Is there a way to beat this lawn weed?
QI have an invasive growth that is rapidly creeping across my lawn. I have used a lawn weed and feed, which has not stemmed its growth and may well have accelerated it. Could you please identify it for me and advise me as to how I can eradicate it?
Trish McKenie, via email
AI suspect the weed in your lawn is one called silverweed. The Latin name is Potentilla anserina and it is related to the shrubby and perennial garden potentillas.
If it has yellow flowers like those of garden potentillas then I’m sure this is correct, but if not then there is a possibility that it might be a ground cover plant called Acaena microphylla, often grown as an alpine.
Both plants can be dealt with in the same way. Tackle this weed by regularly raking the lawn to reduce the top growth, and apply a weedkiller to deal with any regrowth.
This is a really good time of year to do this as weedkillers are most effective when plants are growing strongly.
I think you probably will need more than one application, but it is worth some persistence to stop the weed in its tracks and prevent its reappearance.
Suitable weed killers include Bayer Lawn Weedkiller, Resolva Lawn Weedkiller, Verdone Extra and Weedol Lawn Weedkiller. For now I would concentrate on dealing with the weed and once it is under control it will be worth applying lawn feed to help strengthen the grass.
I don’t think you will have done any harm by applying a feed and weed, except perhaps to make the soil more fertile to the benefit of the weed as well as the grass.
I am slightly concerned that I have misidentified this weed as sometimes it is difficult to be entirely certain from a photograph, but the treatments I mention should work well on any.