Grass runners are one of the biggest problems we come across in Australian gardens! Usually found in lawn varieties like Buffalo, Kikuyu, or Couch, grass runners (also known as stolons) can quickly invade flower beds, paths, and other garden areas. Luckily there are many effective ways to rein them in, from quick fixes on small areas to long-lasting solutions that will keep your lawn under control year after year.
Hand removal
If you have a smaller lawn, or if you’re only just starting to notice grass runners, removing stolons by hand can be a quick and easy solution that doesn’t require any specialised equipment. Removing stolons by hand is simple; grab the runner firmly and pull it out, then dispose of it in your compost or green waste bin to prevent it from re-rooting. It’s important to remove the entire plant, roots and all, to help slow the spread.
For larger areas, using garden tools such as a trowel, mattock or spade can be effective in removing large swathes of grass runners.
Cover with plastic
Using a sheet of black plastic (garbage bags work great), cover the affected area and leave it for a few weeks, making sure to weigh down the edges to prevent the plastic from blowing away. The plastic will cut off sunlight and water from the grass runners, while the heat buildup will gradually kill the grass underneath.
While this is the slowest method on our list, the “hands-off” approach can make this a great option if you’re going on holiday, or if you simply want to keep your hands as clean as possible!
Use a scarifier
A scarifier is tool that uses vertical blades or tines to cut through the soil’s surface, slicing through stolons and making them easier to remove. Run the scarifier along the border between your lawn and garden beds, working in multiple passes if necessary. After scarifying, rake up all the loose grass runners and dispose of them as soon as possible, to ensure they don’t re-root.
While a scarifier can cover a lot of ground in a short space of time, you may need to go over and hand-remove any grass runners that weren’t picked up.
Use a selective herbicide
If grass runners have gotten out of control, using selective herbicides designed for your species of grass can be an effective solution. Apply on a calm day using a spray bottle or brush applicator, taking care not to apply it to the other plants in your garden (even selective herbicides can cause harm to plants). Depending on your lawn and the potency of your herbicide, you may need multiple applications over several weeks to effectively eliminate the stolons.
Remember to always read the product label carefully, and wear PPE when applying any kind of chemical treatment.
Installing garden edging
Prevention is often easier than cure, and installing physical barriers in the form of garden edging is one of the most reliable long-term solutions for keeping grass runners at bay. Unlike manual removal or herbicides that require repeated effort season after season, quality garden edging that has been properly installed will stop grass runners dead in their tracks, and will last for years on end with minimal maintenance. If you want a long-term solution to controlling grass runners, this is the option for you.
The best time to deal with grass runners is before they become a major problem. Regular monitoring of your lawn edges, combined with one or more of these control methods, will save you countless hours of frustration in the long run. Keep those stolons in check, and you’ll maintain the clean, defined garden beds that make your backyard shine.