Weeds in a 'lawn'

A blowtorch ?

After I cut the 'grass' last week I Weedoled it, but the unwanted flowers have re-appeared. I'll try cutting and Weedol again tomorrow - if it doesn't rain.

It's probably apparent that I'm definitely not a gardener.

Try and leave at least three full days between Weedolling and mowing or vice versa, and Weedol when the grass is not bone dry, but at least 12 hours before it's likely to rain again. It's never straightforward...

And I don't think Weedol is quite as good as it was when it was Verdone, but it definitely works as there is a clear straight line between weeds / no weeds on a patch of shared lawn where the neighbour doesn't bother.

And +1 for generally leaving the grass a bit longer, at least two inches. And homemade weedkiller can be made with vinegar, magnesium sulphate (although I have heard table salt also works) and a squirt of detergent. Seems to work best on dandelions and fleshy-leaved ones, although if you persist you can kill more or less anything.

Regards,

Rob

Some weeds apparently have a last go at growing before being killed off by weed killer. I did my lawn 2 weeks ago and I now have black areas which I need to rake out.

Too much weed killer or too often can 'burn' the grass.

Ed.

Mow your "lawn" 3 times a week during the growing season. Set the blades low, leave the clippings where they fall. Don't use weedkiller. Weeds won't survive, moss won't get the protection of long grass and die off. Ignore usual advice and give it a go. We converted a field to a lawn in under 2 years. The mower set low will chop off mounds of soil and re-distribute it evenly.

I find leaving the clippings helps the grass thrive

Not too long or short, grass seems to love cannibalism

On the other hand the clippings promote moss by producing a thick damp thatch. Also depends on your soil, sandy soil needs the extra humus from the clippings, clay not so much. Just as I went out to attack my weeds it started raining - bother.

Has anyone with a say 3in scale or bigger roller used it on the garden? I'm starting to think our cricket club roller would make a nice 6in scale conversion ..................I wonder if they would miss it?

Rob, I have found that a lot of the horticultural treatments that are available now have much reduced efficacy, due to the fact that the beaurocrats have decreed that the compounds should be much less toxic to people and the environment. This has happened across the board, wood treatments are a prime example with treated wood rotting nearly as fast as if it hadn’t been treated.
Dave W

I seeded my ailing lawn with a wild meadow mix of seed, now we have flowers and grasses that are more natural than just a green cropped carpet.

I prefer that to just short green grass, which I have an area of astro turf for the dog's to pee and poo on.

I still cut the grass but not as often and not as short.

Mick

I suspect they are on loan from pneumatic tube flow-control duties.
DaveD

Not much "lawn" there, lots of moss and annual plants with the inevitable daisies.

First fix the soil, good drainage and aeration. Spiking with a fork to 4 or 6 inches all over. Clay soils and the rubbish left by builders can be a problem. Grass likes a high Nutrient level. Conservation meadows strive to reduce this and thus the competition to the desirable broadleaf species. Scarify spring and autumn, doing this in summer may leave you with bare earth for some time. Overseed with a lawn mix, think about how you maintain and use it when you choose this. I found a tennis pitch mix useful. Don't cut it too short, I maintained lawns at 30mm minimum. That allows easy use without stressing it too much. It allows the roots to penetrate deeper so helping the resilience of the grass. Cut frequently, you should only take off 5 to 8mm at a time, again to reduce plant stress. Feed, not much is needed but it does keep the grass healthy.

Lawns are not easy if you want a show standard, bowling greens ar a full time job. Mine is full of wild flowers and grass, I like the flowers. Because of the drought it hasn't been cut for three weeks, the flowers 30cm high and longish turf, insects love it.

I would consider starting from scratch with a really bad lawn, scrape of the top 3cm, level and reseed. Not a job for the summer. make sure the soil is good.

Rob

Lots of mature trees in a garden do not help with growing or maintaining grass either!