How to get rid of weeds & bugs from the lawn?

[tuvireb]

Hi,

My back yard is full of weeds under the grass, and ideally I'd like to somehow get rid of them. Additionally, I have these weird weeds with seeds (?) on them, not sure what they are but would love to get rid of them too. Some photos below of the grass & that weird weed.

There are so many products, with so many different types of grass, and I honestly have no idea what to use (for one I don't know what type of grass I have). Photo attached.

Furthermore, I have these bugs in there and they make it very uncomfortable. Photos attached. Hoping that you can direct me to a product to use to get rid of them.

Any help and direction to the right products would be greatly appreciated. Ideally something ready to use that doesn't require mixing things.

Thank you in advance.

[robchin]

Grass can be a bit confusing for newbies @tuvireb but it's really not too complicated. Firstly, your grass looks OK to me. Not bowling green good but good enough. 

In relation to the weeds - the picture shows a grass seed head. Grasses, contrary to popular belief - do flower and seed. I can't be sure, but it looks like Paspalum seed head. Are the particular grass blades attached to this seed head bit thicker than the other grass? That's the giveaway. You may also notice the seed parts will become black over time. That's a sure sign. Paspalum will need to be controlled. This selective herbicide is useful - but again, only spray it on your target weeds: David Grays 500ml Crab Grass and Clover Killer Selective Herbicide - Bunnings Australia. I always use lawn sprays with a marker dye, so I know what I've sprayed. Yates 500ml Liquid Easy See Spray Dye - Bunnings Australia

In relation to the insects. Be a bit careful here. These could be Soldier flies? They are considered beneficial insects as they are good recyclers of manurers and other organic material and are predators on some other insects. There are also some 'lawn' type flies. If you do want to control them a few things: 

1) Control where they are breeding, look for and control the maggot/larvae nest/source.

2) It's hard to control flying insects. I don't know of any insecticides for controlling flying insects in lawn. The grub type killers are unlikely to work. Without knowing exactly what type of flies they are - this one from Yates could help - Yates 200ml Nature's Way Fruit Fly Control - Bunnings Australia

Sorry - all of the above are concentrates and need mixing. It's the best way to do this sort of thing. It's not hard and it's better value. Make sure you always read the instructions, wear the appropriate PPE and don't mix different sprays in one application. 

Good luck. 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @tuvireb,

It's great to see you've already received a helpful reply from @robchin. 

Your grass looks fairly coarse so I suspect it might be Buffalo. Do you see thick runners that try to cross concrete or jump garden edging? I wouldn't worry too much about the seed heads, as that's perfectly normal for many grass types. Some grass varieties won't go to seed every year, and in the case of Buffalo, it might never seed. Have a look for different types of grass blades or patches that looks different from your grass. I don't see anything I'd call a weed from the photos; your lawn actually looks really nice. If you follow those seed heads down, I believe you'll find they're attached to your grass. 

Rob could be quite right about those being Soldier flies. Would there be any other reason why flies would be attracted to your lawn? Perhaps you have a dog, use organic fertilizer on the lawn, or have a compost bin nearby? Are the flies covering the whole lawn or just in a certain location? Is there standing water on the lawn?

Mitchell

[tuvireb]

Thank you very much to both of your responses.

I moved into the place about 6 weeks ago, and I admit I took zero care with the back yard until yesterday (previously I had fake grass). The grass grew to maybe 30cm in some areas, so that may be the reason why I have those flies & extra weeds etc.

1. RE grass itself - I was thinking it may be buffalo because it's thick and tall in some areas, but then again in other areas it's less. I've taken a photo of some grasses that I took all the way from the ground, does that help to ascertain if it's likely buffalo or maybe something else?

2. I did not post any photos of the weeds, but see below one. I have those very long weeds all over the grass, so ideally I'd like a solution to throw on the whole grass area (rather than targeted) as they're everywhere. I saw a few products in the shop, but each has different lawn exclusions so I am worried I may select the wrong one and accidentally ruin/kill the grass along with the weeds.

2. I did not post photos of the "bad" grass. See attached, I have a few yellow patches that I'd like to reinvigorate.

3. RE flies - I do have a small dog that sometimes poos in the back yard, which we clean up daily. They are covering a few areas of the lawn, but even if they are "beneficial" I need to get rid of them. My entire lawn is fairly small (~25sqm) and it makes it very uncomfortable as they keep flying around and even getting in my mouth.

4. Thanks for the information about those seed heads. A bit conflicting, so should I "control it" or leave it as is as it's "normal"? Ideally I'd like to get rid of them, even more ideal if there's a weed killer that'll kill them too.

I forgot to mention, I have a toddler (and a dog) so ideally I'd like products that are safe. I'm ok with closing the area for a day or two, but I can't have anything poisonous there for longer than that.

[tuvireb]

Hi me again,

I just realised that it's not those flies that are bothering me. I have many (I think hundreds) of these extremely tiny flying insects. It's impossible to get a good photo. They are not visible, unless you step on the grass, and then they're all over the place.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @tuvireb,

The first image looks like Buffalo that's been over-sown with a thinner bladed grass. The second image looks like Buffalo, and the dead section is another type of thinner-bladed grass that's died off. Perhaps someone tried patching a hole with dissimilar grass and didn't end up watering the turf? The third image shows Buffalo, and you're holding up one of its runners. The last image looks like some pieces of Buffalo. They might be shoots that have grown higher than the rest of the lawn.

Buffalo seed heads are a natural phenomenon, and most lawns get them from time to time; not really much you can do about that. Follow them down and see if they are connected to your Buffalo lawn. If so, there's no way to kill them and not your lawn. 

Those smaller flies could quite possibly be fungus gnats. You'll find them in overly damp lawns. The best way to control them is to clean up any dead and decaying plant material around the yard and allow the soil to dry out before watering again. They need a moist environment to survive and feed off dead plant material. It would also be a good idea to collect your lawn clippings instead of mulching them back onto the grass. Make sure there is no standing water around your yard, and if you continue to have this issue, it would be worth investing in a drainage system for your lawn to remove excess water.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell