Cursed lawn weeds pitting lawn

Roen

Hi,

I'm not sure are the weeds pitting my lawn or are they just taking hold in areas that were already pitted. However whenever I drive over them in the ride on it feels like I'm being kicked in the arse from the bumps. I'm also sure it's not great for the ride on or the grass as when I hit a dip I think it is causing the grass to be cut unevenly.

So I'm guessing a weed killer, then remove weed, fill with a bit of topsoil and then seed with grass is my course of action. Would this be vaguely correct and if it is is it too late to do it in the year?

Soil wouldn't be the best for drainage as it's marl clay underneath the topsoil.
It's also quite acidic.


Plantain?


Dandelion?

ShiverinEskimo

That's how I dealt with a few bad ones in my lawn and it's coming to the perfect time of year to do it too. Kill it now and in a month or 6 weeks or so when it's dead right through to the root dig it up and fill the hole. Seeding the grass then in late October is perfect timing for it to take hold over winter and it should be well set when the cutting season starts in the spring.

Goes without saying to be very careful with your choice and application of weedkiller.

taxusbaccata

A tip for low growing "weeds" is to leave your grass longer so the weeds get poor light and do not thrive or even survive. Low cut lawns are perfect for some of these unwanted plants.

You could also try vinegar and a squirt of washing detergent sprayed onto the "weeds" instead of Monsanto carinogens

josip

taxusbaccata wrote: »

A tip for low growing "weeds" is to leave your grass longer so the weeds get poor light and do not thrive or even survive. Low cut lawns are perfect for some of these unwanted plants.

You could also try vinegar and a squirt of washing detergent sprayed onto the "weeds" instead of Monsanto carinogens

My wife says that washing up liquid is carcinogenic.
I don't have an opinion on this particular issue.

taxusbaccata

josip wrote: »

My wife says that washing up liquid is carcinogenic.
I don't have an opinion on this particular issue.

Better not ever wash the dishes then.

She can make her own pure soap to add to the vinegar: Saponification: Fat + alkali = pure soap

runawaybishop

taxusbaccata wrote: »

A tip for low growing "weeds" is to leave your grass longer so the weeds get poor light and do not thrive or even survive. Low cut lawns are perfect for some of these unwanted plants.

You could also try vinegar and a squirt of washing detergent sprayed onto the "weeds" instead of Monsanto carinogens

Glyphosate is cheaper and more effective.

Gautama

taxusbaccata wrote: »

A tip for low growing "weeds" is to leave your grass longer so the weeds get poor light and do not thrive or even survive. Low cut lawns are perfect for some of these unwanted plants.

You could also try vinegar and a squirt of washing detergent sprayed onto the "weeds" instead of Monsanto carinogens

Wrong.
The opposite is true.
Grass survives when it is allowed to grow tall and when it's shorn short. Most lawn weeds will not survive regular mowing, including dandelion and plantain. Both of these flower on a stalk well above the height of the parent plant.
Feeding, weeding and mowing will sort this out.

runawaybishop

Gautama wrote: »

Wrong.
The opposite is true.
Grass survives when it is allowed to grow tall and when it's shorn short. Most lawn weeds will not survive regular mowing, including dandelion and plantain. Both of these flower on a stalk well above the height of the parent plant.
Feeding, weeding and mowing will sort this out.

The post mentioned specifically low growing weeds. In that scenario cutting the grass low wont catch them and will allow them to thrive, it also exposes seeds to heat and light allowing them to germinate. Better to cut the grass long and often as it allows the grass to out-compete the weeds.

ShiverinEskimo

Having a short neat lawn is kind of the ultimate goal tho.

Cutting your nose off to spite your face is leaving a long lawn just to control some weeds.

I aspire to better Lawn Goals.

runawaybishop

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

Having a short neat lawn is kind of the ultimate goal tho.

Cutting your nose off to spite your face is leaving a long lawn just to control some weeds.

I aspire to better Lawn Goals.

2.5-3 inches is all you need and you don't do it forever. A season should be enough. Alternatively cut it short and spend your time spraying weedkiller, digging out weeds, refilling holes and reseeding. Its up to you how you aspire to waste your time :rolleyes:

josip

Isn't it gas to think that in the end, regardless of whether you've a putting green or an alpine meadow out the back, our carbon will be voraciously consumed by the very same vegetation we have sought to control all our lives?
I can picture the dandelions going nah-na-na-na-nah above what's left of me.

looksee

josip wrote: »

Isn't it gas to think that in the end, regardless of whether you've a putting green or an alpine meadow out the back, our carbon will be voraciously consumed by the very same vegetation we have sought to control all our lives?
I can picture the dandelions going nah-na-na-na-nah above what's left of me.

Nah, dandelions have long roots, but not that long!

ShiverinEskimo

runawaybishop wrote: »

2.5-3 inches is all you need and you don't do it forever. A season should be enough. Alternatively cut it short and spend your time spraying weedkiller, digging out weeds, refilling holes and reseeding. Its up to you how you aspire to waste your time :rolleyes:

I don't do much of that. I spread a lawn feed and weed twice a year and while mowing the lawn carry a trowel to dig up the odd determined weed. Maybe once every two or three cuts I actually have to use it and that's over a half acre.

Keeping the grass cut short is doing most of the work IMO. The weeds can't compete because they are cut so short. So I disagree from experience that a short lawn encourages weeds - the evidence at home seems to suggest the opposite.

runawaybishop

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

I don't do much of that. I spread a lawn feed and weed twice a year and while mowing the lawn carry a trowel to dig up the odd determined weed. Maybe once every two or three cuts I actually have to use it and that's over a half acre.

Keeping the grass cut short is doing most of the work IMO. The weeds can't compete because they are cut so short. So I disagree from experience that a short lawn encourages weeds - the evidence at home seems to suggest the opposite.

Keeping the grass short wont do any good here, the OP already has low growing weeds.

ShiverinEskimo

runawaybishop wrote: »

Keeping the grass short wont do any good here, the OP already has low growing weeds.

Those same weeds will also thrive in longer lawns. Unless the advice is go full meadow?

And I'd rather the hidden low-growing weeds in a short lawn than the unsightly higher growing agressive ones in a longer lawn. Aesthetically at least your lawn will appear healthier rather than allowing docks and dandelions the extra leaf and headroom to expand their roots.

runawaybishop

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

Those same weeds will also thrive in longer lawns.

They won't, they will be out-competed by the longer grass.

ShiverinEskimo

runawaybishop wrote: »

They won't, they will be out-competed by the longer grass.

Not in 2.5 to 3 inches in my experience. The surface area of your average plantain after a week's growth is about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Grass would need to be a lot higher to provide any meaningful growth-inhibiting shadow.

Look at the OP's pictures. Grass looks about 2.5 to 3 inches long and the weeds are competing nicely.

Feeding and weeding along with a short cut and the odd manual intervention works for me.

runawaybishop

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

Not in 2.5 to 3 inches in my experience. The surface area of your average plantain after a week's growth is about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Grass would need to be a lot higher to provide any meaningful growth-inhibiting shadow.

Look at the OP's pictures. Grass looks about 2.5 to 3 inches long and the weeds are competing nicely.

Feeding and weeding along with a short cut and the odd manual intervention works for me.

With respect, the standard way to deal with plaintain (and most weeds) is to mow high and often. A lot of people scalp their grass and wonder why weeds pop up like crazy. You can dig them out but you haven't addressed why they are there and flourishing in the first place.

Here are some random snips from a quick google

the google machine wrote:

http://goodgrow.uk/the-secret-to-winning-the-battle-against-lawn-weeds/
Mow regularly but not too short.
The number 1 mistake people make is to mow their grass too short.
Set your mower as high as it will go (3-4 inches).
Mowing it shorter so you don't have to cut it as often?
WRONG!
It will actually grow quicker, allowing weeds to proliferate. If the grass doesn't shade the weed, the weed will shade the grass. Sun is everything, don't buzz cut your grass.

http://www.ortho.com/smg/goART3/Howto/plantain-killing-plantain-plantains-getting-rid-of-plantains-in-the-yard-getting-rid-of-plantains-in-the-lawn-garden-weeds-lawn-weeds-identifying-weeds-how-to-get-rid-of-plantains--/38900011
Regular feedings, 2-4 times per year, provide the nutrients your lawn needs to grow thick and strong and help crowd out weeds.
Mowing at a height best for your lawn allows the grass to grow thick and develop a deep root system.

http://www.spartaindependent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140506/NEWS01/140509976
Mow high and often, removing no more than 1/3 the total height of the grass at one time.

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=389
I have found first hand that raising your mowing height can help shade out and kill the plantains.

https://www.crd.bc.ca/education/natural-gardening/pure/pests-pesticide-facts/broadleef-weeds
Mow high and use sharp blades (maintain ideal grass height of 6 - 8 centimetres that shades the soil, prevents water evaporation and allows the grass to better compete with the weeds). Longer grass generally means a healthier, more pest-resistant lawn. Mow often enough so that no more that 1/3 of the grass blades is removed each time you cut.

https://www.beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/pesticidefreelawns/resources/Read%20Your%20Weeds-Organic%20Lawns.pdf
2. Mowing Height – Bad mowing practices cause many lawn problems. Mowing lower
than 1 ½ to 1 ¾ inches can kill the root system by preventing photosynthesis, and
mowing with a dull blade makes the turf susceptible to disease. A low mowing height
also invites sunlight in for weeds to sprout.
While grass species vary across the country, most lawns are a mix of kentucky bluegrass
and fine fescue. Generally, you should keep a lawn at 3- 3 ½ inches. Mowing high allows
the grass to develop deeper, drought-resistant roots systems. For the first and last cut of
the season, mow to 2 inches. Do not mow more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time.

I have an acre of new lawn to maintain and it was riddled with weeds originally. I sprayed some rushes but everything else has been left to be choked out by cutting the grass high and regularly - no need to go digging, patching reseeding etc. Its the most cost effective and hassle free way of dealing with them.

ShiverinEskimo

My method is working for me thanks and I get to enjoy a perfectly neat lawn in the process.