Spring is quickly approaching which means garden weeds will be back with a vengeance. One of the main problems with garden weeds is that they have a tendency to crop up all over the place! Understanding how weeds spread can help you keep your garden as weed-free as possible in 2021.
Birds and animals
One of the main ways that weeds spread around the garden is with the help of birds and animals. In order for weeds to spread, their seeds need to be moved from one location to another, this is where the animals can lend a helping hand. For birds, seeds are an attractive snack. Seeds are eaten by birds and eventually make their way out the other end, this is how a large proportion of weed seeds get spread around.
Of course, birds aren't the only carriers of weed seeds. Other animals like dogs and cats can get seeds caught in their fur which later fall on the ground in a different part of the garden. To help prevent this kind of localised weed spreading, you can eradicate the weeds in your garden quickly, or put some kind of barrier in place to keep the animals off the plants.
Carried in the wind
Some weeds have seeds that are light enough to be carried around the garden on the breeze. Dandelions in particular are often culprits of this! How many times have you picked up a dandelion clock and blown it into the wind? Well, this kind of seed dispersal is very common and contributes to a lot of new weeds cropping up every year. Where possible, discourage young children from playing with the seed heads of weeds if you want to keep their seeds out of the wind and off your lawn!
You!
Although you might think that you're the last person who'd contribute to the spread of weeds (after all, you spend most of your life trying to get rid of them) you can, inadvertently spread seeds around. Seeds can hook onto your clothes as your gardening, seeds can get trapped in the tread of your boots, and seeds can even get stuck to the mud on your bike tyres.
If you traipse through the garden after coming into contact with garden weed seeds in one way or another, then it's likely that you'll contribute to the spread of weeds in your garden. You might even see some new and foreign species spring up after a walk or bike ride through a remote area.
Water
While this is more of an uncommon method of weeds spreading, it does still happen. Sometimes when fields and roads flood, the water picks up seeds from weeds all around the area and carries them to a new location. When the water eventually drains away, the seeds settle in their new home.
However the weeds have spread around in your lawn, you don't have to put up with them! Here at Lawn and Weed Expert, we offer a comprehensive weed control service that will help you get developing weeds under control quickly.
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Read More: The Most Common Garden Weeds in the UK
