For those that have a weed free lawn

[Donald]

Besides hiring a company, how do you do it? For years I have been using pre-filled hose-end sprayers and they are OK but most will not get some really persistent weeds like wild violets. Most of the weeds killers for lawns are 2,4-D. Which does a pretty good job. I looked at several pre-filled hose-end sprayers and the quantity of 2,4-D per 1000 sq ft varied widely. One can also put on something like Scott's Turf Builder but the weeds need to be wet from dew so the weed killer will stick to the leaves and be absorbed. I am ordering some more commercial lawn weed products on Amazon and will spray it on with a 4 gal. backpack sprayer. I can vary the concentration if the directions provide a range. Then if recommend I can add a surfacant which makes the sprayed weed killer spread out on the weed leaves by reducing surface tension.

 

[Dyusik]

Keep it TALL. My lawn is pesticide free, and any weeds I get ( 1 or 2 at a time, a month or more apart) get pulled out by hand. Takes 15 seconds, and done. I mow on the tallest setting, and over seed heavily. My yard is still recovering from the puppy (lived outside, LOTS of damage), and the only battle is with a patch of clover. I spend a few minutes plucking it out, while getting my dose of vitamin D. Burned areas I just scrape and seed heavy, and cover with some top soil. Tall and thick will give no room or light for the weeds to grow, and when they pop up, they are skinny and anemic, and can be easily pulled. Fill the hole with seeds. Simple. People avoid manual labor ( seconds worth) and instead pour chemicals on, often breathing that nasty [censored] in. And the money spent on things that don't work....why do you think GMOs were invented?

 

[EdwardC]

I'm not completely weed free, but I'm working on it! For stuff like wild violets that have a waxy leaf, you can try add a surfactant to help it stick to the leaves. I think 2,4-D should work. I'd also suggest using a small garden sprayer to spot spray the weeds, and repeat every couple of weeks to make sure it's dead. I'd also suggest applying a pre-emergent early in the spring and late in the fall. Make sure to over seed before applying the pre-emergent (if applicable). Do the leaves die off then come back? Edit: Just saw your edit, looks like you've covered most of it. Like Dyusik says a healthy lawn will make it much harder for the weeds to grow. Not cutting too much is a good suggestion too. I've been watching a lot of Youtube on lawn care lately and have decided to switch from synthetic fertilizers to organic this year (Milorganite specifically). It's been working out really well so far.

 

[E150GT]

I gave up. a few summers ago I tried to get a badly weed infested yard in shape and it was way too much work. This is a small yard too. 400 sq feet. Now I hire a guy to cut it so the city won't leave me a nasty note. Thats as far as I go.

 

[bioburner]

Try and get after most of the real problem broadleaf weeds latter in the fall when they are trying to store something for next spring. Had 350acre sod farm. Most weeds could really get their comings by application of a form of 2-4d and dicamba with a bit of detergent to help cut the plants waxy leaf covering. Don't go after the weeds if in a drought or mid day. My yard now is bee and Monarch friendly except for cockle burrs

 

[Chester11]

I just bought a sprayer and some 2-4 D concentrate. (look in the ingredients - Weed B gone I think was the brand, Bayer makes one too). Just sprayed the weeds, not the entire lawn. It seems to work - but takes a few weeks for them to die off - slower than Roundup. Stole the idea from here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGTZeXMrfH8 Guy is hilarious.

 

[fdcg27]

When I was younger and actually cared about such things, a high nitrogen fertilizer along with an application of pelletized lime and a heavy overseeding of thin areas in the spring seemed to do the trick. These days, I figure that a little clover and a few wild violets here and there are of no concern.

 

[CT8]

I like Clover?!

 

[EdwardC]

Originally Posted By: Chester11

I just bought a sprayer and some 2-4 D concentrate. (look in the ingredients - Weed B gone I think was the brand, Bayer makes one too). Just sprayed the weeds, not the entire lawn. It seems to work - but takes a few weeks for them to die off - slower than Roundup. Stole the idea from here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGTZeXMrfH8 Guy is hilarious.

Yeah! Hah, I've been watching him a lot too, he's the one that got me going on Milorganite this year!

 

[sleddriver]

I doubt what works for me in Cen. Tx will work for you in upstate NY. Healthy, vigorous grass is the best weed preventative however. That takes consistent watering, and regular feeding during the growing season.

 

[Shannow]

Weeds are a sign of poor soil health...fix that and they'll go away. My yard was "mowed" with liquid lawnmower three times a year by the former owner (roundup, the whole block)... I tried to grow grass by planting grass seed and failed dismally. Read a book on establishing pasture in Oz, and the weed cycle...cycle starts with * deep tap rooted spikey weeds (tap root gets the nutrients, but being poor soil, is spikey to fend off foragers) * these get replaced by deep rooted leafy weeds (chickory and dendelion)...still deep rooted, but secure enough that they can be munched on...regardless of how small the animal that munches on them, they bring fecal matter and nutrients. * these get replaced by leguminous things like clover and chickweed, some of which are nitrogen fixers. * when the soil is good for grass, the grass takes over. So I started mowing the weeds, mulching mower set high. bit of liquid manure sprayed around from time to time. And the cycle progressed...and I got grass. In a bad summer, I get some clover...if patches get quite bad, I'll get some dendelions. I don't care, just keep mulch mowing.

 

[BigD1]

Come here to my patch, and the wire grass will make you throw in the towel. Yard jock days will be over forever. NC State University has a wonderful wealth of knowledge at the Turffiles. http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/

 

[philipp10]

learn to embrace nature. Nature is not a mono-culture of grass...or any one species. I am a pretty good gardener but growing grass is the hardest unless you want to apply fertilizers, chemicals and water constantly. I just let it go....no one cares and I don't have to feel guilty for polluting the rivers.

 

[Donald]

Well watering is out. My well will not support watering of our lawn.

 

[69GTX]

We live next to a lake. And it's rather irritating to see some people with "nice" perfect lawns dumping chemicals on them to keep them that way....which eventually end up in our lake. The soil around here is awfully acidic so growing grass is hard. Most everyone now just accepts a a patchwork of various grasses, weeds, clover, moss, etc. The first time you let the chemicals go for a few months...your lawn starts to look like everyone else's....lol. Since most of us have surface well water, drinking and bathing in lawn chemicals is not fun. I've become a big fan of moss and clover. As long as it's green and covers the dirt, I'm fine with it. I tried all the various methods to get a grassy lawn...and they all failed. Now I leave it up to nature and let it grow as tall as I can.

 

[PeterGreen]

I like clover too. I actually buy clover seed from a supplier outsidepride.com Clover adds nitrogen to the soil so you don't have to put so much fertilizer down, which spoils the water table and pollutes our bays. My lawn has been organic for years. I yank out weeds and occasionally spray vinegar on broadleaf weeds.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Also depends on what kind've grass. We have St Augustine here. Thick as a carpet!

 

[volk06]

Weed and feed in the spring and then spot spray with Trimec. 2-4D is solid but it won't work on hard to kill weeds like creeping Charlie. You want something with Dicamba and 2-4d, which Trimec has. It's readily available at almost any farm store. On a backpack sprayer don't waste money on commercial surfactant, a few drops of blue Dawn ultra works wonders instead. http://gordonsusa.com/products/lawn-and-garden.php?PRODUCT_CODE=791600 My experience is from spraying weeds on my lawn, pasture and crops for 20 years. There is a homemade weedkiller using vinegar, dawn and salt that works well.

 

[Rolla07]

I overseed heavily and fertilize. I try to crowd out the weeds with new seed as much as i can. I do this in Spring and in mid summer I apply weed killah! I use very little of it since very few weeds exist from overseeding. That would be my advice. Cut grass very short, overseed heavily, rake thin layer of compost over it. Lightly rake it together to blend and water it. Im not against using chemicals but try to use as little as possible.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

Keep it tall and add seed every year, let the grass choke out the weeds. Not to say you can't also weed control, but a thick dense grass does most of the job.