Weed removal guide for Australian lawns

Most of the weeds are opportunistic plants which rush to fill empty spaces in the lawn. Remove the weeds from taking hold (mostly annual weeds) by covering the lawn’s bare patches. Try a few of these methods to maintain the land protected.

Dense plantings

They cover the land and use the available sunlight, water and nutrients to make it challenging for weeds to grow.

Mulches

Make sure they are thick enough to cover the land, but not so heavy that they obstruct water from absorbing. Top up organic mulches once or twice per year as they begin to break down.

Weed mat

Lay weed mats underneath the mulch in complicated places with a history of weed issues. Look for a good value weed mat rather than standard black plastic because it will damage microbial communities and reduce plant performance.

Barriers

A few plants, such as certain bamboos and some turfs like Kikuyu and couch, produce runners that would turn them into backyard beasts. Garden edges can be dug deep into the ground to act as a protective border to these runners. It may be a little bit of work at the initial stages, but it can save you a lot of time in the future.

Weed removal

If you have weeds to cope with, then complete removal is the path to follow. Here are a few options:

Hand weeding

In addition to using your hands, there are several important gardening tools that you may use to make weed removal easier. Inspect the garden beds routinely and assault the weeds while they are simple and easy to eliminate. When removing large weeds, look for seed heads and incorporate to your compost only if it gets hot enough just to demolish them.

Scarification

For masses of small weeds, try scarifying and lightly cultivating the land to disintegrate and destroy the weeds rapidly. This method works exceptionally well in vegetable patches among rows.

Animal helpers

Let your crooks, guinea pigs or domesticated rabbits dine on weedy patches and fertilise the area around the same time. Just remember that they’re not going to discriminate, so only plant valuable seedlings once the animals have passed over the place.

Solarisation

In vast areas where weeds have developed quite massive to defile temporary black plastic sheeting. It deprives the weeds of natural light and moisture and heats them up to roast. You may have to mow or nearly snip the place first if the weeds are big. Leave for several weeks till the weeds are dead, then erase the plastic. Other materials, such as old carpets or thick layers of paper, could be used, but they could take longer to work since they don’t heat up like black plastic.

Other heat treatments

There are also devices on garden stores that use gas or steam to heat and destroy weeds. Steam devices tend to become more suitable for commercial usages, while the gas-fired alternative appears to perform well in the home gardens.

Use herbicides

Sadly, most herbicides are not organic and are only hazardous materials. A number of certified organic weed treatments are available; try to opt for any of them. Don’t go too insane spraying it as herbicides may contain substances that slow down plant growth and could have a disadvantageous influence on the plants you want as well as on the weeds.

If you desire to take the chemical route to your weed issue, it is crucial that you do a proper investigation before purchasing any weedkillers. Herbicides are intended to target particular plants, but if you don’t identify the correct one, you can destroy the lawn without making any difference on those weeds. There is a broad array of weeds, so ensure you define which weeds are growing and then pick the right weedkiller to tackle your issue.

Organic options

If you prefer to bypass the use of herbicides on your lawn, a few of the following organic weed remedies may perform against specific weeds:

Corn gluten meal

Corn gluten meal is terrific for your lawn as it carries nitrogen and inhibits weeds from growing. You’re not supposed to apply it if you’ve cultivated seeds that you desire to have as it may negatively impact them. It is ideal to apply corn gluten meal first in the spring before you even see weeds. Using it to already-established weeds would only feed them and end up making your issue nastier.

Vinegar

Vinegar has confirmed to be an effective weed killer. Like many commercial weed killers, it is non-selective, not caring if it slaughters weeds or your lawn. Unlike commercial herbicides, vinegar is environmentally friendly and will not harm the people, animals or the ecosystem.

Vinegar’s sole major downside in some cases is that there is no lingering action, so new weeds are coming soon. Permanent weed removal is something that vinegar can not help you with.

Add common table salt to vinegar so that weeds can be destroyed for good in troubled areas. Just ensure you don’t pour the salt mixture on the land, as the solution will make sure nothing grows again.

Boiling water

Cold or hot water causes little harm to most plants and benefits the weeds. On the other hand, boiling water kills the weed plants and their seeds that may lie dormant in the ground. Boiling water treatment performs well for sidewalks, yard paths or driveways.

Other garden practices

Routine garden practices such as watering, fertilisation, and mowing play a vital role in the battle against weeds. Pay close attention to what you do in your lawn.

Irrigation

One of the primary blunders that landscapers and homeowners make is how much they irrigate their lawns, which may significantly impact your weed scenario. Rather than watering thinly and repeatedly, it is better to irrigate your lawn strongly but not too often. This sort of irrigating plan will make your grassroots to exist, allowing them to develop healthy and strong. Active and robust lawn implies that weeds can’t win over it.

Fertilisation

Fertiliser is a diet for your lawn and delivers it all the nutrients it needs. Although it may look counterintuitive, fertiliser may be an excellent idea to deal with scenario; the key is to ensure you’re applying the correct quantity. Too full fertiliser can excite weed germination, while insufficient fertiliser will get your lawn too fragile to survive against weeds. The most reliable defence toward maximum forms of weeds is a dense grass to assure that they have no place to establish.

Mowing

Routinely mowing your grass is vital to maintaining your garden stable, and this can additionally inhibit weeds from developing bigger. Even though your grass has been chopped previously, you can tweak the lawnmower to a higher setting if you notice weeds showing up. Operate the lawnmower across such weedy places in a setting that is high sufficient to leave the turf almost unscathed but low sufficient to kill undesired weeds. If you apply this technique regularly, the weeds would soon stop returning, and they will vanish. Maintaining your grass high can also help suppress weeds.

Why choose Must Have Maintenance?

At Must Have Maintenance, we pride ourselves in providing our clients with the best and most comprehensive range of garden maintenance services. As Melbourne’s top-rated gardening company, we’ve worked hard to ensure our clients can enjoy a beautiful and healthy garden all year round.

Our seamless process allows you to quickly sign up for maintenance through our website. We’re always happy to have a chat and assist you with any questions or concerns you might have. Click here to speak to one of our friendly team members.