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Weeds sometimes creep in where only grass should grow. We offer several methods to control weeds.
The appearance and composition of unwanted companion plants in your lawn are no coincidence. The initial pre-turf preparations, soil type, mowing routine and soil pH favor a very specific accumulation of weeds. These weeds are perfectly adapted to the conditions prevailing on your lawn. They can often be contained or driven away by changes in site conditions. Poor soil preparation is difficult to undo and there are only minor changes to soil type. But with well-planned care measures and changing mowing and fertilizing habits, you can effectively make life difficult for many weeds.
Correct determination of weeds in the lawn
When controlling weeds or grass weeds, it is of great importance whether the unwanted plants are seed or root weeds. Because these two groups have different survival strategies and must therefore also be combated with other measures.
Root weeds in lawn
Most root weeds are fast growing and highly adaptable to adverse environmental conditions such as poorly drained soils. They can also propagate via seeds, but are characterized above all by their distinctive rootstock. This rhizome enables the root weeds to survive for several years and has a very high regenerative capacity. Combating most root weeds is rather tedious and tedious. The often deep roots must be completely removed. The plants store nutrients in it so that they can always sprout again.
Seed weeds in lawn
Seed weeds are usually annuals, so they die off after one growing season. In order for their species to survive, these plants produce large numbers of seeds.Seed weeds are therefore best combated by removing them before seed formation, for example by mowing the lawn during flowering. However, birds or the wind can carry seeds of the same weeds back onto your lawn next year. However, if you always remove the flowers in good time, a lawn-displacing spread can easily be averted.
The most common weeds in lawns
Below you will find the most common weeds found in lawns, the causes of their occurrence and ways to combat them.
Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale)
The common dandelion prefers nutrient-rich, deep loamy soil, but actually occurs almost everywhere. Characteristic are its yellow cup-shaped flowers and its large, coarsely toothed leaves, which form a basal rosette. Especially in patchy turf, the dandelion spreads quickly and robs the lawn of a lot of space. With its strong taproot, the dandelion is one of the perennial weeds. The seeds of the dandelion are very widely spread by the wind. The best way to protect your lawn from dandelions is to carefully pull the plants out of the ground with a weed puller, including the entire taproot. To prevent further spread, mow before the yellow flower turns into a dandelion.
Daisies (Bellis perennis)
Like the dandelion, the daisy defies frequent and deep lawn mowing. The beautiful little flowers are very adaptable and do not have any great demands on the soil. Due to the formation of short runners and many seeds, the visually appealing little plant can spread quickly. Single plants can be easily removed with the weed puller. Any gaps are filled with grass.
White Clover (Trifolium repens)
White clover is also common in lawns and provides a welcome source of nectar for bees. Hobby beekeepers therefore only mow the lawn after flowering - but before the seed formation. If you want to protect barefoot walkers or children from bee stings, mow before the blossom or try to get rid of the white clover.
Clover loves nutrient-rich soil, but can still grow on the poorest sandy soil. Getting rid of it is very difficult, which is why every part of the plant must be removed early on. ParticularlyRegular mowing is important before the clover sets seeds so that it does not spread any further.
If the clover is only present in places, it is worth cutting out generously and then repairing the lawn.
Tip: We have put together additional tips for you on how to combat and prevent clover in your lawn.
Once the clover has established itself in the entire lawn, unfortunately nothing helps except the use of a selective herbicide or the complete plowing up of the lawn and reseeding - after all parts of the clover have been removed from the soil, of course.
By the way: In landscaping, the pruning-tolerant and vigorous clover is also often used as a lawn substitute. If you want to live with the subtenant, you can simply leave him on the lawn. The only important thing is to take good care of the lawn and not to mow it too deep so that it is not crowded out by the clover.
Plantain (Plantago major)
The broadleaf plantain is - just like its brother the buckhorn (Plantago lanceolata) - a very resilient plant. For this reason we know the two of them from cow pastures or forest roads. Plantains can spread very quickly and unpleasantly and take up a lot of space. The single plants are best cut out.
Tip: If you are bitten by an insect in nature and you happen to see a buckhorn plantain right away, you are lucky in misfortune. Chew up a buckhorn leaf and apply the slightly disgusting leaf and saliva mixture to the insect bite. The active ingredients of the leaf help against the swelling.
Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens)
The plant, which belongs to the poisonous buttercup family, is popularly known as "buttercup". As the name suggests, the plant with the beautiful yellow flowers forms creeping stolons that can become uncontrollable. Single plants should be pinched out as early as possible to prevent spread. Creeping buttercups do best in wet, poorly drained soil. So in the long run it can be reduced by better drainage of the soil.
Speedwell (Veronica species)
The pale purpleSpeedwell flowers are deceptively beautiful. The proliferating and runner-forming speedwell creates real cushions in the lawn and thus smothers the grass. It is difficult to combat, so it is worth acting immediately when the first infestation occurs. If there are only a few nests at first, these are cut out over a large area. Of course, the resulting gaps are then overseed. If speedwell has already spread, scarifying the lawn after flowering (before seed formation) helps, as this weakens the plant. The scarified material should be removed carefully and should never be put on the compost. The speedwell also doesn't like frequent mowing.
Other common lawn weeds include Yarrow (Achilea millefolium), Creeping Bugle (Ajuga reptans), Hop Clover ( Medicago lupulina, also called yellow clover) and chickweed (Stellaria media). However, in the way they are successfully combated, they do not differ significantly from the weeds described. Two grass weeds, couch grass (Elymus repens) and common meadow grass (Poa trivialis), are probably only really considered a nuisance by particularly hard-working ornamental lawn gardeners felt. However, not even the usual lawn herbicides work against them.
Destroy weeds in the lawn
Preventing weed infestation is worthwhile and usually less of a hassle than later ridding a heavily weed lawn of companion plants.
What can be done to prevent weeds in the lawn?
- Before the lawn is laid, the ground should be prepared in such a way that it is permeable to water and air. This increases the competitiveness of the lawn grass against the weeds.
- The water and air permeability of the soil can subsequently be improved by regularly aerating the lawn and sanding the lawn. Our fine-grained, easy-to-spread Plantura lawn sand is ideal for sanding, which can be spread for improved root aeration. A lawn with he althy, strong roots is much more competitive with weeds and cannot be pushed out as quickly.
- If you have particularly heavy soil, which can only be slightly improved by drainage or adding sand, you should use seed that is adapted to the location. Some grasses cope better with heavy soil and then have a higher resistance to weeds than othersGrasses.
- The pH value of the soil can be checked and brought into the optimum range for lawns. You may need to lime your lawn to do this. A pH value that is too low is a frequent driver of wild herbs and moss in the lawn. A high-quality, fine-grained lime is, for example, our Plantura garden lime, which brings acidic soil back into balance.
- Many weeds do not cope well with the constant loss of mass during mowing. So they can be kept in check by frequent, deep mowing.
- To prevent weeds, the lawn should be fertilized regularly and appropriately. Lawn is a nutrient-hungry garden dweller. A lawn fertilizer should be nitrogen-rich in spring and potassium-rich in late summer or fall - this promotes a dense, frost- and drought-tolerant lawn that is not easily overtaken by less demanding weeds. Our Plantura organic lawn fertilizer and our Plantura organic autumn lawn fertilizer are precisely tailored to the needs of lawn grass and provide all the necessary nutrients.
Home remedies to get rid of weeds in the lawn
Almost every lawn owner has problems with weeds in the lawn if the weeds bother them. All the more myths circulate among hobby gardeners about the best control methods.
Which home remedies help against weeds, which are more harmful?
- S alt and Vinegar: Many people know s alt and vinegar as natural all-purpose products in the home and think they can also be used in the garden. But in nature, s alt and vinegar not only damage weeds, but also the surrounding plants and soil. Vinegar and s alt therefore have absolutely no place in the garden.
- Hot Water: If overseeding is planned, weeds can be sprinkled with hot water before they are cut out. After drying, they can be easily removed. If you don't want to overseed, there is too great a risk with this method that the lawn will also be destroyed.
- Flamming before planting out: In areas where the lawn has to be laid out again - i.e. where the lawn has to give way anyway - careful weeding is necessary. The entire area can be flamed with the help of weed burners. Dark plastic sheets can be spread out on the surface and weighed down. The warmer it is, the faster the underlying vegetation will die.
- Prevent and cut out in time:The best "home remedy" against weeds is and remains the early, careful cutting out of the weeds together with all their roots. This is a good way to prevent weed infestation that crowds the lawn.
Important: After weeding, do not forget to close any gaps in the turf caused by weeds. Even gaps that have arisen in other ways must always be reseeded to avoid weed infestation. It is best to use special, fast-growing seeds such as our Plantura Lawn Repair to repair bald spots. If the soil has not been fertilized immediately before, it can be fertilized. Closing gaps and fertilizing will help the lawn become competitive against weeds again. Because gaps and bare spots really attract weeds to use the free space for their purposes.
Weedkiller against weeds in the lawn
Although some weeds can only be controlled mechanically with a great deal of persistence or sometimes not to a satisfactory degree, chemical weed killers should really be the very last resort. The use of a so-called herbicide has many disadvantages from an ecological point of view and should be carefully considered. Before resorting to a weed killer, one must always be aware that the lawn in the garden can also be an area that contributes to the biodiversity of flora and fauna. In home gardens, where children or pets may also be playing on the lawn, it is better not to use weed killers anyway.
Weed Killer Test
Most lawn herbicides are based on active ingredients that intervene specifically in the metabolism of dicotyledonous, i.e. herbaceous plants. When they are used, monocotyledonous plants, including lawn grasses, are spared. However, the monocot weeds remain unaffected, for example the particularly unpleasant meadow grass (Poa annua) or hay rush (Lazula campestris). Many weeds such as speedwell, plantain and daisy are very hardy and need two or more herbicide applications, each four to six weeks apart. Even the chemical destruction of weeds is not done with quick spraying - especially because after weed destruction, overseeding and fertilizing follow.
Important notes when using herbicides:
- Remember that most lawn weed killers will kill all dicots. Flowers and vegetables must therefore be protected from spray drift.
- Best application periods are in spring and late summer. These times of the year are also ideal for subsequent reseeding.
- Observe all warnings, usage information and safety instructions on the product label or insert.
Mixing lawn fertilizer with weed killer: is that possible?
Lawn in combination with weeds may not be ideal for some, but has the advantage that it creates a closed green carpet. After using weed killers, the lawn often looks completely different: it is bare and anything but closed. Therefore, after the application of herbicides, the lawn must usually be reseeded and lawn fertilized. The fertilizer strengthens the remaining grass and the overseeding closes the gaps in the turf. Weed killers that are combined with lawn fertilizer already do two out of three work steps and then only have to be supplemented with mechanical overseeding. If the overseeding is done with a spreader, seed and fertilizer can of course also be combined there.
Proper care is an important measure to prevent weeds. In our article you will learn everything about lawn care all year round.