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LAWN WEEDS

Weed Control: Having lawn weeds is a normal and expected part of having grass. Once you have lawn weeds they can spread quickly so the sooner you get on to treating them the better!

Most weeds can be easily controlled by applying a selective herbicide which will kill the weed but not harm the grass. Depending upon the degree of infestation repeat applications may be required. Weeds such as bindi are best treated before the plant sets seed and can be dug up and removed by hand.

Lawns that are dry, compacted and in a poor condition will be more susceptible to weed attacks. If you have any areas of lawn where there is damage or there is dead or dying grass, replace the turf to stop weeds from taking over the patch of ground.

The easiest way to prevent weeds from taking over your lawn is to keep your grass in a good condition. This involves ensuring your lawn is getting the required amount of water through natural rainfall and supplemented with watering in times of drought. Regular fertilising with slow release fertiliser at least once a year will assist in keeping the lawn healthy. Regular mowing will also help to remove weed seed heads before they can mature and seed your lawn.

And, of course, if you want some additional help and advice on lawn weeds and how to control them, then the simplest solution is to let Fox Mowing look after it all for you.
And while we’re there in your garden, we can do a lot of other stuff too to get your garden looking, and feeling, its best.

BINDI

Bindi’s are literally a pain to have in your lawn. Their sharp needle like points are the bane of every bare foot in summer time!

Bindi –eyes have small fern like leaves that look similar to parsley, which when seeded turn to small flowers and dry out creating sharp pointy needles that get stuck in your feet when you walk over them. Bindi patches are easily spread as they can be moved around to different areas on the bottom of your shoes.

Treatment

Late winter and early spring is the best times to remove the weed before its seeds start to germinate and spread throughout the lawn.

You’ll need to dig out the patches of bindi by hand ensuring that all roots have been removed. Otherwise apply a broad leafed herbicide which will kill the bindi but not damage the surrounding grass.

Aerating the soil will also help to reduce bindi numbers as they favour compacted and compressed ground. Lifting the mower blades, so the grass is left longer when mowed will also make it harder for the bindi to survive as it will be suffocated by the longer grass. The sooner you get onto fixing and control bindi summers the safer you and your family will be when out and about enjoying your garden!

And, of course, if you want some additional help and advice on removing bindis or other weeds from your lawn, then the simplest solution is to let Fox Mowing look after it all for you.
And while we’re there in your garden, we can do a lot of other stuff too to get your garden looking, and feeling, its best.

CLOVER

Remember sitting in the grass at the school bus stop or out in the playground, searching for the ever allusive four-leafed clover?

Clover holds great childhood memories, but in reality they are purely and simply a weed!

Identification:

Dark green in colour with a ‘v’ shaped band on its three leaflets, and a white flower, clover is easily identifiable and a common weed found in many lawns.

Clovers are a perennial with creeping stems that grow close to the ground with above ground stolons and below ground rhizomes. Due to their root structure clover can easily spread throughout your lawn as it can propagate from its own clippings & offcuts, so always use a catcher when mowing lawns with clover.

Clover loves low nitrogen soils, as they obtain all the nitrogen they require from the air, so a lack of nitrogen in the soil is an ideal growing condition for them. Clover will also grow in grass and soil that is under nourished.

So if you find that clover extending and gradually taking over your lawn, and the grass that you have is turning brown or yellow, looking sickly and growing poorly it could be a sign that your grass and soil is in poor health and could have low levels of nitrogen in the soil, thus the great occurrence of clover throughout your lawn.

Treatment:

To combat clover head on – Dig out clover by hand (ensure all roots are pulled out) or apply a selective herbicide to the lawn, this will kill the clover without harming the surrounding grass. Depending on the degree of infiltration a repeat application may be required.

To help prevent clover growth – Complete a soil test to determine the nutrient levels in the lawn and depending upon the alkalinity or acidity levels apply a fertiliser to improve the condition of the grass and balance out the PH levels. Regular fertilisation will work as a natural control for dealing with and deterring clover and will also help prevent other weeds and pests from infecting and attacking the lawn.

And, of course, if you want some additional help controlling clover and other weeds in your lawn, then the simplest solution is to let Fox Mowing look after it all for you.
And while we’re there in your garden, we can do a lot of other stuff too to get your garden looking, and feeling, its best.

DANDELION

Dandelions are an easily recognisable weed due to their bright yellow daisy like flowers on tall hollow stems and toothed green leaves. When the flowers mature they turn into white puffballs that contain seeds that spread with the wind to other areas of lawn.

Dandelions are broad leaved perennials that grow from a taproot which is often 2-3 feet deep. Their root lies dormant through the cooler months, reappearing to grow new above ground shoots in the spring time

Due to the nature of the dandelions root system, they can be difficult to effectively remove by hand as the roots grow deep and if any of the taproot remains in the ground the weed will regenerate.

Treat dandelions by applying a selective herbicide to the weed and allow a couple of days to a week before you mow so as to allow the chemical to reach the roots.

Having a thick and lush lawn is the best way of preventing dandelions from establishing. Regular mowing at a higher height combined with regular fertilising will ensure a healthy and robust lawn that will be thick enough from allowing dandelions and other weeds from growing in the soil.

And, of course, if you want some additional help and advice on combatting and treating weeds in your lawn, then the simplest solution is to let Fox Mowing look after it all for you.
And while we’re there in your garden, we can do a lot of other stuff too to get your garden looking, and feeling, its best.

GARDEN WEEDS

No garden is without the odd garden weed. Weeds are a constant but expected burden in every garden.

Weeds thrive in sunlight and bad soil. So regular fertilising to improve soil condition and applying layers of mulch will help to suffocate and suppress garden weeds.

To combat weeds – pull any visible weeds out by hand. This is best accomplished when the ground is wet and pliable, so get out in the garden after you have watered or after recent rainfall. You will need to completely remove all weed roots and tubers from the ground, by gently pulling, prying or digging them out as any un-left roots will continue to spread and grow new weed shoots throughout your garden.

Remember to dig only when you need to as some weeds will germinate simply by touch so disturbing the soil too much will increase the spreading of any left over weed seeds in the ground. To help prevent this salve the disturbed spot with plants or cover with mulch to prevent the weeds from coming above ground in search of sunlight.

Groundcovers, trees and shrubs also play their role in the fight against garden weeds as they shade the ground creating unfavourable conditions as weeds will not be able to grow beneath them without access to direct sunlight.

And, of course, if you want some additional help and advice on combatting and treating weeds in your garden weeds, then the simplest solution is to let Fox Mowing look after it all for you.
And while we’re there in your garden, we can do a lot of other stuff too to get your garden looking, and feeling, its best.

BLACKBERRY

Blackberry’s although incredibly delicious to eat are considered a noxious weed and are regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia. In 1999 the blackberry was declared a weed of National Significance due to its invasiveness and potential to spread.

There are at least 16 species of blackberry in Australia. Blackberries are semi deciduous, with tangled, prickly stems that form thickets up to several metres in height with edible red-black berries. They have wide root base which can be up to 20cm wide and can grow to a depth of 4 meters. Their secondary roots grow horizontally from the crown 30-60cm and then grow down and shoot thin roots in all directions.

Blackberries have the ability to spread quickly as their stems (also known as canes) root where they touch the ground, producing a daughter plant. Due to this factor, care will need to be taken to keep surrounding areas clear of the blackberry thickets and stems and to remove any isolated plants from the ground before they can establish and seed.

To control blackberry bushes you will need to spray them with herbicide during the flowering/fruiting season and slash the thickets regularly to prevent spreading. Unfortunately if you want to completely eradicate the blackberry bush you will need to dig out the entire root system so as to be free of the weed.

And, of course, if you want some additional help controlling noxious weeds, then the simplest solution is to let Fox Mowing look after it all for you.
And while we’re there in your garden, we can do a lot of other stuff too to get your garden looking, and feeling, its best.

ONION GRASS

Onion weed is deemed a noxious weed throughout most parts of Australia including NSW, VIC, SA, WA and Tasmania.

The Onion weed is a perennial grass distinguishable due to its long thin green leaves which when squashed will smell like onion. The flowers are mainly white and grow in florets from long stalks which form seeds in summer and autumn and are spread by the wind blowing them into new areas. The onion weed has an underground bulb that develops numerous small bulblets which in turn sprout new plants.

Onion weed can be difficult to remove. Never try and remove or dig out onion weed by hand. Due to their root system, as soon as they are touched or disturbed they will release tiny bulbs into the soil, spreading and multiplying your problem tenfold!

Slash or mow the foliage down to ground level and repeatedly apply a herbicide to the weed until it dies away. Another method is to cover the onion weed with a tarp or barrier that will deprive the weed from water and sun causing the bulb to weaken and die.

In extreme infestations you may be required to completely returf the area once the onion weed has been eliminated.

And, of course, if you want some additional help controlling noxious weeds, then the simplest solution is to let Fox Mowing look after it all for you.
And while we’re there in your garden, we can do a lot of other stuff too to get your garden looking, and feeling, its best.

NUT GRASS

Nut Grass is a very invasive weed that grows rapidly throughout Autumn and warmer months. Being apart of the Sedge family it is identifiable by its shiny, green triangular shaped leaves that sprawl out from the centre on tough thin stems. It has brown feathery flowers on long stems topped with three leaves.

The root system of the nut grass is compromised of rhizomes and tubers which send out underground runners that contain bulbs that grow and then form plants in new areas.

The best method to control Nut Grass is to dig the weed out by hand ensuring that all root systems and bulbs are thoroughly removed or to apply a selective herbicide to the weed in an attempt to kill it. Repeat applications every couple of weeks may be required as the weed is persistent and is hard to eradicate.

And, of course, if you want some additional help controlling problem weeds, then the simplest solution is to let Fox Mowing look after it all for you.
And while we’re there in your garden, we can do a lot of other stuff too to get your garden looking, and feeling, its best.