What is a weed?

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Melissa - Lawn Care Support Blogs

Everyone has a different definition but overall it is a plant that’s growing where it isn’t wanted. As the cooler months recede it often seems that there are more weeds than anything else and they are about to take over the entire space.

One of the most common weeds to be found in lawns in our region at this time of year are sensitive weeds, nut grass, crow’s foot, star grass, clover and due to our higher rainfall and more acidic soil they tend to be on the aggressive side.

If you only have a small weed problem they can either be removed by hand or by using a glyphosate herbicide. Being a non-selective weedkiller it will kill any plant material it comes into contact with (including your lawn) so it must be applied with due care.

Always ensure that you use a herbicide product that is specifically designed to suit the lawn variety you have installed at your place.

A longer term weed control solution is once-a-year path-weeders. These products leave an up to 12 month residual barrier which will prevents weeds growing in paved areas, driveways and paths  and therefore limited the potential for weeds to spread to your lawn. Best used on flat areas to ensure the chemicals do not run off into garden beds or lawns and causing long-lasting damage.

Weeds often take advantage of the semi-dormant period for lawns over cooler months to infiltrate lawns. The slow growth of the lawn opens up an opportunity for the weeds to take hold so it’s important that you lend a hand to your lawn and remove them as soon as possible.

If you are about to install a new lawn and don’t want weeds to be an ongoing issue, we recommend selecting a variety of lawn grown to reduce the invasion of weeds, such as Sir Walter soft-leaf Buffalo. The dense mat of this variety makes it difficult for weeds to take hold.

You can get your Sir Walter lawn direct from the team at Harden Park Lawns.

*Make sure to always use a selective weedkiller specifically designed for the variety of lawn you have.