The control of weeds in turf

In Great Britain the turf grass crop accounts for about one million acres and is of considerable value. Much of it requires to be in good order throughout the year but surface quality, as distinct from grass quality, varies with the sport or game for which the turf is to be used. Of all the problems associated with turf management, weed control is pre‐eminent, since certain weeds are universal where grass is cut short. Short mowing determines the weed species that are able to persist, and by reducing ground‐floor competition permits their increase. By good management a weed‐free sward can be kept in this state for a long period, but the production of a weed‐free turf is a problem facing most turf users. Methods of control involve mechanical operations, such as raking, and the use of chemicals, varying from the sulphates of ammonia and iron to the plant poisons and then to the growth‐regulating substances or‘hormone’weedkillers. Methods of using all these are described, with data on the effects of repeated applications of the selective weedkillers for resistant weeds. The best conditions for use are also described. Reference is made to 2,4,5‐T (2 : 4 : 5‐trichlorophenoxyacetic acid) for weed control in turf and also to growth‐stunting chemicals such as maleic hydrazide. There is a possibility of controlling growth of long grass (on verges or in cemeteries, for example), but for fine turf there seems to be little likelihood of future application of such materials.