Seed Heads

All seed grass varieties used in the UK will form seed-heads, this is part of their natural process.

SEED HEAD OVERVIEW

All seed grass varieties used in the UK will form seed-heads, the seeds are produced in a seed-head. This is part of their natural process. Seeds are required for grass plants to propagate and spread.

Whilst seed heads can’t be avoided, our treatment programme combined with regular cutting and a sharp mower blade sharp will keep your lawn healthy.

Some customers confuse seed-heads with weeds. Please do not be alarmed if you have seed-heads in your turf. It is simply the grass reproducing in it’s natural process.

During spring, the seed heads emerge from the grass plants and stand their heads just above the leaves. Some grasses will only form seed-heads on stems that are over 100mm tall. Therefore, if you mow your lawn very short you will never see them.

Other grasses, such as bentgrass (used on golf greens) and some rye grasses will form seed-heads on stems that are only approximately 50mm tall. When a turfgrass is producing seed-heads, sometimes it will not cut very neatly when mowed. The stem of a seed-head is quite tough and fibrous, meaning that they can be held upright, even in strong winds.

The period of time that seed-heads form can differ for each grass type, but in general they will last from a few weeks to approximately a month. After this period, the grass will revert to growing leaves and the lawn will improve again after cutting.

The exception to this is one particular grass weed called Annual Meadow Grass, which will continue to form seed-heads throughout most of the year. Annual Meadow Grass is very common across the UK.

How to manage your turf when it is forming seed heads:

• The best advice is to mow often and use a sharp mower blade.
  Fertilise your turf properly. Properly fertilised turf will grow out of the seed head production stage rapidly, and the grass will be easier to mow neatly. Our fertiliser programme will speed up the finishing of the reproductive process
• It is NOT recommended that you lower the height of your mower
• If it is practical, remove the weed grass Annual Meadow grass by hand, remembering to take the roots as well.

Managing Annual Meadow Grass in your lawn

What is Annual Meadow Grass?

Annual Meadow Grass is a grass that has very distinguishing features which stand out against other cultivated grass species. It often spoils the appearance of the lawn in Spring and will be affected by factors beyond your control such as weather.

As the name suggests it is an annual, so it seeds, germinates, grows, flowers and then dies back. The seeds cast then germinate the following year.

Will treatment with selective weed killer kill AMG?

No, the application of  a specialist “Selective” lawn weed control will not kill AMG.  You can apply “non selective” weed control but this will also kill the desired grasses in your lawn.

How do I get rid of Annual Meadow Grass in my lawn?

There are three approaches to dealing with AMG:

Kill the whole lawn and reseed it.

This can be done effectively however there is no guarantee that AMG will not populate the new lawn.

Camouflage the AMG.

By keeping up a good feeding regime the AMG will not be distinguishable from other grasses, cutting regularly and scarifying in autumn will help keep the grass under control and limit its spread. Regular hand weeding by sliding a knife into the turf below the roots and teasing the grass out will reduce the population over time and make it more manageable.

Reducing feed and water.

It is very shallow rooting and will die before the other grass species. The area can then be over seeded with desirable species.

Our recommendations are Hide or camouflage the AMG.

Download our intergrated guide to controlling AMG HERE

Sources of further reference:

Rowlawn - Article january-2014/seed-heads-in-your-turf