New yard is filled with weeds - what to do?

13 years ago

I recently moved into a farmhouse on 3/4 acre. I have been focusing on the interior of the house, but the yard is in bad shape. The back yard is currently home to weeds that are up to 8 feet tall. I don't need this entire property to be a beautiful lawn, but there are parts where I want to get rid of the weeds and plant grass. Most people tell me to start by using weed killer to get rid of everything, but I can't help but think there must be a better way. I've read about making soil amendments, but I'm not sure where to start. I have lots of poke plant, dandelions, common cocklebur and a bit of poison ivy. Wild ginger, ferns and poppies are also growing well. I'd appreciate any ideas you have or resources you might recommend.

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Comments (3)

Kimmsr
13 years ago
Spraying with some kind of poison to kill plants is not really an acceptable thing an organic gardener should be doing since it is unnecessary. Mowing will do a lot toward gaining control, but since many "weeds" can be indicators of soil problems since many "weeds" grow best in soil not good for turf grasses you will need a good, reliable soil test done to see what the soils pH nad nutrient levels are.
Many people have acheived satisfactory control of "weeds" in their lawns simply by proper mowing and watering. Mow high and water only as needed. These simple soil tests can also help guide you in making that soil into a good, healthy soil for turfgrass.
1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drainsÂ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.
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lcpw_gw
13 years ago
Eight feet tall is pretty tall!
(I'm imagining being a kid and playing hide-and-seek in your weedy back yard....)

How will you mow such tall weeds?
Any chance all that material could be shredded to begin making compost to add back to the soil?
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All grasses need a good place to grow and the best time to fix the soil they will grow in is before the seeds are scattered, so start now with a good, reliable soil test. contact your local office of the University of California USDA Cooperative Extension Service about having that soil test done and also dig in with these simple soil tests to see what you have and what you need to do to mkae that soil into something that will grow good, healthy grass. 1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. Here is a link that might be useful: UC CES
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I wouldn't recommend that as the minimum temperature for poultry is 165°. You'll get worms*. :-) The point is that plants are fairly heat tolerant--they regularly deal with surface air temperatures in excess of 100 degrees and do it pretty easily. Surface soil temperatures can ride hotter than that for short periods of time and the plant manages. Seeds are even more durable. Some require 160° for a full day before they're assured dead. And even then there can be surprises. Wet soil is a great heat sink, but has enough mass and absorbs enough heat that you have to apply an enormous amount to get a significant amount of the mass to rise high enough to kill root systems. That's the reason that solarization is done over fairly long periods of time. Plus as tap roots re-sprout into the heat zone, the new sprouts are constantly killed until the root is tapped. * We're six months off the proper season for that, but still.
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Kimmsr
13 years ago
While a flail mower would be nice I have mowed similar "weedy" patches many times using the tractor, and trim, mowers I use on the rest of the lawn. You do need to remove the plug from the discharge chute of the mower and you do need to take your time and listen to the mower and not let it start to bog down, and you may need to tackle that area several times before getting control of the growth.
Of course in zone 5 in a few weeks most of the tall "weeds" will be fall down so no mowing will be necessary then.
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New yard is filled with weeds - what to do?

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Kimmsr

lcpw_gw

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