How to deal with lawn seed heads

During late spring – early summer, a common concern is seed heads popping up in your lawn

They typically grow from the green stem of a lawn leaf and the colour of the seeds can range from purple to brown to white.

If they are still appearing after a couple of weeks’ time and you have followed the recommended steps – it may be time to talk to an expert! Contact The Turf Farm office, via phone or email and we can assist you!

Are lawn seed heads a problem?

The majority of plants flower at least once a year. So, this is just Mother Nature taking its course as part of your lawn’s natural survival mechanism in response to change. In this case, sudden hot weather or lots of rain. If your lawn is only going to seed during these sudden changes, then you have nothing to worry about.

Most lawn varieties are now hybrids – producing a sterile offspring. Lawn seed heads on the DNA Certified Sir Walter Buffalo, Eureka Kikuyu, Nullarbor Couch, or newly developed lawn varieties are sterile. This means they will not spread into other areas of your garden and grow from the seeds.

Getting rid of seed heads

If your lawn is healthy, the seeding should stop after 2-3 weeks on average. If the seed heads continue to pop-up, it may be a sign that your lawn is stressed. This could be a result of a lack of nutrients – fertiliser or simply not enough water.  If so, then follow these steps:

  • Mowing

    Mow the tops of your lawn leaves every 5-10 days to remove the seed heads.

  • Watering

    Make sure that your lawn is receiving an adequate amount of water by checking the soil moisture. Also check that your watering system is working adequately.

    To check soil moisture, try the footprint test (see below).

  • Fertilising

    Fertilise your lawn – our online store has fertiliser for all lawn varieties

  • Top dressing

    Top dress your lawn with clean river sand – top dressing sand can be purchased from your local garden centre.

Once all these steps have been completed, your lawn seed heads will slowly vanish.

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