It is to despair. As soon as the annoying dandelion has been cut and the white goosefoot and its roots have been pulled out of the ground, the unwanted guests announce themselves a few meters further back. Weeds are the gardener’s natural enemy. Especially fans of well-maintained ornamental lawns regularly get worried lines on their foreheads. They are tough, robust and undemanding. And that’s exactly the problem. Once they have conquered the meadow, you can only get the troublemakers under control with great effort and patience.
Five strategies with which you can successfully combat uncontrolled growth in your lawn.
The first and classic way to keep unwanted wild weeds off your lawn. However, it is also the most difficult. Weeding and collecting weeds is particularly effective in the early stages of infestation. For example, sow in the first few weeks after sowing the lawn. In particular, annual lawn weeds such as chickweed or white clover can be slowed down early. A weed wrench is valuable for perennial plants. The whole thing is much easier after a rain shower that softens the ground. With dandelions, brownnocks, hare’s-foot and many other perennials, meticulous care must be taken to catch the roots and all runners. In order to really be able to tackle the problem at the root base, the weed cutter should reach as deeply as possible into the soil. Then shake it a little and get the cabbage out. With high-quality weed cutters (e.g. from Gardena) the soil can first be loosened up a little. This way you can catch even the smallest pieces of root.
If there is a large-scale infestation, you are literally fighting against windmills with your hands and rake. Tougher guns are needed here if you want to win the battle against weeds in the long term.
A scarifier is somewhat more brutal, but similarly effective in the fight against weeds. The “lawn comb” with its razor-sharp blades has long been more than just a secret weapon in German allotment gardens. The principle: The small knives, arranged close together, score the turf about two to three millimeters deep and comb out primarily moss, but also other weeds. When it comes to collecting and disposing of things, manual work is required again. Important: Before you scarify the lawn manually or electrically, you should mow your lawn – to a cutting height of approx. two centimeters.
Tip: For better results, scarify lengthwise and crosswise – if possible once a year.
Used correctly, the lawnmower is also an effective weapon in the fight against weeds. Dandelions and Co. don’t find it funny at all if you shave their “heads” once a week. In contrast to blades of grass, weeds get tired over time and eventually stop growing altogether. If you put them in the shade, they disappear even faster. Lawn weeds are generally light germinators. At a permanent cutting height of four centimeters, grasses deprive the weed seeds of light and prevent germination.
Let’s come to a tried-and-tested and, above all, ecologically completely harmless home remedy that tackles the unpleasant lawn weeds. Take a pot or kettle with water that is at least 95 degrees hot and pour it generously onto the weeds. This first destroys the sensitive cell structure of the leaves, which can no longer carry out photosynthesis. The still hot seepage water then attacks the roots. Ultimately, the plant dries up because it cannot absorb nutrients or liquid. After a few days, the dead plant residue can be easily removed by hand and rake. For some weeds, the hot shower needs to be applied multiple times.
Even a simple black plastic sheet can deprive annoying weeds of water. Or better: take away the light to breathe. You don’t even have to get your hands dirty. However, you should plan a little more time for this. In addition, this strategy only makes sense on smaller pieces of lawn. The idea behind it is simple: the sheet is spread out on the lawn and fixed in place. Because the weeds no longer receive any “food”, they die after two to three months. Of course, the grass also suffers. However, with appropriate care with fertilizer or prompt reseeding, the green usually recovers quickly.
However, you should quickly get rid of a duo that has been praised for many years as an effective remedy against weeds. Vinegar and salt are now not only frowned upon, using them as weed killers is even officially forbidden. Since 2012, the Plant Protection Act has prohibited spraying with the highly effective cocktail. For good reason: vinegar and salt not only destroy weeds, but also all other life in the soil. Anyone who gets caught anyway will have to dig deep into their wallets.
Calling them weeds actually does an injustice to the plants, which are often pretty to look at. Because many don’t just bring colorful splashes of color into the garden. Most are edible and, like dandelions, enrich salads, among other things. A refreshing tea can be brewed from nettle leaves. Groundweed and other wild herbs are rich in vitamins and can easily be made into pesto. Many herbs also provide a very special kick when combined with potatoes. And if you don’t trust herbs in the kitchen, you can at least do something good for the local bees and insects – and create a wild herb or wildflower meadow.
Sources: gartenjournal.net; rasen-experte.de; Garden and Leisure; utopia.de
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