August 2021 - Lawn Solutions Australia

10 Common Lawn Weeds | Can you guess them all?

Can you identify all these common lawn weeds? We take a look at a few common lawn weeds that might be growing in your grass and what you can do to remove them.

Clover

Clover

Clover can easily be identified by its oval shaped leaves. It will commonly grow with 3 leaves (four if you are lucky) with a white circular marking across all the leaves. The leaf will grow from a thin stem with a white ball like flowers.

Clover can easily be treated with a common broadleaf herbicide or a specific clover specific weed spray. To remove clover, we recommend using either Amgrow Bin Die or All Purpose Weed Control with the active ingredient Bromoxynil or removing by hand.

You can find more information on Clover here.


Lawn Weeds Bindii

Bindii

Bindii is a low growing weed with a flower at its centre. At maturity, the flower will produce a prickly seed pod, which can be quite annoying in the warmer months when enjoying your lawn.

Bindii can easily be removed by hand, or with a broadleaf herbicide with the active Bromoxynil like Amgrow Bin Die or All Purpose Weed Control. It is best to remove Bindii before it goes to seed to avoid stepping in those painful prickles.

You can find more information on Bindii here.


Paspalum

Paspalum is a perennial grass weed that is mostly found in the South-eastern states of Australia. It will have a purple tinge as the base of its broad leaves and will primarily grow throughout the warmer months. This weed will spread through the transport of its sticky seeds, easily sticking onto pets and shoes.

With Paspalum the easiest way to remove it is to remove by hand. When doing this, make sure you dig underneath the crown, below the soil level and remove the entire plant. There are also selective herbicides that are available. Paspalum, Nutgrass & Clover Weed Killer with the active ingredient DSMA can easily be mixed in a knapsack or pressure sprayer, repeated applications may be needed. For kikuyu, buffalo and blue couch lawns please note this herbicide can harm your lawn too, so it is only best to spot treat these weeds.

You can find more information on Paspalum here.


oxalis

Oxalis

Oxalis has a similar appearance to clover. One of the main differences is oxalis has small light green or purple heart shaped leaves, while clover will have oval shaped leaves. There are a few different variations in their flower colour including white, pink, and yellow. There are a few species of oxalis, the common species found here in Australia is creeping oxalis.

To remove creeping Oxalis, a selective herbicide with Bromoxynil as the active ingredient like Amgrow Bin Die or All Purpose Weed Control can be used.

You can find more information on Oxalis here.


cudweed

Cudweed

Cudweed is another common weed that you may have noticed growing in your garden. It is an annual winter weed those forms in rosettes. It has glossy light green leaves on top and has a white and fury side underneath. They have various small flowers that grow from their stems.

It’s best to remove them by hand or with a selective herbicide with Bromoxynil as the active such as Amgrow Bin Die or All Purpose Weed Control. You may require two or more applications. The glossiness of the leaves helps in its resistance to herbicides and makes it very difficult to control. You can add a few drops of dishwashing liquid or another surfactant to the herbicide mix, this will help it to stick to the leaves.

You can find more information on Cudweed here.


chickweed

Chickweed

Chickweed is a low growing, winter annual weed that can continue growing all through summer. It has paired leaves protruding opposite one another that have minimal fine hairs. As temperatures rise white flowers bloom in clusters at the end of a stem.

Like most lawn weeds, the easiest method of removing Chickweed from your lawn is by hand. Dig underneath the weed and remove the full plant from the grass. But, if there is a substantial amount present a herbicide with Bromoxynil as the active like Amgrow Bin Die or All Purpose Weed Control is the way to go.

You can find more information on Chickweed here.


nut grass

Nutgrass

Nutgrass is Sedge weed identifiable as it is usually a lighter green than the rest of your lawn and tends to grow taller. It has 3 blades that shoot up from the stem and has a triangular stem rather than a circular stem like most grasses.

If you do notice this weed in your lawn it is best to act quickly before it spreads. You can remove Nutgrass by digging it out with a small spade. You must be extremely diligent with this to ensure there are no roots or bulbs left in the soil as Nutgrass will reappear if left behind. If there is a large amount of Nutgrass in your lawn, you will need to treat it with a selective herbicide with the active ingredient Halosulfuron-Methyl such as Lawn Solutions Sedge Control.

You can find more information on Nutgrass here.


summer grass

Summer grass

Summer grass is a common annual weed that has soft hairy leaves that grow close to the ground in clusters. The grass roots at the node (joint) and the sheathes of the leaf are usually purple tinged in colour at the base.

Best to remove Summer grass by hand. If your lawn is unhealthy it will continue to reappear. By thickening up your lawn and keeping it healthy you will make it difficult for the summer grass to return. Herbicides with DSMA as the active ingredient like Paspalum, Nutgrass and Clover Weed Killer, commonly used for paspalum, will remove Summer grass. However, herbicides with DSMA are not safe for Kikuyu and buffalo lawns, so it is best to only spot treat.

You can find more information on Summer Grass here.


crowsfoot

Crowsfoot (commonly known as Crabgrass)

Crowsfoot is a summer annual grass that grows in easy to identify tufts. This weed grows flat to the ground with almost white flat sheathed stems and smooth strap like leaves.

The best way to remove crowsfoot is to chip out by hand. Make sure when doing so that you carefully remove the entire plant and don’t spread any seeds during the process. Paspalum, Nutgrass & Clover Weed Killer, and herbicides formulated with the active DSMA will control crowsfoot. Again, when using products with DSMA as the active ingredient on Buffalo and Kikuyu it is best to only spot treat the weed as these herbicides can harm your lawn as well.

You can find more information on Crowsfoot here.


mullumbimby couch

Mullumbimby Couch

Mullumbimby Couch is a perennial mat-forming, grass like sedge with dark green, glossy, strap-like leaves. It possesses tough and long rhyzomes which are red to purple in colour.

If you do notice this weed growing, it is best to act quickly before it spreads and becomes very difficult to remove. You can dig them out with a small spade. But you have to be extremely diligent with this to ensure there are no roots or bulbs left in the soil as they will reappear if left behind. If there is a large amount of Mullumbimby Couch in your lawn, you will need to treat it with a selective herbicide with the active ingredient Halosulfuron-Methyl such as Sedge Control.

You can find more information on Mullumbimby Couch here.

For more information on lawn weeds, check out our other blogs here.

Moulding Clay into the Perfect Lawn

Much of the soil across Australia has a high clay content. In some cases, this can hinder your turf growth. But don’t fear! We’ve got some tips and tricks on how you can improve your clay soil and advice for installing turf on a clay base…

But first, what is clay?

Clay soils are made up of very fine mineral particles, usually less than 0.005 millimetres in diameter. These minerals are aluminium, magnesium, and silica. Clay can also contain potassium, calcium, and sodium. The fine particles leave limited space between the mineral particles, making the area more susceptible to becoming compacted and waterlogged. Clay soil will usually lack organic material, which is not ideal for turf growth.

The ribbon test

To see what type of soil you have, conduct a ribbon test. This will show what sort and size of particles your soil contains – sand, silt, or clay and in what proportion.

Pick up a handful of soil and sort it together, adding a little water at a time until it is moist. Note the different textures. Sand particles are course to feel. The smoother particles will be either be clay, silt, or humus.

Now squeeze the sample and try and form it into a ball. If it contains a fair proportion of clay and humus this should be easy, but if it contains a lot of sand, it will keep breaking up.

Next, gently squeeze the ball to lengthen it into a strip or ‘ribbon’ and see how long you can make it before it starts to break up. The more clay it contains, the longer the ribbon will get and the more plastic it will feel to the touch. Soil ribbons can range in length from about 5mm – 75mm, with sandy soils being shortest, loamy soils in the middle, and clay soils the longest.

soil

Turf and clay

The limited space between clay particles makes it difficult for air and nutrients to go into the soil base. Clay soils will often struggle to drain away water, especially if the clay is compacted. Turf in clay soils will also struggle to have a good root system. This is because the grass roots are not strong enough to grow down into the clay.

When working around clay soils, it is important to have the right moisture content. With too much water, the soil will become slippery and boggy. When the soil is like this it is best to wait until the area has dried out before doing work on it. If the clay is too dry it will become hard and very difficult to cultivate.

Improving an existing lawns clay base

To improve your clay soil for laying turf, make sure the base isn’t too wet or isn’t too dry before you start. Firstly, aerate the area with a garden fork. Then spread-out the gypsum. The amount of gypsum needed will depend on your soil. For light clay, 1kg/square metre is the usual application rate. For heavy clay soils, 2kg/metre.

Gypsum for Lawn Soil Structure

Laying turf on a clay soil

When laying a new lawn on a clay soil, there are a few extra steps that you can take in the soil preparation process to help ensure your new lawn thrives.

When preparing the soil base, ensure any existing vegetation has been treated and removed. Then spread out a clay breaker like gypsum. This will help improve drainage, soil structure, and oxygen levels.

Then bring in a sandy loam (80% sand, 20% loam) to use a turf underlay. By adding in a turf underlay mix, the new turf will be able to properly root down into the soil.

By taking these few extra steps throughout the preparation process, your lawn will be healthier and stronger. The grass will have a stronger root system, will be able to better absorb nutrient’s and better drain away excess water.

Check out the lawn solutions Australia lawn care page for more helpful tips and advice here.

We’re buzzed about bees! | Here’s how to keep a bee friendly lawn

Did you know there are over 1,700 species of native bees in Australia? The busy buzzy bee is one of the most important pollinators for our food chain and is essential to help keep your flowers in bloom! With a few steps, you too can create a bee friendly lawn…

But first, why are bees so important?

Bees are the world’s largest pollinators; honeybees alone are responsible for pollinating 80% of all flowering plants.

Pollination can also come from wind and water, however only around 12% of the world’s flowering plants can be pollinated by wind. An even smaller 2% of pollination occurs by water pollination.

Pollination occurs when bees collect nectar and pollen from a flower. When collecting pollen, some of this pollen will stick to the bee’s body. When moving to the next flower, the pollen that has stuck to the bee’s body can rub off onto the stigma. This process fertilises the plant, allowing it to grow fruit and seeds so it can spread.

Flowers

Bees are attracted to flowers that have open or flat flowers that have lots of pollen and nectar. They love a variety of bright and colourful flowers. When looking to put in new plants in your garden, try and make sure you have a balance of plants so that you will always have a flower in bloom. This will help encourage bees to your lawn year-round, helping you create a bee friendly garden.

Native flowers

In some cases, native trees are the preferred choice for bees. Some of their favourite plants include Daises, Eucalyptus, Acacia, and Banksias.

Combination planting

Combination planting in theory will help attract pollinators from using a variety of flowering plants and will help assist certain plants take up nutrients. By using a variety of plants close to each other, you will help create a bee friendly garden. Combination planting can also be used to help deter damaging causing insects.

Bee hotel

Over 99% of native Australian bees will either live in a small group (semi-social bees) or will live alone (solitary bees) in small holes in the ground or nests. Both bee types will make their home in a pre-existing hole in wood or will make a hole in the spongy, soft stem of a flowering plant (pithy stem).

To help these bees, you can provide a place for them to go and rest. To make a bee hotel use a small box and fill it with bamboo canes or old flower stalks that are hollow. You may need to cut these sticks to size to fit in your box. You can also use a small block of wood and drill out different size holes for the bees. This will help create a warm safe place for the bees to go and rest in. You should place your bee motel in an area that gets plenty of morning sun.

Flow also sells a bee hotel for native bees. They contain different size sticks so the bees can find their perfect home.

Flow hive

Flow hives

For the aspiring beekeepers, there are a few great beehive starter bundles to help get you started on your bee-keeping journey.

One of our favourites is the Flow Hive. With these hives, you can collect honey straight from the hive with a simple to-use-tap. These hives use partially formed combs. Once the honeycomb is filled and the key is turned the comb will split, allowing the honey to flow out of the hive and into your jar! This avoids the need to open the hive and use processing equipment with no mess.

flow hive

Use of bee friendly insecticides

When it comes to the use of insecticides, we recommend using Acelepryn GR. Acelepryn GR provides safe and effective control of damage-causing bugs while minimising the impact on the environment and non-target organisms like bees and earthworms.

Check out the Lawn Solutions Australia lawn care page for more helpful tips and advice here.