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!