Lawns: Weed Control / RHS Gardening

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Weeds in lawns RHS Advice Guide Many gardeners now welcome wildflowers in their lawn as a way to add interest and support wildlife. However, if you still strive for a manicured lawn containing only certain grass species, you may view other plants as weeds and wish to remove them.

By The RHS Advice Team

• Quick facts
• Common lawn weeds
• Do I need to get rid of weeds in my lawn?
• How can I remove lawn weeds?

Quick facts

Lawn weeds are mostly UK native wildflowers

1

Species-rich lawns are low maintenance and good for biodiversity

2

Removing plants that you consider to be weeds takes time and effort

3

If you want to remove weeds from your lawn, non-chemical methods are effective

4

Common lawn weeds

Lawn weeds tend to be tough, perennial Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs. , low-growing plants that are tolerant of regular mowing and foot traffic. They often have creeping, rooting stems or readily produce seed, and are quick to colonise bare ground where grass growth is patchy.Common lawn weeds include:CloversCoarse grasses, such as couch grassCreeping buttercupCreeping cinquefoilDaisiesDandelionDove’s foot cranesbillField wood-rushPlantainSheep’s sorrelSpeedwellYarrowAlgae, lichens, liverworts and mosses are also commonly found in lawns, particularly those in shade or on poorly drained soil.

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Shutterstock

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What is a weed?

The term ‘weed’ describes a plant that is growing where it isn’t wanted. Weeds usually thrive in average garden conditions, reproducing and spreading easily. It is up to you to decide what you call a weed and what you choose to retain or remove.

Do I need to get rid of weeds in my lawn?

No – most lawn weeds are UK native A native plant is one that originated or arrived naturally in a particular place without human involvement. In the British Isles, native plants are those that were here during the last ice age or have arrived unaided since. wildflowers that support a wide range of garden wildlife. Dandelions, for example, are a valuable early source of nectar for bees, creeping buttercup has pollinator-friendly flowers that attract butterflies and hoverflies, and yarrow is a food plant for 42 different species of moth.Many lawn weeds have attractive flowers and foliage, and allowing a variety to grow in your lawn can create a colourful tapestry. Some, like clovers, are more drought tolerant than lawn grasses, meaning they stay green throughout long, dry summers. And, as species-rich lawns generally don’t require frequent mowing, or any feeding or watering, they are a low maintenance and low input option.Many gardeners are now deliberately choosing clover or wildflower A term generally applied to non-woody, flowering plants that are natural to a particular area and grow there without human assistance. More accurately, British wildflowers normally applies to UK natives including plants introduced into the wild before 1500. lawns over all-grass options and adopting practises like differential mowing, No Mow May and Let it Bloom June to encourage plant diversity in their lawns and the benefits it brings.

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Shutterstock

However, if you dislike the look of a species-rich lawn A species-rich lawn is one that contains a variety of plant species rather than just a single grass species. Diverse lawns look attractive, better support garden wildlife, are more drought tolerant and need less regular mowing and maintenance than traditional, formal lawns. or are finding fast-spreading species becoming too numerous, you may wish to reduce their numbers.

How can I remove lawn weeds?

It takes time and effort to get rid of lawn weeds and isn’t necessary, so the easiest option is to welcome them as wildflowers rather than strive for a manicured, all-grass lawn. However, if you really want to remove them, there are several options:

• Spot weeds early – use our weed pages to identify unwanted plants that appear in your lawn and learn about the best ways to control them. RHS members can also use MyAdvice for help identifying and controlling weeds.
• Keep lawns growing well – a programme of spring/summer and autumn lawn maintenance encourages dense, healthy grass growth, making it more difficult for weeds to establish and spread.
• Remove weeds by hand – use a hand fork or specialist weeding tool to dig out individual weeds. There are many different weeding tools on the market, including those that can be used from a standing position and those like ‘dandelion weeders’ that are designed for weeds with long taproots. Re-seed or lay turf in spring or autumn to repair resulting bare patches.
• Tackle patches of weed growth – if part of your lawn is especially weedy, use a sharp spade to cut out and lift turf from the area. Remove weed roots, lightly fork over the soil, rake it level, then tread it down and lay fresh turf. This is a good option where you have creeping weeds like clover that grow through grass and are difficult to remove by hand.
• Rake before mowing – rake over areas containing creeping weeds, such as creeping buttercup and speedwell, so the mower can cut, collect and remove their low-lying stems.
• Raise the cutting height – avoid mowing the lawn very short, especially in summer, as this can weaken grass and lead to bare patches that allow weeds to establish. For advice on when and how to adjust mower blades, see our guide to mowing.
• Deadhead Deadheading is the process of removing spent flowers from plants to encourage more blooms and prevent seed production. This helps to redirect the plant's energy into producing more flowers rather than producing seeds. to limit spread – if you don’t mind some wildflowers in your lawn but don’t want them to become abundant, remove faded flowers before they set seed. Use secateurs to remove individual flowers, like those of dandelions, or mow regularly to deadhead areas of low-growing lawn weeds.
• Lime to reduce acidity – if you have acid soil The acidity/alkalinity of soil is measured on a pH scale, which runs from 0 to 14. Neutral soil has a pH of 7. Acid (or ericaceous) soil has a pH of less than 7, and the lower the pH, the more acidic the soil. You can measure your soil pH using a simple testing kit. Acid-loving (ericaceous) plants include rhododendrons, camellias, heathers and blueberries. Adding lime to soil will reduce its acidity. A slightly acidic soil of pH 6.5 is the best general-purpose pH for gardens, allowing a wide range of plants to grow. and are finding acid-loving plants like sheep’s sorrel and field wood-rush becoming too numerous, apply lime to raise soil pH This describes how acid or alkaline soil is, and is expressed as a number between 0 and 14. Soil with a pH of 7 is neutral, an acid soil has a lower value, and an alkaline soil has a higher one. Most plants grow best in soil that’s within a specific pH range, so it’s useful to know your soil’s pH. Testing kits are easy to use and widely available in garden centres and online. and discourage weed growth. See our guide to lime and liming for more advice.

Should I use a weedkiller?

No – although it can take patience and persistence to remove lawn weeds, non-chemical methods are effective, so there is no need to use a weedkiller. Selective lawn weedkillers can cause damage to other plants when contaminated lawn clippings are added to compost Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. and used as a mulch Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings. . See our page on weedkiller damage for information on the risks involved in using lawn weedkillers.

Did you know?

Lawn weedkillers and fertilisers are often sold together as ‘weed and feed’ products and offered as part of routine maintenance by lawn care companies. Not only do these products reduce lawn biodiversity, but they are often unnecessary, as most lawns do not need regular feeding to stay green and healthy. Weedkillers and fertilisers also have big environmental impacts. So, if you need to control weeds, stick to the non-chemical methods described above, and if your lawn is low in vigour and needs feeding, choose a proprietary fertiliser and apply it carefully.

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