While there are certain gardening jobs that you should never do in autumn, there are also many things that are best done during the cooler, darker days of the year, and de-weeding your garden is one of them. Weed control can be frustrating and time-consuming. It also feels never-ending – they’re everywhere. Although some weeds may look harmless, they can cause serious trouble for your healthy grass. If not dealt with effectively, they can completely take over your beautiful lawn.
Before it gets much colder, weeds are still in active growth, although less vigorous and lawns are less stressed than in the summer months. If the soil is wet as well, this makes pulling weeds a lot easier. But that’s not the only reason you should get rid of weeds in autumn, as this also means they won’t set seed or hide under the soil over winter, ready to grow next spring. According to gardening experts at George Davies Turf and Stone, the best way to remove lawn weeds for good is to dig them up.
Digging weeds out by hand ensures you’re focusing your attention on removing the entire root.
The experts said: “With your weeds, be mindful not just to remove the leaves, as the roots will still be there, and that’s where the problem lies.
“Hold the weed above the ground firmly and tug the plant out. You can use a garden fork or weeding tool to dig into the soil and under the weeds to fully lift the roots.”
You need to make sure that you’re removing as much of the weed root and seeds as possible to prevent them from popping back up next year when they’re exposed to warmth and sunlight again.
If you end up with a patchy lawn from pulling weeds, add some topsoil and reseed, especially if the weather is mild.
The experts advised: “Be sure to fill any holes with earth or grass seed to stop weeds from returning.”
Doing all this now also means that you can prepare your garden for winter with ease.
Don’t worry if you miss out now, as weeding generally can be done at any time of the year – as long as it’s not snowy or icy. But if you want to get a head start for next year, autumn weeding can be extremely beneficial.
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