How to control weeds in a newly seeded lawn

How to control weeds in a newly seeded lawn featured image

After sowing new grass seed, it can be frustrating when weeds start to pop up amongst the fresh grass shoots. Even with the most careful seedbed preparation, weeds can lay dormant in the soil until conditions are perfect for them to make an appearance, such as overseeding or starting a new lawn from scratch. In this guide, we’ll walk you through what to do if weeds appear in your newly seeded lawn!

Why do weeds appear on a new lawn

  • When you begin preparing the seedbed for sowing, you disturb the soil. This means you inadvertently bring dormant weed seeds to the surface.
  • These dormant seeds are then awakened by warmth, sunlight and watering – all the conditions that your new seedlings want as well!
  • These weeds are usually shallow rooting, so they sprout quickly (but will be easy to pull out!)

How to manage weeds in your new lawn

  1. DO NOT use a Feed, Weed and Moss Killer product on a new lawn! This will be too harsh on a young lawn
  2. As mentioned previously, most of these weeds that pop up will be shallow rooting so, you will be able to gently pull them out by hand
  3. Alternatively, you can wait until you do your first mow of the new grass at the 6-8 week mark and let the weeds be pulled out naturally through the lawnmower 
  4. If weeds are persistent and reoccurring once the grass is full established, use a selective herbicide to spot-treat them

Don’t wait too long before taking action on weeds that have popped up in your new lawn, as the longer you leave it the more they can spread or when you do go to remove them, you will be left with big patches!

If you find that when the lawn is at least six months old and has been taken over by weeds or moss, you can use a Feed, Weed and Moss Killer product.