Need a strong weedkiller.

DonJose

I just moved into a new house and the back garden is more weeds than grass, can anybody recommend a strong weedkiller. TIA.

Avns1s

Give it a few weeks until the weather warms up finally and growth is well underway.

Spray the lot with "roundup" from your local agri merchant, This will kill everything. Rotavate the top couple of inches and sow grass or lawnseed.


AS AN ALTERNATIVE, if the surface is even you could strim the lot and take away the cut grass and weeds, then cut with a lawnmower and keep cutting weekly. The grass will quickly take over from the weeds which will be killed by the weekly cutting. This would be a lot easier and cheaper method of possibly solving your problem.

Bradidup

DonJose wrote:

I just moved into a new house and the back garden is more weeds than grass, can anybody recommend a strong weedkiller. TIA.

If you can get your hands on some potassium nitrate, KNO3 you would be doing well, we use to mess around with it as kids but I think it would be difficult to get now!!!!.

artieanna

I would recommend using black plastic or carpet to cover the area for 1-2 months this will clear the area of the weeds and then dig the area over removing any roots etc...

Roundup is the choice weed killer but please be very careful using chemical weed killer the stuff is soo posionous....

Lex Luthor

you should be able to get the good stuff at any farmers co-op

Wishbone Ash

Verdone (available at most hardware/garden centres) will kill the weeds and not the grass. During the growing season, cut the grass several times per week as weeds cannot tolerate regular cutting.

GreeBo

but dont cut the grass too low and overseed aswell.
Strongly growing grass kills weeds as they get crowded out, if you cut the grass too low you will leave bare patches and the weeds will popup again here...

If overseeding wait until the weather settles a bit (m aybe a week or 2) then spread seed, rake in and keep the ground moist...

Wishbone Ash

GreeBo wrote:

if you cut the grass too low you will leave bare patches

And possibly encourage moss growth.

tampopo

Howya,

I have a grassy back garden which is my pride and joy. I had to resort to spot spraying with either roundup or tumbleweed to treat dandelions. Verdone is a complete waste of money, never was very effective.

Roundup et al contain glyphosate which is taken in by greenery, (believe me, anything green it touches or wafts over, will DIE.Brown woody growth is not affected btw) and down to the roots and kills the plant. It becomes inert when it touches the soil so it's safe like that.

It takes a couple of weeks at least to take effect and you will have some circular patches, just throw some grass seed down and it should recover nicely if you start any work from now on.Best times for seeding lawns are April and September so you're bang on schedule.

Any bottle will tell you on the back what it kills, dock, dandelion etc

Moss is different. Causes of moss could be some or all of the following shadow, compacted soil, grass cut too short, damp soil.Buy a box of lawn feed and weed and follow the instructions.It looks black and needs to be raked out, but will be fine and dandy in the long run (later in the summer)

have fun

TheDriver

I'd go with cutting and trying a weed and feed or even some 10 20 20 on it (good old fashioned farmer fertiliser) as you will get lots of weeds setting a new lawn anyways.

crosstownk

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Verdone (available at most hardware/garden centres) will kill the weeds and not the grass. During the growing season, cut the grass several times per week as weeds cannot tolerate regular cutting.

I agree. Last year I also had more weeds than grass. I used Verdone and while it yellows the grass for a few weeks, it did kill off the weeds. I had to do to applications - about 6 weeks apart, but this year there isn't a weed in the garden (yet!)

arctictree

I would only use Roundup where you have to kill everything ie paths/patios etc
If you spill any of it on the garden you will be left with patches of dead grass.

Verdone is great for spot killing of danelions/plantains etc. Spray before rain, wait a few weeks and you will see them wilting and dying. Much better to get them when they are small at the start of the season and then your lawn will be nice all summer.

Also, I always leave the first cut until late so that the grass really gets a chance to get going and smother the weeds, then I cut high thereafter. Even better to spread some lawn sand/fertiliser now to give the grass a headstart.

A

artieanna

TheDriver wrote:

I'd go with cutting and trying a weed and feed or even some 10 20 20 on it (good old fashioned farmer fertiliser) as you will get lots of weeds setting a new lawn anyways.

um I think thats 10 10 20 you mean...