Aerate your lawn: aerating your lawn can help reduce soil compaction, allowing water and nutrients to reach the roots of your grass instead of the weeds. This helps the grass to outcompete the weeds.
Watering: water your lawn deeply and infrequently to encourage deep root growth of the grass and discourage weed growth. Weeds often like poor, dry soils.

Chemical Control Methods

Chemical control methods involve using herbicides to kill weeds. However, it is important to consider the safety of the chemicals used, especially when you have pets.

When using herbicides, always follow the instructions carefully, and keep your pets off the lawn until the product has dried completely. Also, consider using pet-friendly lawn weed killers that are safe for dogs.

Anyone using herbicide professionally must be licenced to buy, transport and use the chemicals and if they are the ultimate professional they will have signed up to the voluntary code “Lawn Assured”.

Conclusion

Identifying and controlling common lawn weeds is an essential part of maintaining a healthy lawn. By understanding the types of weeds growing in your lawn, you can take the necessary steps to prevent them from spreading and causing damage. Using cultural and chemical control methods can help you keep your lawn healthy and beautiful while ensuring the safety of your pets. Always consider cultural methods first and chemical methods last!

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If you’re a dog owner, you may have noticed that your furry friend has a habit of urinating on your lawn. While this is a natural behaviour for dogs, it can cause damage to your lawn over time. In this article, we’ll answer some common questions about dogs urinating on lawns and provide solutions for treating and preventing lawn damage.

Why does it matter that Fido does his business on the lawn?

Well, dog urine contains high levels of nitrate, which can burn grass and cause yellow or brown spots to appear on your lawn. The best way to deal with this is to train your dog to wee in one area of the lawn meaning you can enjoy the rest of the lawn. Plant a post and regularly put treats down by it so the dog goes for the treat and then wees.

How to deal with dog urine on the lawn?

If your dog has already caused damage to your lawn, there are a few steps you can take to treat it:

Water the affected area: If you catch your dog in the act or notice a spot on your lawn soon after they’ve urinated, immediately water the area with a hose or watering can. This will dilute the urine and help prevent damage to the grass.
Reseed the area: If the damage is extensive, you may need to reseed the affected area. Remove any dead grass and soil, add new soil, and sprinkle grass seed over the area. Water the area regularly until the new grass has grown and make sure it’s really well watered.

What neutralises dog urine on the lawn?

To prevent damage from occurring in the first place, there are a couple of things you can do to neutralise dog urine on your lawn:

Water your lawn regularly: regular watering can help dilute the nitrate in dog urine and prevent damage to your grass. Aim to water your lawn deeply once a week, rather than watering it lightly every day.
Train your dog to go in a specific area: consider training your dog to go in a designated area of your garden, such as a gravel or mulch patch. This will help minimise the amount of urine that comes into contact with your grass.
There are products available that can be placed in a dogs water bowl that help to reduce the nitrates in their urine, however, you need to make sure that the dog drinks only from that source or it will be ineffective

Conclusion

While dogs urinating on lawns can be a frustrating problem for homeowners, there are some solutions available for treating and preventing lawn damage. By following these tips, you can keep your lawn looking healthy and green while still enjoying the company of your furry friend.

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If you have a lawn, you know how much work it takes to keep it healthy and lush. However, when your lawn is shaded, it can be a whole different story. Can a lawn actually grow in the shade? This a common question that homeowners ask. In this article, we’ll answer that and provide tips on how to handle shaded areas on your lawn.

Can Lawns Grow in the Shade?

The short answer is yes, lawns can grow in the shade. However, it can be more difficult to maintain a healthy lawn in shaded areas. After all, grass is a prairie plant, not a woodland one!

Grass needs sunlight to grow and thrive, so the less sunlight your lawn receives, the harder it will be to keep it healthy. This is because grass needs sunlight for photosynthesis, which is the process that allows it to create energy. Without enough sunlight, grass will struggle to grow and may become thin, weak, and patchy.

This often happens in lawns over winter as sunlight hours reduce from the mid-summer 16 hours to 8 in the winter. The sun is also lower in the sky over winter meaning even less available light.

Tips for Handling Shaded Areas on Your Lawn

If you have shaded areas in your lawn, there are several things you can do to ensure that your grass stays healthy. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Choose the right type of grass for your lawn considering the amount of shade.
Trim back any trees or shrubs that are blocking sunlight from your lawn.
Consider planting shade-loving plants in the shaded areas of your lawn, if grass will not grow there, to add some variety.
Water your lawn regularly to ensure that it stays healthy. Shade can be caused by plants which also take moisture from the soil and this can sometimes be the cause of thinning areas rather than the shade. So seed and water frequently to see if this helps.
Avoid over-fertilising your lawn, as this can lead to weak, patchy growth.

Conclusion

While it can be challenging to maintain a healthy lawn in shaded areas, it is possible with the right type of grass and proper care. Often it is necessary to reseed areas each spring meaning your lawn is thick and grows well from May to October but recedes over winter. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can help your grass thrive in even the shadiest parts of your lawn.