No, weeds cannot grow through artificial grass, but they can grow around it.
Artificial grass gives you the appearance of natural turf without all the problems associated with keeping it looking pristine all year round. A low maintenance artificial grass lets you spend more time enjoying your garden rather than working on it. This is because, when you install artificial grass, jobs like mowing, weeding, reseeding, aerating, watering, edging and adding fertiliser are a thing of the past.
However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do any maintenance at all. Technically weeds are able to grow around artificial grass, and in very rare occurrences, through. Although this is a very rare occurrence, it could potentially happen with the lack of a weed membrane being installed. Within this blog post, we will look at the preventative measures you can take to ensure your artificial turf and the surrounding area stays completely weed free.
How Do You Remove weeds form Artificial Grass?
When you choose artificial grass for your lawn, there is a good chance you’ll never ever see a weed, but if they do appear, what is the best way to get rid of them? The first thing to do is ensure you deal with them immediately. By acting quickly you can remove weeds in or surrounding your artificial grass in a short space of time. Some of the best ways to remove weeds are:
- Pour boiling water on them – doing this will kill the weeds without causing any damage or discoloration to the surface. After a couple of hours, the weeds will be dead and you can simply pick them up and throw them away.
- Spray them with white vinegar – this eco friendly, non toxic treatment will kill off weeds allowing you to remove them easily.
- Pour table salt on them – if you sprinkle table salt onto the weeds, it will cause weeds to dehydrate and die. If you choose this method, take care not to let the salt spill over into flowerbeds or borders.
- Use a commercial weedkiller – this solution will kill weeds quickly and don’t worry, it will not cause any damage to your artificial grass.
Hopefully you never find weeds in or around your artificial grass. However, if you do start to find weeds, removing them is a very straightforward process. Armed with the information above, you now have the skills to handle any weeds that appear!
How to Prevent Weeds Growing in Artificial Grass
If you want to keep your artificial turf free from weeds, it is highly recommended to install an artificial grass weed membrane during the artificial grass installation process. This would be the most important step in weed prevention. Second to that, regular maintenance should be all you need to keep your astro turf looking great, year round! Here are just a few of our regular maintenance tips:
Regular Brushing
Brushing your lawn on a regular basis with a stiff brush particularly during summer months will remove the seeds that cause weeds to grow. For the best results, use a brush with synthetic bristles and always brush in the direction of the pile. This will not only eliminate seeds and other debris but also ensure the grass blades remain lively and upright.
Keep Surrounding Areas Well Maintained
If your new artificial lawn is surrounded by hedges or overhanging trees try and ensure they are pruned and trimmed whenever necessary. This will help prevent an accumulation of leaves or other debris that could aid weed growth. Also, use a leaf blower to make sure your lawn is kept free of leaves, this is especially important during the autumn months.
Regular Spraying with Weed Killer
Another way to prevent and eliminate weeds in your artificial lawn is by using a pet friendly weed killer. You don’t need to do this every week just once or twice a year will be sufficient to keep weeds under control throughout the year.
If you have an artificial lawn and are struggling with weeds, or are considering installing a new artificial lawn, hopefully this blog tells you everything you need to know about preventing and treating weeds. If you are still unsure about how to deal with weeds, give our team a quick call and we will be only too happy to help!