Football Pitch Weeds

Weed growth and flowering of weeds can be quite noticeable during May and June when weeds can be particularly active.

Where they are present in unacceptable numbers then some form of chemical control may be required. Strong plant growth during this period (depending upon the prevailing weather conditions) also increases the effectiveness of the active ingredient/s within any selective herbicide being applied.

If the football pitch had been renovated in early May, which is what typically occurs, then a minimum time period, typically 2-months, should be allowed before a selective herbicide is applied to young grass.

The instructions on the manufacturers label must always be followed, so this would mean a ‘safe’ time to apply a selective herbicide would then be early July.

There are many weeds which can appear on a football pitch, with ten of the more common ones might be considered as follows:
1. Broad Leaved Plantain
2. Cat’s-ear
3. Creeping Buttercup
4. Daisy
5. Dandelion
6. Knotgrass
7. Narrow Leaved Plantain / Ribwort
8. Slender speedwell
9. White Clover
10. Yarrow

Moss should not be a problem on the majority of football pitches, except maybe for those pitches which are on heavy soils, covered by heavy levels of shade and where usage and maintenance is minimal.

Improving aeration, decompaction, sandy top-dressings along with ensuring adequate fertiliser is applied to provide a more competitive grass sward will all help to reduce moss encroachment.