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Lawn weed advice, is this bird's foot trefoil/lesser trefoil?

soulboysoulboy Posts: 429
I would be grateful if someone could confirm the ID of this lawn weed. I help an older neighbour with her garden and her front lawn has a significant infestation of this weed, several large patches.

I've done some research and the most likely culprits are those named above but I would like a confirmation, if possible, as well as any experience in treating it.

It's very low growing with the tiny yellow flowers pictured. These pic's are taken at the edge of the lawn where it grows a bit taller.

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Lesser trefoil.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • soulboysoulboy Posts: 429
    Thanks a lot Dove. Any experience in getting rid of it?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    We have it in our lawns.  The front one gets scarified once a year ... usually autumn ... it has been treated with a 3 or 4 in 1 treatment twice since we moved here in 2011 and in the growing season is mowed once a week on a medium height.  That seems to keep it  under control.  The shorter we cut it the worse the trefoil is, so we keep to a medium cut.  

    The back lawn is full of 'wild flowers' ... trefoil, clover, daisies, self heal, wild marjoram, violets etc etc etc ... we cut it nearly as often as we cut the front lawn, again on a medium height, and never use any treatments on it and none of the 'weeds' get out of hand.

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • soulboysoulboy Posts: 429
    Thanks a lot Dove, interesting tip about the length of the cut.
  • Garden noobGarden noob Posts: 260
    I've had the same weed on my lawn for the first time this year. Maybe a good year for it?

    If you're open to using chemicals, Weedol Lawn Weedkiller is an effective broad leaf weedkiller so will kill pretty much anything that isn't grass. They recommend you apply it once a year but, if like me you actively weed your lawn, you might only need it every 2-3 years if not less often than that. However, I wouldn't suggest using weedkiller while the plant is in flower in case it could harm bees.

    I agree with Dove's comment about cutting lengths. Long grass blocks light which makes it harder for weeds to germinate. Longer grass can also better withstand dry summers and cold winters. 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    It's ironic how many people are trying to get wild flowers to grow in their grass and failing.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Ah, but there's wild flowers and wild flowers ... not everyone wants the easy ones lol

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Garden noobGarden noob Posts: 260
    This winter I had a weed in my lawn... It was a crocus! I felt like a criminal for pulling it up because a) I love crocuses in my flower bed, and b) at some point I want to put bulbs my lawn.

    But I didn't want that crocus in that spot, so by definition it was a weed.
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