Mystery weed - What is it
brains
Posts: 5
Would anyone be so kind as to identify this weed that has taken over my lawn.
If you are so able I would appreciate it greatly as after identifying it I can plan the means to kill it off.
Brian
0
brains
Posts: 5
Posts
Looks like Willow herb. Very invasive unfortunately. It spreads annually and perennially. A lawn weed and feed would probably shift it. It's probably in the neighbouring borders or a neighbouring garden, but could be seeding in from elsewhere too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Many thanks. I'll try some SBK woody weedkiller.
Yep a Willowherb as Fairygirl confirmed. If it's in your lawn, weed and feed like she suggested will kill it off. Most other weedkillers will kill the grass off too
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These plants usually withstand regular mowing unlike a lot of weeds. One plant sending seeds from a neighbouring garden can create hundreds of annoying seedlings in yours. They are quite pretty when flowering but a nightmare to get rid of once the seeds have landed in your garden.
Brilliant, many thanks. I had tried to kill everything with a view to resetting. Well I did kill everything but not the willow herb which has seemed to quite like glyphosphate and has spread a pace over the whole garden..
Now I know my enemy I can deal with the beasties accordingly.
Many thanks and kind regards to my learned friends Fairygirl and Mowtastic
Thanks @brains.
Don't worry buddy, the Willowherbs will keel over in a couple of weeks. Whether they're the common type or Rosebay Willowherbs, they seem rather resistant to weedkiller. As an example, after spraying in late Summer, they're often the only weeds left standing and even when 'browning off' at the leaves, they often manage to flower and go to seed before they fall over for good.
They won't flower for months yet, so don't worry about a premature infestation taking over your lawn, but would suggest buying a selective weedkiller i.e. one that targets everything but grass for your lawn in case new seedlings appear once your lawn is re-established and looking like a nice green sward. Weed and feed will sort them out but a new lawn will grow ridiculously fast for a couple of years and feeding it will keep you & mower working overtime
At the age of 80 the reccomendation about 2 years of active mowing is not quite the eager challenge that it might have been in previous times!
However, I will nail the little b*****s
I have just literally put weedkiller all over the whole of my garden (recently moved in and killing off all weeds and grass, levelling off and starting again). These look as healthy as ever still though hahaha! I'll get digging them out I suppose!
We are both obviously singing from the same hymn sheet. Mine was a recently built but I was second owner. When I viewed it it was always recently cut, now I know why - to hide the willow herb, docks, plantains and dandelions.
I have just bought a wonderful weed extractor from Tool Station for about £10. Works well if the ground is not impenetrably hard.
The ground on mine isn't fantastic - quite hard!! I'm hoping for some help from my brother and step dad to dig the tops a little bit at first. Ahh well, it's a working progress!! Haha!