Horrible weedy lawn, where do I begin???

13 years ago

I have a large lawn and I'm surrounded by forest and fields. The weeds have been taking over my lawn for years before I moved here two years ago. This year is the worst.

Where do I begin when trying to get this lawn back in shape, eliminate weeds and re-establish better grass?

Weed n' feed? Weed be gone? Over seeding?? What part of the season do I do these things??

Please help! I need any advice you can give me!

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Comments (5)

andy10917
13 years ago
Start by stopping the damage and deterioration. Generally that means watering properly, mowing properly and getting a soil test to figure out why weeds have such a big advantage over grass in your lawn. How do you water (frequency/amount) and mow?

Also, give us some hint as to where you live and what kind(s) of grass you have...
diannelmt
Original Author
13 years ago
I'm in south central PA. I honestly don't have any idea what type of grass I have. I don't water at all, I have several acres of mowed lawn and watering is impossible. I am very close to the water table and don't really have a problem and have never needed to water any of my gardens or plants. Running irrigation to my entire landscaped property would be nearly impossible. I'm in a 130 year old house with 14.5 acres.

The weeds are spreading from the surrounding fields and forests, that is pretty obvious. I have a lot of Plantain however, that does not seem to be coming from the woods. I have lots of dandilion (of course) and clover. But I want clover in my pastures because my horses love it. Problem is, it spreads into my lawn!
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Assuming you are no longer driving on the lawn, all you really need to do is water, mow, and fertilize - in that order. These are general instructions that do not apply for bermuda grass. If you have that then there is a slight alteration (in parentheses). Water now and every week, once per week. When the grass starts to grow, mow it at the mower's highest setting (lowest setting for bermuda only). After you have mowed real grass (not just weeds) two times, then fertilize with the fertilizer of your choice. Let the grass tell you when to fertilize. Do you know what kind of grass you have? If it is fescue you will have to reseed. If it is bermuda. Kentucky bluegrass, or St Augustine, those grasses will fill in the bare spots. Where are you in SoCal? With all the zones in that area it makes a difference. If you still have the car driving on the lawn issue, I would call a local tree trimmer and ask him to dump a load of chipped tree trimmings on the spot. Then just leave that until you only have two cars again. If you are interested in an organic lawn care program, I (and others) can help with that.
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Mulch mow the grass at a high setting. This encourages deep roots and also helps to crowd out weeds. Usually, I'd say to water deeply and infrequently, but you may not be able to do that with your water situation. It would be better to water a section of the lawn for a long time, then another section for a long time on a different day than to water both sections a short time on the same day. If possible, it's best to water about an inch a week (adjusting for any rain that falls) applying it all in one day. In your case, you'd want to give each section an inch, move to a different section for the next inch and so on. In the hottest part of the summer, watering twice a week for 1/2 inch may work better. Fertilize once in the spring and twice in the fall, with the last one after the top growth has stopped but while the grass is still green. Those are the most important things to do. If you want to try to start killing the weeds, either get a weed hound and pull them or spot spray with something that has 2,4D in it. Don't use the weed and feed products. Fertilizing and killing weeds are different activities and should be separated.
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The organic method works best once you have gotten the weeds under control for a couple seasons, unless you are in it for the long haul and are willing to let the weeds decrease slowly as you build up the lawn's thickness. Most people are not that patient. Plus, most people who try to go organic without a spreading grass are very disappointed. So, here is what my experience says.......... 1) I think it begins and ends with breaking the weed cycle with preemergent. You mentioned applying weed killer, but have you applied preemergent? For at least one year, I would apply it both spring and fall (since some weeds germinate in spring, some in fall), as well as apply the weed killer in late spring. That will do the trick - don't give the weeds a chance to establish themselves. 2) One problem I see, though, is that you have patches of weak grass. I assume that there will be more of them once the weeds are gone, particularly if your grass is not the spreading type. With that in mind, consider one of the following: a) not applying the preemergent this fall and instead overseeding with quality seed 2) not applying the preemergent this fall and instead completely renovating with a quality seed, preferably KBG. For me, I think the biggest priority is improving the quality of the grass that you have, and for most people, that means starting over. Until you have a thick stand of grass that outcompetes weeds, you will never win the battle with weeds (without totally polluting your lawn with chemicals). So, I would look at that first. But other than that, I find that even for someone who wants to go organic eventually, a year of chemicals is the best way to get a new lawn (or an overseeded lawn) going and strong enough to outcompete weeds.
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andy10917
13 years ago
Well, nobody says that you have to be all-or-none on the watering. You can pick an area near the house for "the lawn".

Let's be honest. If you don't water, don't fertilize and don't take actions to favor the lawn, then it's survival of the fittest, and weeds like plantains and clover will gain the upper hand. You're asking for something that you aren't willing to cultivate. There's no magic - if you kill the plantains they'll be back in a year if nothing changes.
diannelmt
Original Author
13 years ago
I have only lived here for 2 years. I've been busy remodeling an old house. I haven't had time to tend to the lawn. The previous owners were elderly and neglected the lawn for the last 4 years that they lived here. So the lawn has been neglected for at least 6 years total. I have no idea what type of maintainance that they used prior to their becoming ill. I have never had a lawn with this number of weeds before, so lawn maintainance is new to me. That is why I'm asking for help and where to begin the process of bringing this lawn back into shape. I finally have the time and the energy to devote to the lawn. I have just never dealt with a situation of this magnitude before. Its not that I'm asking for it to repair itself with no work on my part, I'm asking what am I supposed to do, where do I begin? Kill the weeds first?? Fertilize the lawn?? Overseed, or all of the above all at the same time, any time of year?? Should I just wait until next spring and start then, or do I have a chance of making some progress this year?
andy10917
13 years ago
Fall is actually the best season for grasses. Start by making the grass you have healthier by watering at least a small section and mowing properly. You can't turn 14+ acres in a year - it just is too much. Concentrate on an acre and get it healthy. Weed killing and reseeding is AFTER you get things stabilized. Get a soil test and figure out the areas of the soil that are preventing good grass growth.

Horrible weedy lawn, where do I begin???

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Horrible weedy lawn, where do I begin???

Comments (5)

andy10917

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