Weeds have a sneaky way of taking over your garden when you're not looking. Part of the reason they're so good at being a nuisance is that they have a tendency to grow faster than grass (and most other plants in the garden). But why is this? In today's blog, we're going to take a look at some of the different reasons why the weeds in your garden might be growing faster than your grass.
1. There's a root system underground
If you're noticing that the weeds in your lawn are growing very quickly, it's likely that there's already an established root system underground. This root system makes it easy for new plants to sprout because they already have access to nutrients and water.
Your grass (especially if it's just been sowed) might take longer to get established because it doesn't already have a root infrastructure in place. A great way to deal with an established weed root system is to use a targeted herbicide. This will be taken down into the plants where it will get to work killing the root system.
2. The weeds are native, but your grass isn't
There are a lot of grass speciesthat are not native to the UK. When you buy a grass seed mix from a super market or garden centre, you might not know exactly which species are included. In this scenario, the weeds on your lawn may grow faster than the grass because they're native - unlike the grass.
Native plants are evolved to grow in the local soil, temperature and growing conditions. Some of the grass species in your lawn might be better suited to grow elsewhere.
In this scenario, we would recommend selecting a professional grass seed service (so you know which species you're sowing). Alternatively, if you've already committed to your lawn, use a herbicide that targets the weed you're seeing in the garden.
3. Weeds have a short lifespan
Did you know that some species of weed grow, flower and die off within a matter of weeks? These types of weeds appear to grow so quickly because, quite frankly, they don't have time to waste! Your grass, which is likely to have a much longer life cycle, growing and changing over years, grows much more slowly. After all, what's the rush?
This type of growth is just part of nature. Plants with a shorter lifespan need to spread their seeds quickly if they have a chance of returning next year. That's why you might notice a period during the spring/summer when a bunch of weeds appear (and subsequently disappear) at once.
There's not much you can do to combat this, but if you're quick, you can remove the weeds from the lawn before they have a chance to spread their seeds. This should help reduce the number of weeds in your garden during the next fast-growing season.
How quickly do weeds grow?
Have you ever gone into the garden and realised that a ton of weeds have appeared overnight. Don't worry, you're not going crazy, weeds do have a tendency to grow at lightning fast speeds! In the right environment, some weeds have been known to grow up to 3 inches in the space of 24 hours.
Because weeds grow so quickly, it's important that you keep on top of the weeding process in your garden. Vigilance is key if you want to keep your lawn and garden weed-free.
We understand that most people don't have the time or patience to maintain their gardens. That's where we come in! We offer an ongoing weed control service that will target fast-growing weeds and keep your lawn looking its best. Get in touch to find out more.
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