Get Rid of Those Pesky Winter Weeds: A Practical Guide
Hey there! Are you tired of battling winter weeds in your lawn? Don't worry, we've got you covered. In this article, we'll walk you through five common winter weeds and provide you with effective strategies to eliminate them, before you grab one of those pre-mixed weed and feed bottles off the shelf. Instead, sit down, grab your favourite beverage, and let's dive in!
First of all from a green keeper's point of view, tackling your feeding your lawn and killing your weeds with separate targeted approaches if far more effective and will cost you a lot less in the long run. For lawn nutrition plans reach out to use and we can help you with that separately. For now, let's talk about those pesky winter weeds.
1. Bindii:
- Regular mowing, watering deeply but infrequently, following a good-quality nutrition plan to keep your lawn as healthy as possible.
- Even though pre-emergent herbicides aren't specifically designed to stop Bindii, they can be effective in reducing them germinating to begin with.
- If by chance you already have Bindii or the above prevention didn't do the trick, then you can now reach for a specifically formulated broadleaf week killer to target it and kill it such as Double Time or Bow and Arrow.
- Prevention is the key. Applying a pre-emergent herbicide, like Spartan, before winter sets in can prevent winter grass seeds from germinating in the first place. This is the most effective method to controlling Winter Grass.
- If you have already got Winter Grass, you can spray post emergent herbicides that a specifically targeted to control it.
- Hand weeding is good option if you have small amounts to control
- Regular mowing prior to seed heads appearing can help reduce the spread of Winter Grass, the only downside is the seed heads grow back fast.
- Maintaining a thick healthy lawn will prevent capeweed from establishing itself. If your lawn is strong and healthy Capeweed will struggle to grow.
- Regularly inspect your garden and remove capeweed plants before they flower and produce seeds. As they are generally a larger weed removing them by hand can be simple.
- If you opt to spray them, apply a selective herbicide specifically designed for broadleaf weeds, such as Double Time or Bow and Arrow.
- Hand-pulling chickweed is an effective method, especially when the soil is moist.
- Herbicides that target broadleaf weeds can also be used for larger infestations.
- If it is in your garden beds, applying a thick layer of mulch can help smother chickweed and prevent it from taking over.
- Regularly mowing your lawn and maintaining a healthy grass height can help suppress these weeds from growing.
- Hand-weeding is a viable option for small patches.
- Pre-emergent herbicide has found to be effective in reducing their seeds from germinating.
- If any of these pesky weeds do germinate, applying a herbicide specifically designed to control broadleaf weeds so soon as you see them is important, especially for Burr Medic as you want to eliminate it before it seeds which turn into prickles.
You're now armed with the knowledge and tools to tackle those pesky winter weeds in your lawn. Remember, prevention is key, so make sure to maintain a healthy lawn and consider a good pre-emergent, especially if winter grass has been your enemy in years gone past. If you stay vigilant and take action early, you can keep those weeds at bay.
It is also import to remember if you are spraying weeds, please read the label thoroughly, don't forget to calibrate your sprayer so you don't have to respray or even worse overdose and kill your lawn, and finally make sure you wear the appropriate personal protective equipment.
If you are unsure about anything mentioned in this article, please don't hesitate to reach out to the team at greenlawnsupplies@gmail.com, hit the chat icon or join our facebook community at Green Lawns Australia