Wipe out those wicked weeds
IT DOESN’T matter whether it’s long and narrow, short and wide, rectangular, round or an irregular shape – a well-tended lawn will make a big difference to your garden. For many, they make up the largest part of the garden and are essential for setting beds, borders and other features off to perfection.
Yet all too often our lawns are let down by weeds. Daisies, dandelions, buttercups, clover, plantain, chickweed and many more pesky plants will spoil the appearance. Worse still, weeds left to their own devices will self-seed or spread at a furious rate, completely smothering the grass.
Fortunately, it’s possible to improve the look of lawns by dealing with weeds this spring. A patch of grass with a few pest plants dotted here and there can be tackled by careful hand weeding, while lawns that are overrun with unwanted wild flowers are best treated with a ‘weed and feed’style product. Shallow-rooted weeds, such as daisies, are easy to remove with a trowel or a specialist daisygrubber – a hand tool with a long, two-pronged blade. Start by loosening soil around the leaves with a hand fork and then use your chosen tool to lever clumps out of the ground.
Dandelions require a little more effort as they use long tap-roots to anchor themselves deep in the ground. The root is fairly brittle and breaks easily, and new plants can regenerate from any bits that remain. In order to remove it successfully, use a narrow, long-bladed dandelion trowel or Japanese garden knife.
Another option is to buy a weedpuller device, such as Fiskars Xact (£35, diy.com). All you have to do is push the four claws over a weed, put your foot on the lever, pull back and out pops the weed. Thanks to its long handle, you can weed comfortably from an upright position. Removing weeds will inevitably leave depressions in the lawn. Fix by levelling with compost and sprinkling a handful of grass seeds over the bare patch. Gently work into the surface with a rake to ensure they’re evenly spaced and covered with soil. Water with a sprinkler and protect against birds with netting.
In order to prevent weeds spreading and leading to a never-ending problem, it’s best to check lawns once a month – if you spot any, dig them out immediately. Of course, full weeding is not always practical but at least whip off the flower heads from dandelions to stop seed production.
Fix lawns full of undesirables with a ‘feed, weed and moss-killer’ product. Scatter granules by hand or with a wheeled spreading machine, following instructions on packaging. Most weeds will die within three to five weeks, although it may take a second application to eliminate some.