Turf Tips: Winter weeds removal
This week’s turf tip looks at winter weeds removal. As the weather cools down the growth rate of your lawn slows down. This gives winter weeds a chance to poke their heads through. While some lawns like Sir Walter DNA Certified are better at smothering out weeds, this time of year winter weeds thrive.
Act fast with winter weeds
It is very important to take care of winter weeds promptly. The longer you leave them the more chance you give them to germinate and the seeds will spread through your soil. This will create another big headache come spring.
Different winter weeds need a different approach to remove them. And it’s very important to ensure any products you use are suitable for your lawn. If you have a Sir Walter DNA Certified lawn it is very important to ensure you only use products suitable for buffalo lawns. You can call our team on (0) 3273 1166 to check if you are unsure if the product you have is safe.
Bindi, broad leaf weeds & clover removal
Bindi, broad leaf weeds and clover all thrive in the cooler months by taking advantage of your lawns dormancy. By thriving they become very easy to spot, and therefore very easy to pull them up by hand. If you do pull up your winter weeds by hand it is very important to ensure you pull up the entire plant including the root.
To kill these winter weeds roots and all you can kill them with a product. A great product that is suitable Sir Walter DNA Certified is Bin-Die selective lawn weeder. It’s also safe for use on most other grasses including couch grass and kikuyu.
Winter Grass Invasion
Winter grass is another weed problem this time of year. Infesting lawns throughout winter, winter grass has fine, bright light green leaves. With a fine spider web like root system it can choke out the root system of a lawn.
The good news is that you can actually pull this weed up by hand, and there is also a very specific product you can purchase to ensure it doesn’t return. Amgrow Winter Grass Killer is available from your local Bunnings store, and is safe for use on Sir Walter DNA Certified as well as common couch varieties.
Nutgrass and other sedge seeds
Nutgrass belongs to the Sedge weed family and can quickly become invasive. As it is a sedge weed it’s not just the above ground weed that you have to worry about, the nut below the surface will spawn new nuts and new weeds if left untreated. It is important to not just pull nutgrass out by hand, to ensure it doesn’t return you must kill the weed by treating the nut.
Sempra or Amgrow Sedgehammer are the best products for removing nutgrass and other sedge weeds. While these products are more expensive than other weed killers, you use a lot less of this product. It is also import to remember that the cost of a nutgrass remover nothing compared to the cost involved if these nutgrass takes over your lawn.
Getting Rid of Onion Weed
Onion weed is another winter weed that it is vital to not just pull out by hand. When onion weed is pulled up by hand the bulbs at the root of the weed detach and spread. Also there is no selective herbicide that works on onion weed so it is not possible to do a general spraying.
The only way to kill onion weed is to mix water and Glyphosate and apply with either a weed wand or a brush. Adding a drop of dishwashing liquid to your mix will also help the weed killer penetrate the leaf by breaking down the plants waxy coating. It is VITAL to not get this weed killer on the grass around the onion weed. This is because it will kill everything it touches.
Get the Right Tools for your winter weeds removal
The right tools always make working with your lawn easier and winter weeds are no different. A pressure sprayer makes spraying large areas easier and a spot weeding wants helps focus on specific weeds.
Measuring the dilution rate carefully is also very important. By adding more than the recommended rate you can kill your lawn. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
If you want to remove weeds without chemicals you could even buy Fiskars 4 Prongs Xact Weed Puller. This allows you to remove weeds effortlessly without the need for bending and kneeling.
To get some more advice on winter weeds or order your new lawn call our team on (07) 3114 8230. You can also to pop in and order in person at our sales office on 1/243 Bradman Street, Acacia Ridge. The office opens Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 7am to 12pm.
For more great turf, tips keep an eye on our website and all our social media channels.
