Seed heads are a common concern through the warmer months when your lawn is actively growing. In most cases this will be due to a seasonal change and is not a cause for major concern.
Seed Heads – When these strange little things start popping up in your lawn it’s common that many people first think they have weeds in their lawn. But seed heads aren’t weeds, they are a natural part of your lawn. Some varieties, like TifTuf Bermuda, go to seed more than others. Most of the time, they appear through seasonal changes and in the warmer months when your lawn is actively growing.
If your lawn has been fertilised in recent weeks and has sufficient moisture in the soil, they should stop appearing on their own within a matter of weeks.
Most common lawn types in Australia produce a sterile seed head, meaning they can’t be spread by seed, only through vegetative sprigs or runners. Although going to seed isn’t a bad thing for your lawn, it doesn’t look great or feel soft underfoot and can be a sign of an underlying problem.
Seed heads can be pretty easy to avoid for the most part, by sticking to a consistent lawn care program. The best way to stop your lawn from going to seed is through regular watering, mowing and fertilising throughout the year.
In most circumstances your lawn will stop going to seed on its own within a couple of weeks or so and it will be business as usual. If there has been dramatic weather change, it will stop seeding once conditions have gone back to normal or once the plant has adjusted.
It is important to know that a turf variety can go to seed because it’s under stress from something, usually a lack of water or nutrient. If weather conditions have been fairly consistent, then you will want to look at what it is that may have caused it to go into stress in the first place, like insufficient water, nutrient or soil composition.
If you haven’t had a lot of water or haven’t fertilised in a while, a really good deep soaking and an application with a good quality fertiliser, should put an end to a nutrient or water deficiency and shortly after the grass will go back to normal.
Plant Growth Regulators for seed head suppression
If your lawn has an ongoing seeding issue and you can’t seem to get on top of it, you can use Plant Growth Regulators for seed head suppression.
A plant growth regulator (PGR) like Amigo will limit your lawns vertical growth and can help reduce the number of seed heads that your lawn produces. Regular mowing, twice a week, and the use of a PGR at full rates will minimise the seed head from flowering.
