How Do You Get Rid Of Moss In Your Lawn
A mossy lawn is a woe of many gardeners
Moss occurs in excessively acidic, compacted soil that’s prone to water-logging, says Stihl. It often occurs in shaded areas, but can also appear due to cutting the grass too low, or when the grass itself is weak as a result of insufficient nutrient supply, they add.
However, if your lawn has already succumbed to patches of moss, then Stihl has a few suggestions on how to get rid of it:
You can also use a chemical moss killer made specifically for lawns, which will turn the moss black. You will then need to rake out the debris . However, to be kinder to the environment and the eco-system of your plot, opt for natural methods first.
Why Lawn Weed Identification Is Important
Luckily, not all weeds cause harm to your plants, or your turfgrass.
Clover is a good example of this its a legume that actually turns air into Nitrogen and feeds the soil in your yard. But most people still want it gone from their lawns.
Yellow clover is an annual legume that acts in a similar way.
With so many different types of weeds knowing how to identify lawn weeds and combat each species in your yard is crucial if youre looking for a long-term fix.
Use the wrong product and you could end up killing your grass, not your weeds.
Get A Weed Killer Solution And Spray It
There are different types of weed control solutions, from weed seeds to perennial growths. Remember to check the product labels, the weeds you are dealing with, and the grass you have to avoid damaging your beautiful lawn. If you buy an emergent herbicide or an artificial solution, be sure not to purchase one that burns the soil.
There exist homemade solutions you can create with your kitchen materials. Suppose you have vinegar, especially the white one, because it will help you to kill weed permanently. You must spray directly to the weed plant to avoid killing other natural flowers you could have.
Moreover, another option is to mix the vinegar with salt or baking soda to have better results in the garden. As mentioned before, you should be careful with the application to avoid hurting the soil. So, you must go directly to the shallow roots of the weeds. You can use baking soda to kill the weeds when overwatering in the garden, especially in the rainy growing season.
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Common Lawn Weeds And How To Get Rid Of Them
Even the best-tended lawns come under attack from common weeds. Weed seeds float in on the wind, creeping weeds claim more territory, and weeds you thought you pulled quietly continue to grow. How well your lawn copes with the onslaught depends on the weeds involved, the response you choose and your lawns overall health. Understanding common lawn weeds and the options available to fight them can help you successfully combat the invasion.
To help simplify weed defense, weve charted 10 common lawn weeds, including their characteristics, type and how they spread, and most importantly- how to eliminate them. Weeds, like ornamental garden plants, can be annuals or perennials. Annual weeds, such as crabgrass, complete their entire life cycle in a single growing season, and then die, leaving seeds behind to continue the legacy. Perennial weeds, such as dandelions, come back year after year from their roots, and distribute new seeds to boot. Weeds can also be grass-like, broadleaf or sedge. Choosing the right weed control product requires understanding the weed you want to fight and its stage of growth. Pre-emergent weed controls, sometime called preventers, work to keep weed seeds from germinating and developing. Post-emergent weed controls fight weeds that have already germinated and emerged from the soil.
Best Lawn Weeding Tools
Weeding is admittedly one of the most dreaded gardening tasks that we all dislike. While pulling weeds by hand is a back-breaking task, a better alternative is to use a gardening tool. The following weeding tools will make your battle with weeds much easier:
There are two basic types of weeding tools: short-handled and long-handled tools. The short-handled weeding tools require you to work on your knees, while the latter allows you to stand and weed a larger area.
ToolsFor shallow-rooted weeds
I recommend using a short-handles garden hoe or a sharp knife for medium-size weeds. Start by cutting the weeds at slightly below the soil line. Angle the hoe so the tip of the sharp blade touches the soil below the ground surface.
Tools For deep-rooted weeds
Its best to use a weeding tool like a claw weeder. To use this tool, place the tip of the claw blade next to the weeds stem and push down in a vertical motion. The weeder should then be articulated by the foot peddle in order to get the entire root out.
Keep in mind that using claw weeders can be a more time-consuming task than hoes as you need to remove each weed individually. Having said that, the tool works effectively for deep-rooted weeds.
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Lawn Weed Removal & Maintenance
If your weed problem is either just getting started, or you recently cleared out all the weeds and have a few coming back, it is important to maintain the weeds as they first come up.
Keeping your lawn well-watered, properly fertilized, and at a proper length are all ways to keep weeds at bay.
Specifically for dandelions, it is important to keep an eye out and pull them out before they seed.
These weeds famously will show you they are in their seeding period when their yellow flower changes into 15,000 seeds in a pouf on top.
Make sure to pull the plant out by the root and remove all root pieces from the grown if possible.
Clean And Mow Your Lawn
Immediately get rid of any visible weed that is growing out of place in your yard. You can do it by hand with a hand shovel, and make sure to uproot the whole thing, including the roots. Because if you leave the roots on the ground it will just grow back.
Do the cutting at high settings to keep the grass dense and standing tall. The same principle works against the weeds as it does the grass since weeds cannot flourish without proper sunlight. So, thick, dense, tall grass will also keep the weeds from growing, much less take over.
And even if the weed manages to germinate, it still is an uphill battle against the tall and thick grass.
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Figure Out What Type Of Weeds Youre Dealing With
You might already know this, but there are quite a few different types of weeds that you could be dealing with. Its going to be better for you to try to determine what types of weeds are present before you make decisions about what to do.
Below youll find some specific information about weed types so that you can figure things out fast. So long as you can take the time to observe the weeds, you should be able to learn what type youre dealing with.
Remember To Rake And Till
Its also going to be necessary to rake and till to get things ready for the new lawn. The weeds that you killed with the herbicide should eventually turn brown and die off, and this is the time where you need to rake things over.
Get your rake out and try to rake away as many of the weeds from the area as you can. You should also be able to utilize a tilling fork to pull out extra weeds so that you can start preparing the soil.
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How To Get Rid Of Lawn Weeds: Revamp Your Turf Without Killing The Grass
Want to know how to get rid of lawn weeds? Rid your grass of dandelions, moss, clover and more with these tips
ByHolly Crossleypublished 2 May 21
Do you need to know how to get rid of lawn weeds in your garden? After all, we all want to keep our prized patch of turf looking its best. So, knowing how to eradicate pesky intruders, without ruining the grass itself, is definitely worthwhile.
Even if your lawn ideas have been neglected and are looking worse-for-wear, there’s no reason to give up all hope for a verdant stretch of green. There are also other, more natural means to try before dousing the lot in weed killer and hoping for the best.
But why do lawns get weeds in the first place? Well, as the team at Stihl explains, weeds are caused by a wide range of factors. These include lack of water, cutting too low, compacted soil, and even by using low-quality or contaminated grass seeds. It’s worth remembering that grass needs to be healthy and strong to deter the likes of moss, clover, and dandelions, so looking after it properly will do it the world of good.
So, without further ado, find out how to get rid of lawn weeds with these simple steps. Your grass will be looking tip-top in no time.
Determine The Extent Of The Problem
The extent of the problem is going to play a role when figuring out what needs to be done. For instance, if your lawn just has a large patch of weeds somewhere, then you might be able to dig those weeds up to solve most of your problems.
However, if your lawn is very patchy and seems to have weeds throughout the entire lawn, then things are going to be different. Assess the situation to see how bad things really are, and once you have a firm grasp of things, youll be able to make the right choices.
A few weeds can be dug up and disposed of without it being that big of an issue. You will actually be able to get your lawn back to normal without having to go to great lengths if the weeds seem to be localized to one specific spot, but this might not be the case if you feel that the problem is more severe.
Sometimes the most practical thing to do when your lawn seems to be mostly comprised of weeds is to start over again. Keep reading to get more information about what you can do to get a good lawn again after determining that your lawn is mostly weeds.
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Natural Methods For Weed Removal In Your Lawn
Many people nowadays are looking to natural methods to cure weed issues rather than using chemicals.
There is a natural remedy made with vinegar, salt and regular dishwashing liquid.
Vinegar has been known to be a natural weed killer by killing the plant above ground.
It needs to be a strong vinegar, at least 10-20% acetic acid. Place this into a spray bottle.
Next, take any regular dishwashing liquid and place a few drops into the vinegar.
This acts as a way to break up the vinegar so it can be absorbed more easily.
This should be placed directly onto weeds in areas that you would like the soil to remain usable even after removing these weeds.
If there is an area in which you would like to kill everything no matter what the case, then take a slightly different approach.
You should take a gallon of the same vinegar, and place in 2 cups of table salt or any other type of salt that can be bought at any grocery store.
Mix extremely well and add about a teaspoon or a few drops of the same dishwashing liquid.
Either pour or spray this onto the area of weeds and plants you would like to kill, and you should never have any issues with weeds growing here ever again as the salt will essentially sterilize the soil.
Identifying Common Lawn Weeds
Before I give you some tips on how to get rid of a lawn full of weeds, lets start by taking a closer look at some of the most common weeds you will encounter.
Plantain
This is a broadleaf perennial with fibrous roots and short-winged stalk. The flowers are greenish-yellow in thin spikes. A non-chemical treatment can kill this weed.
Dandelion
Another common and probably the most recognizable garden weed is dandelion. This is a yellow flower with a deep taproot and a multi-petalled seed head. The roots can only be removed by a weeding tool.
Common ragweed
This broadleaf annual has fibrous roots and causes hay fever. Again, a weeding tool is whats needed to remove the roots.
Daisy
This white flower has spoon-shaped leaves and is often tinged with pink tips. The leaves can be killed with vinegar.
Grassy weeds and crabgrass
These types of weeds are quite deceiving as they look just like grass and grow in the same manner. Weeding tools are the best way to remove them.
These were just some of the many types of weeds that are typically found in lawns. So whats the best way to get rid of them? Keep reading to find out.
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How To Get Rid Of A Lawn Full Of Weeds
All year long, we look forward to sinking our feet into lush, radiant green grass. But nobody wants stringy ivy, coarse clovers or fuzzy dandelions grazing your toes instead!
And once you’ve spotted one, you’re sure to see more! Weeds seem to keep multiplying until theyre a huge, unattractive problem.
Luckily, you can bring your lawn back to life by ridding it of weeds and boosting your turf’s health. Heres how to get rid of weeds in your grass for good.
Why Do People Want A Weed Free Lawn
There are two main reasons why people want to see green grass and not much else on their turf. The first is an emotion reason: they look bad. People dont want yellow heads sticking everywhere from dandelions, painful shrubs growing up from thistles, bunchy short plants growing like clover, and invasive purple eyesores like creeping bellflower spouting up everywhere. Weeds are essentially like acne natural yet unwanted.
The second reason to go weed free is that weeds are invasive by nature they want to grow as much at possible at the expense of other plants around it. Its a dawg eat dawg world when it comes to lawn weeds. Whenever a drop of water, nutrient, or beam of sunlight comes down its a big competition for who gets it. Your grass roots are going head to head with the roots of weeds. If you let nature do its course, unfortunately the weeds will win. They are a yearly problem for millions of homeowners everywhere. Weeds also reproduce much more rapidly than your lawn. A single dandelion can produce up to 200 seeds, which is potential for 200 more dandelions. Your grass cannot thrive so long as weeds are there stealing nutrients from your turf.The only way to have flourishing grass is to minimize the potential for weeds and do it without harming your lawn.
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Identify The Weeds You Have
In order to make a successful game plan, youll need to know just what kind of weeds youre dealing with. Weed treatments are designed to target specific weeds, so what may work on your broadleaf weeds may leave your grass-like weeds A-OK.
Weeds come in multiple categories, either broadleaf, grass-like, or grassy.
Broadleaf
- Common types: Clover, ground ivy, dandelions, chickweed
Grass-like
- Appearance: Similar to grass, with hollow leaves in a triangular or tube shape
- Common types: Nutsedge, wild garlic, wild onion
Grassy
- Appearance: Resembles grass, grows one leaf at a time
- Common types: Foxtail, annual bluegrass, quackgrass, crabgrass
Weeds can be broken down further into categories based on their life cycleannual, biennial, or perennial.
- Annual: Produces seeds during one season only
- Biennial: Produces seeds during two back-to-back seasons
- Perennial: Produces seeds over many seasons
How To Restore A Lawn Full Of Weeds
Read our handy guide on how to restore a weedy, patchy lawn to its former glory.
If your lawn is patchy and full of weeds, it will never be the envy of the neighborhood. What youre after is a lush, green lawn with even grass and no dandelions poking their way through. That may sound hard to achieve, but it isnt too difficult if you follow these steps.
If you only have a few pesky weeds punctuating your lawn, you may be able to dig them up by handpaying careful attention to make sure you get them roots and all. But if your lawn is overrun with weeds, you may need to start from scratch. Heres our how-to guide on restoring a lawn full of weeds.
Once your lawn is nice and green, we recommend hiring a professional lawn care company to help you maintain it to keep it weed-free. Our top recommendation goes to industry leader TruGreen.
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Yellow And Green Foxtails
The yellow and the green foxtails are very bothersome and can grow abundantly in lawns. Their foxtails hold quite a lot of seeds that can spread all over your lawn or garden.
The yellow and green foxtails are easy to manage because you only need to keep your lawn healthy. If you have an adequately watered and well-fertilized lawn, I can assure you that these weeds will not have a place in your yard.
It is an annual weed, which means that you can simply pull out the roots and let it die naturally. Once they die, try to come up with a plan to make your lawn as healthy as possible so you wont have to encounter them in the coming year.
