How to Remove Paspalum From Your Lawn
A healthy lawn sets the scene for a blossoming garden, so keeping it free from weeds is essential in maintaining the overall aesthetic of your yard. As spring approaches, now is the perfect time to get to work on preparing your space for this year’s blooms, and removing paspalum from your lawn is a great place to start.
What is Paspalum?
Paspalum is a tufted perennial, meaning that it lives for at least two years, so keeping it under control is necessary for the long-term health of your yard. If left un-tended to, the introduced species can quickly spread and wreak havoc in your garden, and in neighbouring lawns, too.
Identifying paspalum
Paspalum can be easy to miss for the untrained eye, making it even more important to be vigilant. The plant blends in with grass at a glance, but upon closer inspection, has wider, coarser leaves. It’s when the paspalum flowers that you can really tell the difference, as it has long seed heads with finger-like spikes.
How paspalum spreads
These seed heads are what help paspalum to spread across large areas of lawn. The sticky seeds produced adhere themselves to whatever they can; from gardening tools to shoes, and even pets running around the yard. Once they fall off their carrier in a new location, paspalum seeds can sprout a new plant in no time.
Why paspalum is problematic
Aside from its ability to take over a lawn at rapid speeds, paspalum grass is considered to be a problematic weed for another more toxic reason. In some regions and seasons, paspalum can become infected with mycotoxin-producing moulds. These toxins can be extremely dangerous when ingested by animals and pets, making managing paspalum even more important.
Removing Paspalum
Preventing weeds in your garden is easier than getting rid of them, but these things can quickly get out of hand. If that happens, there are a number of ways to get rid of and manage paspalum in your yard, and you may need to combine these to stay on top of the spread.
Timing
As with any other plant, paspalum has active and dormant stages. The weed flowers during the warmer spring and summer months, making this the best time to tackle it, as it will be the most visible in your lawn. Don’t be fooled if you happen to spot a dead-looking paspalum plant during the winter, as it’s likely just dormant with roots that are ready to spring to life once the weather heats up. That being said, you can still kill weeds in winter, as well as weeding and feeding your lawn.
Hand removal
One of the most basic techniques for controlling weeds is to physically remove them by hand, or with the help of a hand weeder or weed pullers. Paspalum roots, especially on more established plants, can be quite thick, so may take some extra strength to fully pull up. The key to success in hand removal is ensuring that you get the plant and roots in full, otherwise, any leftover roots will continue to sprout new shoots.
Herbicide
If the natural method of hand removal isn’t doing the trick, you may need to step it up with a chemical herbicide. For paspalum, we recommend using a selective herbicide to tackle the weed without harming the rest of your lawn. There are products on the market that are formulated specifically for paspalum, and spraying these directly on the plant will help to kill it. Selective herbicides can take multiple applications to work, so be consistent and patient during this process.
Mulching
After removing or killing paspalum in a flowerbed, applying a layer of mulch to the area can add a layer of protection against potential regrowth from any undetected seeds. Use between five and eight centimetres of mulch around where the weed was to stop sunlight from getting in and germinating a new plant.
Enlist the Help of Lawn Experts
At Jim’s Mowing, we know a thing or two about expert-level lawn care. If you need help managing paspalum or other weeds in your lawn, or if you’re after assistance with anything else yard-related, get in touch to speak with a member of our team.
