How To Safely Banish Winter Grass

As the temperature drops, winter grass is an unwelcome guest in lawns right around the country – but how do you get rid of it without blasting everything else? 

A well kept lawn is often the pride of many homeowners, particularly if they’ve donated a fair amount of their time towards mowing it, fertilising it, and even taking the time to properly aerate it in preparation for the winter months. 

While the latter is celebrated as a wonderful way to maintain a healthy lawn, the process is a double edged sword. As the lawn now has access to enough oxygen, water and all the essential nutrients to penetrate down to the root zone, its optimised condition can also act as an open invitation for others to capitalise on, such as winter grass.

In order to tackle a problem, you first have to recognise it. While there are a number of species of common lawn weeds found right across Australia, winter grass is perhaps one of the hardest to spot. Its stealth is arguably its superpower, so getting on top of winter grass is crucial in avoiding a long term infestation. 

Getting Rid Of Winter Grass From Your Lawn

Depending on where you live in Australia, your lawn may have received more than it bargained for during the recently departed summer months. The grass may have been scorched bone-dry, received a lack of sunlight thanks to cloudy conditions, been underwater with recent flooding, or a combination of all three.

Either way, the onset of winter can be rough on a lawn, especially if it hasn’t received the right types of autumn lawn care before the change of season hits. In addition, the backyard tends to get neglected in winter as cool weather keeps people indoors. When there’s less sun to produce chlorophyll, grass growth is slowed and the lawn colour fades. 

The temperature drop and lack of attention also provides the perfect opportunity for an unwanted and unwelcome invader to advance and get comfortable in your lawn. Poa Annua, or otherwise known as winter grass, has the potential to become a real problem over time. As the many generations can create thousands of root systems, these expand through the soil like spider webs, before eventually choking out the lawn’s own root system.

The good news is that winter grass grows in clumps and has very shallow roots, which means it is possible to remove this weed by hand.  However, the bad news is that winter grass tends to produce an enormous amount of seeds, which means it may have already overtaken large swathes of lawn and is too big to tackle manually.

If you’ve missed the boat on preventative measures, many gardeners turn to chemical based herbicides out of sheer desperation. Much like pesticides, many herbicides include some pretty dangerous chemicals, and can have unintended yet nasty after effects on both you and your lawn. 

In comparison, a glyphosate-free weed killer like Bioweed is a safe way to keep weeds under control. As a non-residual solution, it will break down into the soil in as little as 72 hours and can combat over 200 invasive weed species, including winter grass. However, it is important to remember that Bioweed is a non selective weed killer so spot spraying is required.

Bioweed will work from a mix rate of 10% for small or emerging weeds and up to 20% for mature and stubborn weeds. We recommend testing at a low mix rate between 10-15% with a bit of trial and error, learning the best efficiency on your targeted weeds. It is important to incorporate the Bioweed into the tank when filling with water to guarantee you have mixed the product properly. Shake vigorously before applying, and watch this eco-friendly weed killer work its magic. 

As Bioweed is a non-systemic product, it’s not reliant on the plant’s ability to take up the weed killer. Rather, it works by stripping the outer layer of the plant, and can therefore be used year-round with fantastic results. The best part? It’s not just exclusive to lawns, and can be used to defend your garden or even pastures against a large variety of foreign invaders. 

Using An Eco Friendly Weed Killer For Lawns

Australians care about what they put into their bodies, and what types of products they bring into their homes. Even if you don’t share your abode with pets or kids, opting for eco-friendly gardening products is a way to minimise our impact on the world around us. 

With a team of highly experienced plant and gardening enthusiasts, the team at Bioweed are armed with a wealth of knowledge, tips and tricks that can help you to get your lawn and garden looking their very best. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you’re looking for further organic gardening solutions.