The Lawn Weed Removal Guide

If you mow your lawn correctly and frequently, you should manage to avoid the invasion of most weeds. But if you have found that some of these undesirable weeds have infiltrated your lawn, then there are a few methods for weed removal.

Weed Removal Options

Hand Removal

Many small weeds can be carefully pulled out by hand; however, you will need to make sure you have removed the roots. Using a wedding trowel or long-handled mechanical device and prizing around the roots will help ensure total removal. The bigger the weed, the bigger and stronger the roots.

To make this job a little easier, you might want to try something like the Wolf Garten Ergo Weeder. It is very easy to use and saves you from bending down. It quick and easily digs down underneath the weed and when extracted removes the entire weed, roots and all.

Herbicide Treatment Options

There are various herbicides available, including selective and non-selective types.

Non-selective products like Round-Up (Glyphosate) kill most plants including your lawn; selective herbicides target specific weeds only.

It is strongly recommended that you consult your local nursery or turf expert to properly identify the weed in question first, so you can treat it with an appropriate and effective spray.

Post-emergent Broadleaf Herbicides

For common broadleaf weeds like cudweed, clover, bindii or creeping oxalis, you can use a broadleaf herbicide as Amgrow Bin die or Lawn Solutions All Purpose Weed Control. These products generally contain actives like Bromoxynil, MCPA and Dicamba. For buffalo lawns, except ST varieties, make sure you use the Bromoxynil based products like Lawn Solutions All Purpose Weed Control as Dicamba can harm your buffalo grass.

Some other weeds require a particular herbicide for treatment, so identification is very important.

Quick selective weed killer solutions guide

• Winter Grass – Amgrow Winter Grass Killer (Not safe on Kikuyu or Fescue)
• Nutgrass / Mullumbimby Couch – Amgrow Sedgehammer or Sempra
• Paspalum, Crabgrass, Summer grass – Paspalum herbicides contain the active DSMA. Make sure it’s safe to use on your turf as many varieties like buffalo and kikuyu are spot treatment only.

Prevention – Pre-emergent Herbicides

There is also a way to prevent some weed types from appearing at all.

A pre-emergent herbicide like Oxafert targets weed seeds before they take hold by forming a barrier at the soil level that stops the germination of any new seedlings. Pre-emergents can be used in the prevention of Winter Grass, Summer Grass, Crowsfoot and Crab Grass.

Organic options

If your preference is to avoid the use of herbicides on your lawn, then there are some organic weed treatments that may work against particular weeds.

Some of these options include boiling water, salt, vinegar, cornmeal gluten and nonanoic acid – but keep in mind that these will almost always be non-selective and will harm your lawn as well, so spot treating is the way to go.

With the use of any herbicides, always make sure you wear the appropriate protective equipment including gloves and a mask, follow the label instructions and make sure that the particular product is safe to use on your turf variety.