Hello from Nova Scotia, I used to live in Vancouver and now moved to Nova Scotia. I miss my BC. In my backyard besides grass some other things are growing. The area in which they are growing is quite big. I've attached some photos and wondering if anyone has any clues on how to get rid of this and what kind of plants are these. Thanks in advance. Joe Green
#4 The bigger plants in the top-right quarter are Dandelions. Dig them up before they start blooming.
The least labor intensive is to get rid of broad-leaf lawn weeds that cover a large area is weed and feed. The alternative is a lot of hand pulling and raking which is effective and will keep you in shape, but won't be a quick solution. If I were taking on such a job, I would suggest first, power raking (so that any chemicals are applied directly to the soil), second liming, and third putting down a quality weed and feed. Not the cheapest you can find at garden store. The problems with the last are that it does things like kills the earthworms in the soil, and encourages the moss to grow (hence the liming to reverse that effect); just to name a couple. The weed killer in the weed and feed works best in warmer temperatures, at least above 70 degrees (although it has been some time since I read those labels so be sure and check when the best time to apply is). Be sure an read the label in any case and in so doing don't think that more is better. A few applications a month or two apart would be better to my mind than trying to put down a heavy application. And no matter what the bag says about not needing to water it in, I still think the best results are attained by watering thoroughly just before application, and then again after the weed killer has had a chance to do it's thing. That not only helps to keep it from harming the grass growth, but leaches out some of the chemicals from the top soil. I would suggest then in the fall (September) to overseed with new grass seed, and then using to straight fertilizer with trace elements if you can still find such a thing the following spring to encourage growth. If not one with trace elements just any straight fertilizer. In many cases just getting the grass to grow well will help your weed problem. Also regular mowing with a bagging mower at least while you have the weed problem will also help. Finally, I should say the problem of widespread weeds in grass will probably take as much effort to control as lack of which has lead to the problem. Someone I knew, coach Holmes my High School football coach, once said that it takes the same amount of time for you to get in physical shape as it did for you to get out of it. I think the reasoning applies to your lawn. But I have seen miracle turn arounds in just a year of trying to reverse the effects, so there is hope. Also I have see lawns without a single weed next door to people on either side who don't control their weeds at all let alone mow. I personally think that some where in between those two extremes is the answer. Which is the choice of the homeowner, always. And pulling a few weeds is good for the soul as well as keeping you fit. Harry
If you like some free exercise, the best way to deal with extensive weeds in a lawn is to dig up the whole area with a fork, turning the weedy sod under so that only bare earth is exposed. Then rake it smooth and leave it for a month or so to allow weed seeds near the surface to sprout. Rake or hoe the surface a couple of times to kill the young weeds, then plant good quality grass seed. This treatment worked very well in an area infested with buttercups, which are usually difficult to eliminate.
I didn't understand what do mean by 'weed and feed'? Is that the brand name? Can you give me an example of chemical or weed killer that I can ask for in store. It's quite a large area where I've this problem so taking them out by hand is not a good option. I've a tiller. Can I use that to get all these plants out. After I take them out do I need to wait until September to sow grass seeds?
