Removing weeds from your lawn without damaging it can be a difficult task. Some of the most common lawn weeds include dandelions, crabgrass, clover and creeping buttercup.

Weeds compete with grass for space and, if not properly controlled, can overgrow the lawn.

Fortunately, Chris Cooper, Product Manager at Hayter Mowers, has revealed three easy ways to remove weeds from lawns without using harsh chemicals.

Chris recommends that gardeners avoid using harsh chemicals on lawns, especially freshly laid turf, as these can seriously damage the lawn.

Fortunately, Chris knows many lawn-friendly alternatives that won’t harm the biodiversity of your lawn.

Chop

Instead of chemicals, Chris recommends using a simple object to remove the pesky plants: a hoe.

Chris said, “This requires some muscle power, so don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

He added: “Running a hoe over a bed or between rows of grass is very effective at killing weed seedlings, making it ideal for weed control when the weeds are still in their early stages.”

“Do this on a dry day to avoid damaging the soil, otherwise the seedlings will dry out on the surface.”

Hand pulling

This may sound like hard work, but pulling weeds by hand is one of the most effective methods of weed removal.

Chris explains: “You can do this either with a fork or with nature’s tool – your hands. Dig up perennial weeds with your hands, making sure to pull out the bulb. Annual weeds can also be caught this way before they form seeds.

“You have to be very careful with this method, though. You want to avoid as much collateral damage to your lawn as possible.”

Lawn-safe weed killer

If you can’t remove weeds by hand or they keep growing back, you can try using a weed killer designed for lawns.

“If you do use weed killers, only buy sprays that are specifically labeled as lawn-friendly or lawn-safe,” warns Chris.

He added: “Some recommend general weed killers or even natural weed killers such as vinegar solutions, but many of these solutions are not selective; that is, they do not distinguish between grass and weeds.”