What do you do for weed control?

[zzyzzx]

Mostly just ignore them and consider them to be part of the lawn that just gets mowed like everything else.
Now for weeds growing at seams or cracks in the sidewalks and driveways, I use Roundup.
Except I don't get weeds in the sidewalks expansion joints and cracks any more since I cleaned those out and filled with self leveling sealer.

 

[WylieCoyote]

I've been putting Bio Advanced 3 in 1 on my lawn for 3 years in a row, and while it keeps crabgrass under control, it really stunts the lawn during spring growing time. My neighbor doesn't use anything, and his grass is much greener and more lush right now than mine. I think I'm just going to stop using broadcast weed control and spot control them instead, because my lawn looks like it's been through a war. My broadcast spreader is probably throwing too much, or I overlapped too much, but I don't like what I'm seeing right now.

 

[alarmguy]

Group 1 - Any triple action or more combination, comes in one bag, granular and you spread with a fertilizer spreader.
Its complete, all in one bad Season Long Weed Control, Crabgrass Preventer/Control, Weed Killer and Fertilizer.
Such as brands below,
Walmart (Expert Gardner), Lowes (StaGreen) Bayer/Bioadvanced, Maybe HomeDepot Vigro

5-In-1 Weed & Feed

One Blue Bag is all you need! It kills lawn weeds. It prevents new weeds. It kills crabgrass. And prevents new crabgrass. Plus, it feeds and greens up to 3 months.

bioadvanced.com

https://www.lowes.com

Sta-Green 3XTREME Action 43.2-lb 12000-sq ft 18-0-1 Weed Feed Weed Control Fertilizer
Item #888059Model #2149602202

Group 2 - Then if needed a liquid spray a couple months later but you could also use the liquid and regular fertilizer too. I prefer the first application above in group 1 granular form as it is also crabgrass control.
Then below
Available in any home improvement stores and online Amazon ect. You can buy the bottles with a sprayer or concentrate solution without the sprayer. Just make sure you use the Season Long Weed Control - NOT THE Season Long Weed and Grass Control as you will kill your lawn.

BAYER ADVANCED Season Long Weed 32-fl oz Hose End Sprayer Concentrated Lawn Weed Killer​

Season Long Weed Control For Lawns-29 oz. Ready-To-Spray

Post-Emergent: Kills existing listed broadleaf weeds Won't harm lawns Apply anytime spring through fall when temperatures are between 50º-90ºF

bioadvanced.com

Season Long Weed Control For Lawns

Proprietary 2-In-1 Formula kills existing lawn weeds and prevents listed weeds from emerging for up to 6 months.

bioadvanced.com

I always apply "Group 1" first, then regular fertilizer every 5 weeks or so after that, 3 to 4 times a year.
IF by some chance, however rare, I may apply Group 2 in the middle of the season for additional weed control as group one at some point will start to wear out.

 

[BMW Dom]

I would never use weed and feed. Such a waste

 

[bobdoo]

I have a neighbor whose lawn is *literally* ~80% dandelions. I had to spray with a strong mix of weed-b-gone (many times throughout the summer), but had so-so results.

Then I discovered Trimec. Holy cow, does this stuff work great. But I still had to get out and spray 3-4 times each summer.

I finally discovered The Andersons Barracide. Spread it as soon as the topsoil reaches 60F. Weeds just don't sprout for the next ~3 months.

I also use Scotts weed-n-feed as soon as the grass starts greening up, which kills off any full-size dandelions I missed last fall.

You *must* let your grass grow longer before winter, so it has great roots to start up next spring, and keep it as long as possible through the dry summer months so you don't need to water as much, and it keeps new weed seeds from sprouting.

 

[Duffyjr]

We have a lawn care service, the wife likes a nice yard. I agree with some here I think it's a waste. I do use Roundup but a refill bottle from wally will last me 4 or 5 years so I don't use that much. I have a couple hard to reach places that I hit a couple times a year.

 

[Donald]

The lawn stuff you can buy at HD or Lowe's is overpriced and/or crappy. Especially Scotts.

But concentrates at Amazon. Trimec seems about the best. I use a pump backpack sprayer to spot treat.

Barricade or Dimension for crabgrass control. I dig up dandelions.

All grass seeding done in the fall.

You need to spray for broadleaf weeds in May or early June. Once it gets hot it's a lot harder to kill the weeds until fall.

Quinclorac will kill crabgrass if you did not use a pre-emergent for crabgrass. But there are other grassy weeds that look similar to crabgrass that Quinclorac will not kill.

 

[zzyzzx]

my lawn looks like it's been through a war.

Pictures please!

 

[ka9mnx]

Now for weeds growing at seams or cracks in the sidewalks and driveways, I use Roundup.

I use pool salt. Very effective and inexpensive at WalMart but takes several days to work.
Roundup is very nasty stuff. It was called "Agent Orange" in the sixties. Back then farmers had to be licensed/certified to use it.

 

[doitmyself]

I'll just add that we over-emphasize perfect lawns in the U.S.. To each his own. Nothing wrong with lawns that contain other plants besides cultured turfgrass species. IMO, work on developing healthy soil conditions and healthy turf with the idea of reducing fertilizer and pesticides to "just enough".


This, my friends, is the type of misinformation that drives the craziness in our country. Good grief. Please, everyone practice due diligence with fact checking before believing/posting lies. No offense intended ka9mnx, but everything in your sentence is false.

Roundup is very nasty stuff. It was called "Agent Orange" in the sixties. Back then farmers had to be licensed/certified to use it.

 

[Ws6]

I call the police! We don't want that devil's lettuce around the young folk corrupting them!

 

[wpod]

24D [spot spray] and preemergent.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Just say NO to Mary Jane and her little gummie bear friends

 

[Dadillac]

One of the best ways to control weeds is to let your grass grow longer. Most folks cut their grass way too short. Cut it at 3.5 to 4 inches and most of your weed problems will go away naturally in a few years. I spread Scotts Halts for crab grass twice a year. In March and in June. Then I over seed in September and lay down started fertilizer with it. My lawn has clover, creeping charlie and a few dandelions. The clover doesn't bother me at all and the creeping charlie is way too difficult to control so I just let them be. When I moved in here 8 years ago the lawn was a mess. Now I have one of the best lawns on the block. All with minimal effort and minimal cash.

Don

 

[alarmguy]

Pictures please!

 

[Duffyjr]

One of the best ways to control weeds is to let your grass grow longer. Most folks cut their grass way too short. Cut it at 3.5 to 4 inches and most of your weed problems will go away naturally in a few years. I spread Scotts Halts for crab grass twice a year. In March and in June. Then I over seed in September and lay down started fertilizer with it. My lawn has clover, creeping charlie and a few dandelions. The clover doesn't bother me at all and the creeping charlie is way too difficult to control so I just let them be. When I moved in here 8 years ago the lawn was a mess. Now I have one of the best lawns on the block. All with minimal effort and minimal cash.

Don

When it's hot I keep my mower on the highest setting, 4 1/4. It takes a lot less water as well.

 

[LowMilesLesabre]

When it's hot I keep my mower on the highest setting, 4 1/4. It takes a lot less water as well.

One easy solution that I have found very effective without poisoning anything is high strength vinegar. Gi to your local supermarket and search for “cleaning vinegar“. They sometimes will stock this on the detergent/cleaner aisle but some stores also put it in with the other types of vinegar in the food section. Cleaning vinegar is 10% acidic acid instead of 5% which you more commonly see in other types of vinegar. (The percentage should be listed on the bottle). Next, wait until you’ve had a period without rain so that the soil is good and dry. Locate the weed and then pour some of this vinegar directly on it so that you saturate the roots. This will dramatically shift the pH and kill the weed while preventing it from re-seeding itself for all the rest or at least most of the rest of the summer. It’s also fairly inexpensive and no toxic chemical experiment or special equipment is required.

 

[dlundblad]

Round up.

If I had kids and/ or applied chemicals in areas they’d be, I’d try other avenues. When I do round up, the dogs are kept away.

 

[BMW Dom]

View attachment 99390

What grass type is that? Looks like you're cutting it WAY too short

 

[PimTac]

I use pool salt. Very effective and inexpensive at WalMart but takes several days to work.
Roundup is very nasty stuff. It was called "Agent Orange" in the sixties. Back then farmers had to be licensed/certified to use it.

We have a rock curb strip that attracts weeds. A weed killer spray followed by a good application of pool salt really does work.

Agent Orange was a mix of 24D and 245T. Nasty stuff. RoundUp wasn’t invented yet. It has its issues as well.