Common Types Of Weeds
Any lawn can come under attack from weeds, including well-tended ones. The wind can carry their seeds and land them into your yard. When you start to see weeds, you need to act quickly. Before you start pulling weeds or spraying chemicals, you should know about the different types of weeds. Unfortunately, there isnt just one type of weed, and you need to know how to combat a weed invasion.
Annual Meadow Grass In Newly Laid Turf
I have had lots of emails from people complaining about the presence of Annual Meadow Grass in their newly laid lawns. The frustrated, often furious writers of those emails often blame the turf supplier for providing a poor product.
As such, its important to understand the turf growers position.
Firstly, when you buy new turf, ensure you buy it from a reputable supplier who does their best to control and prevent the growth of AMG in their production fields.
Until fairly recently, turf growers were able to use a chemical to kill it. However, this has now been made illegal and the only way to control it is via cultural methods, which, are less reliable.
Companies like Rolawn use nothing but quality grass seed, constantly test the purity of their seed blends and sow that seed in patterns that outcompete weeds.
They even build their own lawn mowers to cope with their vigorous mowing regimes in order to combat the growth of weeds and weed grasses.
Still, because chemical control is no longer available, even turf growers cant guarantee that their turf will be 100% free of Annual Meadow Grass. All they can do is deem that its within an acceptable limit.
How To Get Rid Of Wild Grass An In
Grass is known for beauty and providing a nice surface on which to relax, but the wrong type of grass can be quite a menace. There are many methods you can use to eliminate wild grass, but which one proves best?
Grass comes in a wide array of species that are as beautiful as they are diverse. There are soft and beautiful grasses for lawns such as the lovely St. Augustine and there are grasses so large and tough, they literally form forests. A classic example is the Chinese bamboo. Hard to believe its a grass, right? Often times, some grass types grow as weeds, and getting rid of them can be a nightmarish experience. This is mostly because wild grass can be incredibly stubborn and resilient, springing back even after being cut and growing anew from previously deposited grass seeds.
That said, to be able to completely get rid of wild grass from a lawn or patch of land, you may need to apply herbicide a number of times over a specific interval. This ensures that all roots that are deeply set in the ground, and all deposited seeds are fully destroyed, especially where perennial and biennial wild grass had flourished before.
So, what are some of the most common wild grasses that grow on lawns, and how can you get rid of them?
Common wild grasses and how to eliminate them
| Grass name | |
| Looks like a tall grass | Grow a thick lawn |
| Mow your grass, grow thick lawn | |
| Kikuyu grass |
So, what are some of the best methods of eliminating and killing wild grass?
Digging or Shoveling
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Deeply Water Your Lawn
Weeds thrive in stressed lawns. Most grass species benefit from deep watering. Make sure your lawn receives one inch of water per week, either from rain or watering. The water needs to soak the soil six to eight inches deep. Deep watering encourages your lawn to develop deeper roots, so it can grow thicker to help crowd out weeds.
How It Grows And Spreads
This is a very adaptable weed grass that grows and spreads rapidly.
Although it grows and flowers all years round, its most prolific during the Spring. Youll often see a flush of growth in Autumn too.
Plants are capable of reproduction from the age of just a month and produce viable seeds approximately every 10 days.
Whats worse is the fact that it grows very low so it can produce seeds as low as 5mm to the ground. It can escape even the shortest of mowing heights.
Because Poa Annua produces seeds so often and grows so close to the ground, it can spread incredibly quickly.
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How To Fix Dead Grass Is It Dead Or Dormant
Whether youve had an intensely hot summer, left on vacation for a few weeks, or had a pet leave spots on your lawn, nobody likes to see yellowed or brown killed grass on their lawn. Your homes curb appeal can tell a story to guests and neighbors, so its important to keep your lawn in high standing as much as possible.
When exposed to extreme heat, extended cold, or minimal water over a period of time, grass begins to dry, recede, and eventually die if proper growing conditions arent restored.
This dormancy happens because the grass is trying to preserve itself with limited resources, so it focuses on maintaining the rooting rather than the surface grass. Fortunately, before total death, there is a period of dormancy where your lawn is just waiting to come back to life with proper treatment.
If your grass is actually dead, then here is the basic process to fix it:
- Begin a new lawn by raking the dead grass up so that youre left with just the soil.
- Spread seed so that they land firmly in the soil you tilled.
- Apply natural or chemical fertilizer to get it off on the right foot, and water & mulch it with healthy grass clippings or leaves for additional nutrients.
- Maintain it with proper sunlight & water so that it can grow. It may be a bit uneven to start, but give it a few weeks before you add another layer of seeds to spots that havent grown.
But, is your grass dead or is it dormant? Lets find out read on!
In This Article:
How Does Capeweed Spread
It is important to know how this weed spreads as you want to eradicate it. Its especially important as these seeds are inconspicuous.
Capeweed seeds travel places with the help of birds and animals.
They release thousands of seeds, so its better to pluck them out before they even flower. These seeds also spread through contaminated soil.
You need to make sure you properly wash your boots, clothing before you walk into an unaffected lawn/pasture.
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Mature Crabgrass Seed Heads
- Keep your eyes peeled for seed heads that spread out like a fork, and leave them alone. Fully mature crabgrass has splayed seed heads. Otherwise, you’ll scatter scads of seeds over that nice big hole you’ve just created by removing the mature weed. You might as well be trying to cultivate new crabgrass! Pulling will leave a big hole in the lawn and spread up to 5,000 seeds per plant.
- Wait for the plant to die in the fall. Then hit the area next spring with pre-emergence granules to keep the seeds from sprouting. With good lawn care practices, you’ll soon crowd out those fallen crabgrass seeds.
Invasive Grass Types: 7 Common Types And How To Get Rid Of Them
Invasive grasses in your lawn can be a massive headache, especially when they look so much like regular grass and you dont realize theyre there until the damage is already done!
In todays article, were discussing the 7 most common invasive grass types, what they look like, how they can affect your lawn, and what you can do to get rid of them. Lets get started!
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How To Kill Bermuda Grass Organically: Smothering
Follow these steps to smother your Bermuda grass:
Step 1: Scalp the upper layer with a garden spade or sod cutter. You can rent a sod cutter from your local power equipment rental place.
Step 2: Pile the sod in an out-of-the-way location and cover it with a heavy plastic tarp to decompose.
Step 3: Cover the scalped ground with three or four layers of heavy-duty cardboard.
Step 4: Cover the cardboard with 4 to 6 inches of mulch.
Step 5: Leave everything undisturbed for six months before planting.
After removing Bermuda grass, stay vigilant. This tough grass is capable of reestablishing as quickly as before by roots, stems, mower clippings, and seeds. Learn to recognize it and dig it out whenever you spot it. It’s impossible to eradicate troublesome Bermuda grass, but with constant suppression, you can keep it under control.
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How To Get Rid Of Coarse Grass
Unfortunately, theres no easy or quick fix way of getting rid of coarse grass. Removing coarse grass always involves getting rid of the infected areas and replacing them with either new turf or grass seeds.
You can use a weed killer to kill off most types of coarse grass. However, these chemicals can kill off the rest of your grass at the same time you need to make sure to choose a selective weed killer to stop this from happening. Nevertheless, there are natural ways of getting rid of coarse grass without using chemicals that will make things much easier.
Here are two methods to help you get rid of coarse grass, depending on how severe the issue is.
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What Do Worms Do For The Earth
Firstly, lets talk about what earthworms do for the earth.
When in proper quantities and below surface level, they can be really beneficial to your lawn and soil health surprisingly!
They are most commonly found in soils rich with nutrients and health so if you see worms in your garden, well done!
They have many benefits, the most common including:
- Tilling and aerating the soil due to them creating tunnels throughout their travels under your grass.
- Accelerate decomposition process.
- Help rotate the soil for increase in organic matter also due to their movements.
- Are excellent for monitoring soil health! If you see worms in your garden it can indicate what you need to focus on in terms of lawn care and maintenance.
- Balance the pH level of your soil .
So, there you go, earthworms can be your best friend when it comes to garden health, however, they also have their downsides too.
Use Bark Mulch Or Chipped Branches
Mulch is material applied to the surface of soil which helps to suppress weeds and retain moisture. This could be grass clippings from the lawn, bark mulch etc. You can buy bark mulch or make your own chippings from branches using an electric chipper. These normally cost less than $200. Mulch can be used around the trunks of trees to prevent grass growth and the need for string trimming. It can also be applied to flower beds to suppress weed growth. Bark mulch or chippings can be used to create natural pathways in the garden also.
Electric garden chipper
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How To Get Rid Of Severe Coarse Grass
If your coarse grass issue is severe, you may need to apply a more intensive treatment. Heres how to get rid of a severe type of coarse grass issue in five steps.
Let Them Crave For More
The best way to make sure invasive species wont make your garden their home sweet home is by not giving them what they want. Some types of weeds grow well in compacted soil, especially those with a deep root system. A simple organic solution to this is to rent an aerator from a home improvement store. Providing natural aeration will do wonders on those deep-rooted weeds.
Another thing that weeds absolutely love is water. If you tend to overwater your garden, you might encourage weeds to grow in your garden. Make sure you only water the plants that want there. Avoid watering unplanted areas such as paths. Regulating irrigation and nutrients can do wonders for your garden, and pockets. Shrubs, perennials, and established trees can do well without extra irrigation or fertilizers.
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How To Check For Grubs In Lawn
Before you start treating, it is important to check to make sure that indeed there are grubs damaging your lawn. Irregular brown patches of dying grass are the first sign. If you see the patches, lift the turf to check for the grub worms.
Take a shovel and dig a square foot about 3 inches deep and lift the turf to check for grub worms. If you find one or two grubs is normal and healthy, but if you find 5 or more grubs, you have a grub worm infestation that needs treatment to prevent further damage to your turfgrass.
To Manually Remove Grass Using A Shovel:
- It is best if you have at least one flat-edge shovel used to easily cut clean lines in the sod.
- If you are removing only a portion of the grass, line with a rope, string, or spray paint as a guide.
- Starting at one edge of the area, cut a deep straight line along the grass. Use your weight to step down on the shovel.
- After you make each cut, stick the shovel below the sod to pry up and loosen it slightly as you go.
- Continue cutting parallel lines to the first one, about 1 foot apart.
- Next, come back through and cut lines perpendicular to the ones you already did, creating approximately 1 foot by 1 foot squares. If youre hoping to keep the sod intact to move and replant elsewhere, feel free to create larger strips to roll up but they get heavier than youd imagine!
- Now, use your hands to pry up and roll back the cut squares of sod. We try to shake out some of the extra dirt to leave it behind.
Place the loose sod chunks in a pile to move and dispose of later, or put them right into your yard waste bin, compost bin, truck, or other final destination. Because our grass was so weedy, we added it to the municipal green waste bin instead of our personal compost. Commercial compost facilities generally heat their compost piles to a degree that kills grass and weed seeds. See this article from SF Gate for more ideas of what to do with removed sod.
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Is It Safe To Use Chemical Fertilizers
Many chemical fertilizers are safe to use on your lawn, but make sure children and animals are kept away from it before it is absorbed.
The wind can blow the fertilizer and if it is ingested in large quantities, it can be toxic. Fortunately, once it is absorbed into the soil naturally or with the help of watering, it should be entirely safe to walk or play on. Just dont over fertilize or you may end up doing more harm than good!
About The Author
Aaron is the founder of and Essential Home and Garden. He likes to spend his spare time with his family, and doing DIY projects in the home and garden.
When To Rake Mulch Off Of Asparagus Plants
Rake mulch that has fallen from the garden in early spring before the first asparagus shoots touch the ground. Remove small weeds growing under the mulch and continue weeding as needed while the asparagus tips develop. When the stems are long enough to begin harvesting, replace the mulch to suppress weed growth.
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The Problem With Grass Lawns
Many people like to maintain a modest lawn as a place for their kids to play. Or, to serve as a doggy potty. I get that. On the other hand, the majority of grass is not used for those purposes. Our country is obsessed with maintaining excessively huge green lawns simply out of bad habit, and lack of creative vision for something different! According to the National Resources Defense Council, turf grass lawns cover up to 50 MILLION acres of land in the United States alone. And all of that manicured green grass comes with a cost.
Every year across the country, lawns consume nearly 3 trillion gallons of water a year, 200 million gallons of gas , and 70 million pounds of pesticides.
Wow. Pretty nasty, huh? Those pesticides run off into waterways, kill bees, and poison wildlife. The gas used pollutes the air. Think of all that water used! Furthermore, grass takes away valuable habitat space from native wildlife. Sure, a few worms and grubs may enjoy living in a lawn unless it is doused in pesticides, that is. Otherwise grass is a pretty lifeless space.
Now imagine if those 50 million acres of grass were transformed to grow veggies, flowering perennials, edible shrubs, annual flowers, native plants, and fruiting or ornamental trees instead? Those are the building blocks of a diverse and healthy ecosystem right there. Plus, with thoughtful design, organic native and edible landscapes require far less maintenance and resources than grass.
