Weeds have commandeered my backyard lawn

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Broseph
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Location: Edmonton, Alberta
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Weeds have commandeered my backyard lawn

Post by Broseph » July 8th, 2018, 12:40 am

I was wondering what the best solution would be for getting rid of these weeds and then starting some sort of revitalization process. There are two types of weeds and they currently inhabit about 60% of the lawn.
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bpgreen
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Re: Weeds have commandeered my backyard lawn

Post by bpgreen » July 8th, 2018, 2:55 pm

The top picture is mostly Dutch white clover with a few dandelions mixed in. The bottom picture is a dandelion.

I noticed that you're in Canada. I know there are restrictions on some lawn chemicals in some areas of Canada. Is that true for you? If so, what can you use and what is banned?

Dandelions are fairly easy to get rid of, even without chemicals. They get killed by just about any weed killer, and they have a single tap root, which makes them ratty to pull by hand.

Clover is more difficult. If you can use chemicals, read the article on the triangle approach.

Broseph
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Re: Weeds have commandeered my backyard lawn

Post by Broseph » July 8th, 2018, 7:02 pm

bpgreen wrote:
July 8th, 2018, 2:55 pm
The top picture is mostly Dutch white clover with a few dandelions mixed in. The bottom picture is a dandelion.

I noticed that you're in Canada. I know there are restrictions on some lawn chemicals in some areas of Canada. Is that true for you? If so, what can you use and what is banned?

Dandelions are fairly easy to get rid of, even without chemicals. They get killed by just about any weed killer, and they have a single tap root, which makes them ratty to pull by hand.

Clover is more difficult. If you can use chemicals, read the article on the triangle approach.
Thank you so much for your reply. Would I better served by pulling the dandies or using chemicals, considering the amount in my yard?
I think that the only restriction in Canada is on "weed and feed" products.

bpgreen
Posts: 3871
Joined: January 3rd, 2009, 2:28 am
Location: Utah (Wasatch Front)
Grass Type: Western, Streambank, Crested wheatgrass in front (with blue grama added in the heckstrips), sheep fescue in back; strawberry clovetr in both
Lawn Size: 3000-5000
Level: Experienced

Re: Weeds have commandeered my backyard lawn

Post by bpgreen » July 8th, 2018, 9:00 pm

I don't think weed and feed products work that well, anyway, so that's not a big loss.

Considering how many dandelions you have, pulling may take longer and require more effort than you would consider worth it.

Your needy bet is to read up on the triangle approach and follow that.

Broseph
Posts: 3
Joined: July 7th, 2018, 10:30 pm
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Grass Type: I don't know
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Re: Weeds have commandeered my backyard lawn

Post by Broseph » July 8th, 2018, 10:49 pm

bpgreen wrote:
July 8th, 2018, 9:00 pm
I don't think weed and feed products work that well, anyway, so that's not a big loss.

Considering how many dandelions you have, pulling may take longer and require more effort than you would consider worth it.

Your needy bet is to read up on the triangle approach and follow that.
Thank you so much. I appreciate your help. I read the article and will implement the method


TimmyG
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Re: Weeds have commandeered my backyard lawn

Post by TimmyG » July 9th, 2018, 1:04 am

Broseph wrote:
July 8th, 2018, 7:02 pm
Would I better served by pulling the dandies or using chemicals, considering the amount in my yard?
Have you ever pulled a mature dandelion? Even if you have just one, spray it.

I pull gobs of weeds every day, but dandelions get sprayed. Unless you can pull a substantial portion of the taproot, it's likely to come back. Dandelions are one of the easiest weeds to kill with the most common herbicides. Try your hand at pulling clover and you'll quickly see why clover, too, is best controlled by chemical means.

bpgreen
Posts: 3871
Joined: January 3rd, 2009, 2:28 am
Location: Utah (Wasatch Front)
Grass Type: Western, Streambank, Crested wheatgrass in front (with blue grama added in the heckstrips), sheep fescue in back; strawberry clovetr in both
Lawn Size: 3000-5000
Level: Experienced

Re: Weeds have commandeered my backyard lawn

Post by bpgreen » July 9th, 2018, 11:38 am

bpgreen wrote:
July 8th, 2018, 9:00 pm
I don't think weed and feed products work that well, anyway, so that's not a big loss.

Considering how many dandelions you have, pulling may take longer and require more effort than you would consider worth it.

Your needy bet is to read up on the triangle approach and follow that.
needy bet? Stupid autocorrect. That was supposed to be best bet.

TimmyG wrote:
July 9th, 2018, 1:04 am
Broseph wrote:
July 8th, 2018, 7:02 pm
Would I better served by pulling the dandies or using chemicals, considering the amount in my yard?
Have you ever pulled a mature dandelion? Even if you have just one, spray it.

I pull gobs of weeds every day, but dandelions get sprayed. Unless you can pull a substantial portion of the taproot, it's likely to come back. Dandelions are one of the easiest weeds to kill with the most common herbicides. Try your hand at pulling clover and you'll quickly see why clover, too, is best controlled by chemical means.
I forget that not everybody has a weed hound. I spray the bits of trumpet vine that crop up, but I use the weed hound on dandelions and rarely see them these days. I used to have a lot of them, but I'd pull a bunch every day, until they got to a manageable amount. The weed hound makes it fairly easy to pull the full root (or at least most of it).

I think clover would be just about impossible to control by pulling. I took a different approach to clover. I planted it on purpose.

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