How to control seed heads in lawn

Seed heads in lawn are common at this time of year. In this blog we'll show you how to identify them and what you can do if you have them in your lawn.

The three main lawns we'll deal with in this blog are couch, kikuyu and buffalo.  These are the most common types of lawn in Adelaide and the ones you're most likely to see seed heads on. Following are some photos of each type so that you'll know what they look like:

    

Above Photo: Couch seed heads - they resemble small antennas 

Above photo: Kikuyu seed heads -Resembles white strands of cotton

Above Photo: Buffalo seed heads- Short, hard stalks with exposed seeds

Right now, conditions are perfect for lawns to flower and seed, and we are seeing plenty of customers wondering what on earth these strange things are growing in their lawns. They are often mistaken for weeds, but in fact, they are the flowers and seeds of these lawns. Seed heads are very fast growing and often only take a day or two to grow back after mowing. They can be unsightly, especially when they are prolific, and in the case of soft-leaf buffalo, they can even make a lawn feel hard and prickly.

Why does lawn go to seed?

Flowering and seeding are part of the natural life cycle of any lawn. From time to time, you are going to see them no matter what you do.  If you find that your lawn is seeding for excessive amounts of time, then you’ll probably find that it is under some level of stress. This may be stress caused by lack of water, lack of nutrients, pH issues or poor soil condition, among other things. When your lawn experiences these things, it will send up seed heads as a survival mechanism so that it can reproduce if things get really bad.

How can you get rid of seed heads?

The simplest way to get rid of them is to mow them off; however, don’t be surprised if they quickly grow back. If the lawn is simply seasonally flowering, then they will go away by themselves within a short amount of time. If the lawn is producing flowers and seeds as a stress response, it will most likely do it for an extended time. In this case, you’d best put some time into discovering what the issue is. Sometimes, it can be as simple as applying a heavy dose of fertiliser. If you find that your lawn is producing excessive seed heads for extended periods and you can’t figure out why, cut a core sample out from your lawn and bring it to us so that we can have a look. Chances are it will be straightforward to solve.

If you have any questions or need any help, send us an email at info@paulmunnsinstantlawn.com.au or phone on 8298 0555