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salvatore_7252

Seeding yard

salvatore_7252
17 years ago

I have many wild weeds growing in my yard. I can not identify any of them except crab grass. I was told by a friend that I should plant tall fescue and it will smother all the weeds and turn into a nice lawn. Is this true?

Comments (4)

  • meldy_nva
    17 years ago

    Unlikely.

    If you really want a nice lawn, go over to the lawn forum and read what they say. In short: mow the present stuff down; rototill the area deeply to work in organic matter (including the mowings), and incorporate compost and/or composted manure; seed with a grass that is suitable for your climate; and water as needed. Most grasses do very well if seeded in the fall, so this should be a good time of year to start your new lawn.

    A few weeds will likely appear with the new grass -- most grass seed has some weedseed in it (that's just reality) but read the label and get the best, most weed-free possible. As the grass seeds sprouts, remove any newly sprouted weeds by hand-pulling, which is easiest if done after a soaking rain. There won't be many weeds, so don't poison your new lawn by applying herbicides. Early next spring, apply CMG when the forsythia shows color and repeat 4 weeks later, and 4 weeks after that. You will likely have few to no weeds thereafter because the CMG (corn meal gluten such as 'Cockledoo') will prevent the weedseeds' sprouting.

    As with all gardening, the most important part is in the preparation: improve the soil as much as you can; locate the appropriate variety and buy the best seed possible; protect and nurture the seedlings as they are growing. Then you can enjoy!

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    17 years ago

    What Meldy says :-) Also, perennial weeds like dandelions should be removed manually or by spot spraying before mowing or tilling. Tilling these types of weeds only spreads them around more and complicates the problem, as many of them will regrow from just a small portion of root.

  • meldy_nva
    17 years ago

    I think dandelions are in a class of their own! Seriously: for years I'd spend hours every spring, digging up enough to fill two or three 5-gallon buckets every day for a month, only to have the neighbors' dandelionseeds blow in on the next breeze and plant themselves. Then I came across some postings about CMG, and frankly dubious, but willing to try anything, I did buy and spread CMG according to the package directions. Mind you, it doesn't kill the living plants but it *does* prevent seed sprouting. This is the third year I've used it and - are you ready for this?- I've had ONE dandelion sprout pop up!! I do recommend spreading 3 times at those close intervals the first year; manufacturer suggests 6 week intervals, but in my locality that's too long and allows wandering seeds to sprout.

  • loneranger
    17 years ago

    Before you tear up your yard, what is your geograpical location? Fescue is good in some areas but terrible in others. Is your yard shaded? Are there any water shortages/restrictions in your area?

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