How Robotic Lawn Mowers Get Rid of Your Weeds During the Winter
You’ve probably heard about robotic lawn mowers in Australia, but we’re pretty sure there are yet things you might not know about them. One of those things is just how effective a robot mower can be for winter. Although lawn growth slows down quite a bit in the winter months, it can allow weeds to […]
You’ve probably heard about robotic lawn mowers in Australia, but we’re pretty sure there are yet things you might not know about them. One of those things is just how effective a robot mower can be for winter. Although lawn growth slows down quite a bit in the winter months, it can allow weeds to start taking over.
Weeds are present on most people’s lawns, and getting rid of them is difficult. However, there are plenty of ways to limit their growth and help your lawn grow stronger. Many people choose to spray their lawns with chemicals, but this is harmful to the environment. It can also be dangerous if you have pets or children playing in the backyard.
Rather than trying to poison all of those nasty weeds, there are smarter ways to go about it. One of them is to use a robot lawn mower in winter. We often get asked, “Do robotic mowers help against weeds?” and the answer is always “Yes!” Here’s why robot lawn mowers can help control your weeds all year round, but specifically in winter.
Grass adapts better to mowing
Looking at the two, you would think that weeds and grass aren’t that dissimilar. However, there’s a major difference that can’t be discounted. Grass requires nutrient-rich soil to grow strong and healthy. Weeds can grow perfectly well in poor conditions, but they haven’t adapted to mowing.
As it requires a lot of nutrients, it may seem as if your lawn is weaker but that’s actually not the case. Your lawn is continually mowed only to grow back stronger. As a result, mowing regularly with a robot mower agitates weeds, whereas the lawn itself will flourish with frequent mowing.
More lawn, fewer weeds
This is purely related to the space in your yard. In areas of a thick, healthy lawn, you generally won’t find many weeds because there is simply no room for them to grow. However, if you look at a patchy section of lawn, there will almost always be weeds coming through partly due to a weed’s ability to grow in poor soil conditions.
When you mow regularly with a robot lawn mower, your lawn becomes thicker, healthier and spreads more evenly over the yard. With so much of the soil already being used up by the lawn’s roots, weeds just don’t have enough space to grow. Generally, if your lawn is well aerated, nutrient-rich and watered appropriately, it will grow strong, and the weeds can’t compete.
Trimming buds before they spread
Many weeds spread by way of buds or flowers that end up on the ground and grow a whole new weed. So, to stop the weeds from growing on your lawn, you need to cut them off at the source. Using a robot lawn mower frequently ensures that weeds never grow tall enough to produce the buds and flowers it needs for reproduction.
If your lawn is already overrun with weeds, you may initially overlook the impacts of using a robot lawn mower. However, in the long run, you have a much better chance of controlling the weed’s life cycle and reproduction with regular mowing.
Denser and healthier lawn through mulching
One of the crucial things that a robotic lawn mower does is mulch your lawn. If you’ve ever mowed tall grass without a catcher, you’ll notice that large clumps of grass clippings are left behind. That’s because you’re cutting such a considerable amount of grass. Robot mowers are used far more frequently and only remove a minimal amount of grass with each cut.
This creates extremely fine grass clippings that help fertilise your lawn and make it stronger. The result is a denser, thicker lawn far healthier than the weeds you’re trying to keep away.
Remove weeds for faster results
We’d love to be able to tell you that buying a robot lawn mower will instantly solve your problem with weeds. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. It takes time for your lawn to adapt to the new, more regular mowing schedule. It will undoubtedly grow stronger, and you’ll start removing weeds before they can grow strong. However, if you want faster results, it’s best to prep the lawn first.
Before using your robot mower for the first time, we recommend manually weeding your lawn. Once you get rid of a lot of the existing weeds, they will find it much more difficult to grow back. Also, remember that we mentioned many weeds grow from buds and seeds? They’ll never grow big enough, meaning you can keep working on making your lawn stronger and healthier.
Other tips for a healthy lawn
Using a robotic lawn mower is an excellent way to keep weeds under control. However, if you want an absolutely exceptional lawn, you’ll need to take some other steps too.
Water regularly
Watering your lawn regularly is one of the easiest ways to encourage growth. There’s a popular misconception that too much water encourages weed growth. While that can be true if your water excessively, the right amount of water is crucial for maintaining a healthy lawn. This is especially important in summer when your lawn starts to dry out. When this occurs, your lawn is weaker, and weeds can still thrive in the dry soil.
Watering regularly ensures that your lawn remains strong and healthy, preventing weeds from getting out of control.
Aerate your lawn
Aerating your lawn is another excellent way to ensure strong growth. By aerating your lawn, the roots receive more oxygen which helps them grow better. One method is to scarify the lawn, which can be done with hand tools or garden power tools. Essentially, you’re removing a build-up of thatch such as excess clippings, leaves etc. Thatch is a natural occurrence, but it does prevent some nutrients, water and even oxygen from reaching your lawn’s roots.
The other method for aerating your lawns is simply punching holes into the soil. Again, some tools can make this process much easier – you don’t need to walk around stabbing a pitchfork into the lawn. You can even fill the holes with sand to prevent them from falling in. Through the sand, your lawn can receive oxygen deeper into the soil and growth is enhanced.
Remove weeds by hand
It’s not a pleasant option because it is time-consuming and can also be hard work. But sometimes, removing those pesky weeds. It takes a little time for your lawn to become healthier and stronger to beat those weeds. eds by hand is the only way to go. We already recommended doing this before starting your robot mower, and this is because a robot mower can’t magically get rid of all your wee
So, twice a year, it’s a good idea to go around and dig out your weeds by hand. Again, it’s not essential because your robot mower will get things under control eventually, but it’s always good to take as much action as possible against weeds.
Apply appropriate fertiliser
We’ve already mentioned that spraying your lawn to get rid of weeds is never the preferred practice. However, applying fertiliser is a different kettle of fish. As we mentioned, weeds can thrive in nutrient-deficient soil, whereas lawn requires those nutrients to thrive. As a result, if your lawn is well-fertilised, the grass grows stronger and doesn’t allow weeds as much space to grow.
If you leave the lawn unfertilised, weeds will grow stronger, and the lawn will struggle to compete because it doesn’t have the nutrients it needs. While your robot lawn mower fertilises your lawn through mulching, adding some fertiliser twice a year never hurts. Applying a natural fertiliser in spring and again at the end of summer will give your lawn the best chance of staying weed-free.
You can even buy special fertiliser that has the right amount of nutrients to work in tandem with robot mowers. This ensures the lawn isn’t being overwhelmed with nutrients.
Contact Roboworld to discover more in detail
If you’re looking for more information about how a robot lawn mower can help you achieve beautiful grass, contact Roboworld today. We’re Australia’s trusted name for robotic mowers and have a great range for all yard sizes and budgets.
If you thought you needed to spend hours pushing a mower to achieve a beautiful lawn, think again! Roboworld offers you the best robot lawn mowers in Australia, so you can put your feet up and watch your grass get healthier by the day.
If you’re also concerned about using a robot lawn mower around pets, we can help out. With pet-friendly mowers available, you can get the beautiful lawn you’ve always dreamed of without needing to worry about your pet’s safety. Contact us today, and we’ll be more than happy to help out.