Category Archives: Weeds

Bag! Lawns in Manitoba grow far too quickly to mulch effectively. Mulching too much grass too quickly can lead to a quick build-up of thatch that will in turn, make your lawn more susceptible to stress, disease, and insect infestations.

Absolutely. Weeds love a weak or thin spot in your lawn and move in before you know it.  The best defense is a good offence. Here’s how to strengthen your lawn making it thicker and more resilient over time, effectively crowding weeds out:

There are no known effective means of getting rid of quackgrass in a lawn. The problem lies in the fact that quackgrass is a grass plant species just like the Kentucky bluegrass that makes up most of your lawn. All species of grasses have common hormones and process their food almost identically. Therefore any type of herbicide or other chemical control will also kill the Kentucky bluegrass that you’re trying to keep. Digging up quackgrass might sound like an easy enough solution, but it’s actually the worst thing you can do. Quackgrass has incredibly extensive roots. Digging it up, you will never be able to get all of the roots out. In fact, the roots that are left in the soil will sprout new quackgrass plants in greater numbers than you had before. Unfortunately, all you can do to keep quackgrass in check is to keep your lawn mowed often….

We hear you. Did you know Canadian thistles can grow to over 6 feet tall?! But to answer your question — the problem lies in the root structure. Thistles reproduce in two ways, through seeds and through rhizomes. Rhizomes are shallow roots that run close to the surface and eventually sprout new plants. If  you find one, you find a whole family of them. They can spread into your lawn from a neighbour’s unkept flower beds as well. Unless the entire family of weeds is wiped out, they will continue to be a constant problem. Treating the few small thistles on your side of the fence will not solve your problem since you will only be poisoning a small segment of the cluster. You may weaken the root mass, but not enough to kill it. It will continue to thrive and eventually new weeds will spread back into your lawn.

This is a result of constant, excessive moisture and shade. Over time, moss spreads and the lawn thins. You must change the conditions. The constant excessive moisture may be the result of poor drainage, or too much shade. If it’s drainage, all you may need to do to fix it is to bring in some topsoil. If it’s shade, fixing it may be more difficult if the shade is being caused by a house or large trees. In any case, BAM! Green recommends the first thing to try would be a shade tolerant grass cultivar. This is a type of grass seed specifically designed to grow in shady areas. Contact us for more information and where to purchase. Additionally, the application of iron will also reduce the amount of moss in your lawn. Your local hardware store will likely carry iron in a liquid form that you can easily and…