Lawn weeds are not just eyesores; they pose a big threat to the health of the grass. Left unchecked, these nuisance plants, often with deeper roots and a resilient nature, can quickly overtake your garden, leading to a patchy and uneven turf. Grass weeds in lawns also diminish their aesthetic appeal and compete with grass for essential nutrients, water, and sunlight.
While some may consider using a weed killer that’s full of harsh chemicals and requires many steps, there is also a natural, effective method that works instantly. According to specialists at Buy Turf Online, hand pulling weeds is “by far the safest and the best way to remove weeds permanently”. They recognised that while pulling out weeds may seem tedious, it’s a “tried-and-tested method” to remove invasive plants so they “never come back”.
The technique is simple: grasp the weed at the base (ensure you are as close to the soil as possible), and pull it out in a steady motion.
This ensures that you remove the entire root system along with the weed, preventing it from regrowing.
It is essential to remove weeds when the soil is moist, such as after rain or watering your lawn, as this makes it easier to extract the entire root.
The pros at Lawn Man Landscape pointed out that hand-weeding is effective against annual broadleaf weeds since you can easily pull them out before they flower, seed, and spread.
They advised: “Perennial weeds, such as dandelions, are best removed while still young. Early removal allows you to eliminate the deep taproots before they take root in your lawn. Yank these weeds repeatedly, and you will ultimately starve them and kill them for good.”
Once the weeds have been removed, they recommend using mulch as a further preventative step for “stopping weeds from growing and taking a foothold on your lawn”.
The lawn experts explained: “Mulch covers the soil and deprives weed seeds of sunlight, which they need for the germination process.
“Mulch also prevents weeds from finding a hospitable place to grow. Because there is no bare soil available to them, weeds find it difficult to land and germinate, preventing their occurrence in the first place.”
The two best types of mulch to use are bark and wood chips. Bark mulch provides excellent cover and helps fight weed growth at the root. Although this solution “doesn’t prevent weed growth 100%”, it stops light from reaching weed seeds, subsequently blocking germination.
Wood chips suppress most garden weeds and prevent the strong growth of weeds that break through, making it “easier for you to pull them out by hand”.