WEED CONTROL

13 January 2021

Weeds commonly appear in areas where the lawn is not as healthy. This may be caused by excessive shade causing thinning, high wear areas or poor nutrition. Keeping your lawn healthy with correct maintenance & regular mowing will help it to fight off weeds on its own, premium lawn types like Sir Walter, TifTuf, Sir Grange, Empire Zoysia, AgriDark & OZTUFF have a natural defence against weeds by forming a very tightly knitted mat of grass and thatch which smother out the weeds.

Prevention is better than the cure

A great way to control weeds all year round is to use a pre-emergent herbicide + fertiliser such as OxaFert, applied every 3 months it creates a barrier at the soil level which prevents new weeds from germinating. OxaFert is available on the Lawn Solutions Australia website.

• Some weeds can be selectively targeted with special herbicides if you have a Sir Walter Buffalo lawn though make sure it says “safe for use on buffalo” check out the range of herbicides from Lawn Solutions Australia available to purchase online are selective herbicides for control of common lawn weeds; Wintergrass, Nutgrass, Bindii & Clover, if you’re struggling with any other weeds give us a call.
• The natural alternative is to dig out the weeds by hand, just be sure to place the removed weed clumps in the bin as leaving them on the lawn may allow it to reproduce again.
• Sometimes you will find that even after removing weeds they still grow back, this is because some weeds have underground seeds that can last for years before germinating, again the best defence is a good offence, herbicide applications and keeping your lawn healthy will be your best option.

Non-selective herbicides, also called total kill herbicides to kill almost every plant they contact.

Examples are:

• Glyphosate (roundup), moves through the plant to the roots, usually takes 2-3 weeks to take effect, Soil is unaffected by glyphosate and won’t affect the turf’s ability to grow in the old weed location.
• Woody Weeders, very effective control for unwanted trees and shrubs (check local regulations before removing trees).
• Once-A-Year Path Weeders, control existing weeds and leave a weed-killing residue in the soil (that lasts for up to 12 months).

Tips for applying herbicides

• When applying to large areas (such as lawns) carefully measure the area to be covered.
• Weedkillers work most effectively when the plant is actively growing (usually spring, summer, autumn).
• Read and follow label instructions carefully, a common misconception for concentrates is that if you mix extra poison in with the water then it will produce a stronger herbicide, this is simply untrue, the mix ratios have been developed by scientists to be the most effective.