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Paspalum can be a very difficult weed to kill in most lawn types, and continues to be one of the most hated weeds in the country.
Once established in a lawn it has the ability to grow low and beneath lawn mower blades, enabling it to continue spreading unchecked.
Paspalum can grow to over a metre tall in the wild or in garden beds, but this highly adaptable weed type will completely change it’s growing habits when grown in a home lawn which is regularly mowed.
While regular lawn mowing should be able to control and stop this weed from spreading through the regular removal of its seeds, Paspalum simply stops growing higher and instead begins to creep along the ground.
Paspalum will grow seed-producing stems, each with 3 -7 spike-shaped seed-bearing heads. The heights of these Paspalum stems vary depending on the regularity of lawn mowing and how high the lawn is cut.
Paspalum can be killed in Couch lawns with a selective weed killer which can be purchased at the local nursery or online lawn care store. The same herbicide can also be used on other lawn types such as Ryegrass, Fescue and Bentgrass.
Paspalum cannot be killed in Buffalo or Kikuyu lawns with the use of selective herbicides.
This leaves lawn owners with real problems in trying to control Paspalum. Lawn owners facing this problem should tackle Paspalum as soon as the weed is spotted in the home lawn, and before it spreads.
Paspalum can be removed with a sharp knife at the base of the plant, cutting it underneath soil level and into the roots. No need to turn it into a massive single job, half an hour in the garden once a week will remove the weeds with little effort.
Paspalum can also be killed with a Glyphosate broad-spectrum weed killer, which is mixed in a small stable container.
The herbicide is then painted onto the Paspalum with a small paintbrush, or by dipping a rubber-gloved hand into the herbicide and wiping the weed with the glove. Be very careful not to spill any Glyphosate onto the lawn, as it will kill any plant it comes into contact with … including lawns.
