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Lawn Weeds - How You Can Beat Them!
By Ellen Smithies, Fri Dec 9th
Sometimes it seems as though everything is out to thwart yourdesire to have that beautiful, healthy, green carpet of lawn.Despite your efforts it is still patchy, brown and attacked byweeds. But don't give up. It may not be too late. Most gardeners don't mind the odd weed as long as the stilllooks pretty good. However remember that the odd weed in springcould be a large infestation by midsummer if you don't deal withit. If you mow the once a week you will remove most of theflower stems before they can set seeds. However, many of thelawn weeds grow flat and do not produce flowers on long stems,so these will still flower and set seeds no matter how often youmow. Other methods are needed to treat these weeds. Remember,the earlier you attack the weeds the better as "One year'sseeding makes for seven years weeding!" The best way to keep your looking great is to keep thegrass plants healthy, and then they are less likely to let weedsand pests take over. So first of all take care of the basicneeds of your lawn.
If a lot of weeds pop up it could mean that your grass is weakerthan it should be. If your is too dry, start with athorough watering - to a depth of 200mm is recommended. Deepwatering done less often is better for your grass than ifyou water a little and often. It helps it to develop a strong,deep root system that makes the plants stronger and lesssusceptible to drought. Or alternatively, if you have apersistent problem with a waterlogged you may need toconsider laying drainage for which you should consult aprofessional. Feeding your with the appropriate nutrientswill also make the grass stronger. In spite of trying to make your grass plants as healthy aspossible, you are still sure to get some weeds growing in it.Weeding is an ongoing process, but shouldn't take much time onceyou establish a healthy lawn. Grass, and especially the modernmixtures, is very competitive and crowds out most weeds. In ahealthy weeds aren't usually much to worry about. Simplypull up any weeds that show up. As you see weeds appearing, digthem up and you'll keep your weedless with a minimum ofeffort. Practically speaking though, you will only do this ifyou have only a few weeds to remove. Constant vigilance is thekey to success with this type of weed control. If your weed problem is larger, spray individual weeds with alow-toxicity herbicide. Don't spray the entire unless youhave weeds throughout it. You will damage, and could kill dry,dormant or stressed grass if you apply a weeder over thewhole lawn. weedkillers are powerful chemicals and youshould always follow the manufacturers instructions forpreparation, using, storing and disposing of them. Never usemore than directed or 'add a bit more just in case'. You shouldalso identify the sort
of grass you have as some types can bedamaged by MCPA and dicamba, which are the active ingredients inmany weedkillers. Be careful not to allow pets or children nearthe if you've recently sprayed it. The best way to minimise the amount of chemicals you use is tospot-treat weeds. Use a pump-action sprayer and walk backwards,up and down the length of the spraying a shot of chemicalonto each weed. Hold the nozzle as close as you can to the weedand release with a low pressure to minimise spray drift. It doestake longer to do this way but it is more thorough and betterfor the environment. If you tip a bottle of red food colouringor add some wetting agent into the mix, it is easier to seewhere you have already sprayed. After a couple of weeks you'll be seeing results. If there arestill a few weeds you've missed, dig them out or do the spottreatment again. Remember if you can kill the weeds before theyflower and seed, you're a long way towards having a much smallerproblem next spring. Occasionally you may find a nasty, particularly virulent weedtakes over your in which case you need to find out thespecific treatment for it from your local garden centre. Anexample of this is Soliva, also known as burweed, spurweed,bindii, or onehunga weed. It is low growing, has feathery leavesand produces seeds with a short spine on them, which stick intobare feet when you walk on the plants, a particularly unpleasantexperience. Although it is only an annual weed it seedsprofusely, and its method of spreading by sticking to feet isextremely successful. It requires a targeted weed killer to beapplied at a particular time of the year to be effective againstit. 'Weed and Feed' products are not generally recommended. Forinstance, the best time for spraying weeds is not generally thebest time for fertilizing your lawn. Also it is unwise to sprayunnecessary herbicide over your whole when only a smallpatch may be infected with weeds. One concern with the hose-onproducts is spray drifting onto surrounding shrubs. It's hard toapply these products just to the lawn. Applying fertilizer,herbicide and pesticide where and when it is needed is a betterlawn care strategy. So even if your is less than perfect now, don't give up.Follow these tips for getting rid of weeds now, and by thistime next year you may have all your neighbours asking you foradvice! About the author:Ellen Smithies is a passionate gardener and has 25 yearsexperience with care. She has accumulated a wealth ofknowledge through practical application. Learn more about lawncare and how to achieve that velvet green carpet you've beendreaming about by getting your copy of "50 Basic Care Tips"absolutely FREE from no more weeds NOW
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