Killing weeds

Just looked at your photos, I have no idea the names of weeds other than the obvious ones, dandelion, daisy, clover etc. Digging out whatever that deep rooted thing is seems like a good idea but I would have sprayed it first, left it a week then dug it up incase I missed any root and it came back. Those broadleaf things look like dock, spot spray with your Weedol. All the wet weather we had recently has been great for any weed seeds in the soil.

If you have Japanese knotweed, you will have to do more than just dig it up, you will have to kill it off and keep spraying it with weed killer because any roots will just keep coming back. I believe it can take years to completely get rid of it. Probably best to burn or drown the plant and roots rather than put in the bin as you will just be spreading the stuff where ever it ends up.

Your new grass looks really good, better success than I got when i seeded up an old border on my front lawn. Let it grow to 2 or 3 inches long before cutting the top third off for the first cut. I maintain my lawn to about 2 inches high, it hides all the lumps and bumps in the lawn.
 
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I use Verdone (an old bottle) which is now called Weedol, the others readily available are Vitax and Resolva but these are more expensive by volume. I use concentrate as is cheaper in the long run than ready mixed.

I have found that spraying is more effective and uses less than using a watering can with spray bar BUT when spraying you have to get the mix right. If you get a 5ltr lance spray bottle fill with water to 5ltr mark then holding the lance at knee height spray your lawn at a normal walking pace walking up and down the garden. When you have covered the whole lawn you will know how much liquid you need to cover the whole lawn area (round this up to the nearest litre). You now know how much to mix up for a full treatment, mix the lawn weedkiller at the rate on the bottle. The weeds will start to wilt within a week or two. Any spray mix left can be used for spot spraying on the lawn and in the borders. If you have any weeds that are resistant to Weedol or whatever you are using, you may have to dig these up if there are only a few of them, or identify what they are and find a readymix spray bottle lawn weedkiller that can deal with them. Verdone (Weedol) has pretty much cleared everything in my lawn, but doesn't touch couch grass, I tend to keep couch grass cut so it doesn't go to seed then let the frost of winter kill it off.

You haven't said if you have a moss problem, if you do this will need to be sprayed with iron sulfate solution to kill it off but this can wait if you plan to scarify in autumn.

Personally I wouldn't overseed at the moment, as in dry weather you would have to be watering daily. I would wait until the weather can do a lot of the watering for you and the ground stays damp. If you want to overseed now go for it, and keep the seed damp. Cutting what grass you have high helps retain moisture in the soil during the dry months.

As far a fertiliser goes I stopped using those small boxes of feed and weed from garden centres as I found they worked out expensive and were good at greening up the lawn because of the iron that is in them (give you a sense that it is working) but the fertiliser and weed killer part was not so great. I bought 2 x 25kg bags of lawn fertiliser (1 x autumn/winter, 1 x spring/summer) and use that, they have lasted 3 years so far! The brand of fertiliser is not as important as the active ingredients. I use a 4-12-12 autumn/winter (root strength) (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) and a 9-7-7 spring/summer fertiliser and have a clay soil. There is no need to have two types of fertiliser just a good balanced one. Too much fertiliser may damage or kill the grass so less is more and be patient.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Fertilizer For Lawns – What Type Of Lawn Fertilizer To Use Fertilizer For Lawns – What Type Of Lawn Fertilizer To Use

For overseeding I use a general purpose seed, not those high maintenance fine premium grass varieties.

All this sounds complicated but it isn't really
treat weeds
fertilise sparingly (minimum once in spring and once late autumn)
cut high and regular
repeat
treat moss
scarify to remove thatch and moss and to allow water to get through to soil
aerate if required to aid compaction and improve drainage in heavy soils

lowmans100 for the above post, and everyone else on this thread, first and foremost, thank you all so much for such a detailed reply and set of instructions. Absolutely truly appreciate it Sir.

I spent a little longer this afternoon in the garden (not only digging and de-weeding, but also teaching my girls to skip). I came across a couple more nasty things and one incredibly dangerous item. Pics will be below.

My 'lawn' is approximately 45 x 35 ft.

* Before spraying the weed killer, should I initially cut the lawn as short as possible or leave it as it is now? Thankfully there is no moss problem - yet!

* I'm assuming every last inch of the lawn has to have the weedkiller on it, but does it need to be absolutely drenched in the weedkiller or just sprayed over? Reason I ask is I want to make sure I get it right first time.

* I have used Resolva thoroughly these last 4 weeks, but the weeds are still there. Are they supposed to disintegrate themselves? Or need to be pulled out by me?

* I will of course go over the garden twice, but should it be done twice on on the same day or separate days?

* After spraying the weed killer and leaving it for a few days, do I prep the lawn with fertiliser a few days before laying the seed? Or do I lay the fertiliser down just before laying down the seeds?

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I will definitely wait for autumn before starting this project purely on the basis of what you advised about water use. I'm one of those tree hugging, hemp wearing, animal loving, vegetable eating annoying hippy types :rolleyes: :laugh:

I did, however, want to have a small trial for an existing bare patch I have right now, so lay some seed down. This patch will need very very little water. Problem I found was when I sprayed water (a gentle spray from high above) the seeds all spread out and I found myself spreading them evenly again by hand. Very annoying.

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And finally for now, here's that dangerous new thing I found. I have 2 young kids who could very easily hurt themselves on this. What it is and how it got there I have no idea! I tried to dig it out, but it's rooted very deep down it seems. I also tried to pull it out with heavy duty pliers, but no luck. The fact that I'm an absolute weakling doesn't help matters :blush: I'm going to try digging deeper next week, and if this doesn't work, I'm going to try and hammer it down as far as possible, then cover it with fertiliser and soil and plant seeds over it. What do you guys think?

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And to end this post, I have to admit, I really am looking forward to this project. I will though definitely need further help, advice and moral support from you guys please :thumbsup:
 
Just looked at your photos, I have no idea the names of weeds other than the obvious ones, dandelion, daisy, clover etc. Digging out whatever that deep rooted thing is seems like a good idea but I would have sprayed it first, left it a week then dug it up incase I missed any root and it came back. Those broadleaf things look like dock, spot spray with your Weedol. All the wet weather we had recently has been great for any weed seeds in the soil.

If you have Japanese knotweed, you will have to do more than just dig it up, you will have to kill it off and keep spraying it with weed killer because any roots will just keep coming back. I believe it can take years to completely get rid of it. Probably best to burn or drown the plant and roots rather than put in the bin as you will just be spreading the stuff where ever it ends up.

Your new grass looks really good, better success than I got when i seeded up an old border on my front lawn. Let it grow to 2 or 3 inches long before cutting the top third off for the first cut. I maintain my lawn to about 2 inches high, it hides all the lumps and bumps in the lawn.

That root thingy-ma-jiggy was doused thoroughly many many times with weed killer and the blighter still would not budge or die. I've managed to cut away a large chunk of it, but can't seem to get any more out. Again, this thing seems to have it's roots very far down.

I have a bit of petrol left from my lawn mower. Maybe a few drops of that and a match on the root, with my hose pipe and a BIG bucket of water close by?

Thank you so much for your comment on my new grass. Is it OK to have such big gaps in-between the blades of grass?

As sad as this may sound, you have honestly made my weekend with your approval and comment :D

PS I forgot to add pics of the new patch of seeds I lay this afternoon. This is after I sprayed water. You might be able to see how the seed all grouped together after spraying. Very annoying as I then need to rake and hand it even again.

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one step at a time and be patient, gardening takes time. Plan for seeing a noticeable difference next year and anything before that is a bonus.

Weedkiller first, and do not cut the lawn first. The weedkiller needs to cover the leaf of the weeds to work.

Yes, use a spray like I described, use concentrate and a 5ltr lance sprayer and walk at your normal walking pace.
Your lawn is about 147 square meters, Weedol concentrate goes down at 1.5ml per square meter so you will need 220ml of concentrate to cover your lawn. The amount of water to use in the sprayer depends on how fast you walk. This is why readymix weedkiller may not work as the concentration may not be right for the area being sprayed.

Leave the weedkiller to do it's thing, some weeds will wilt within a day or two but most will take a week or two before you see them curling up and dying, and no you do not have to dig them up.
About 3 days after putting down the weedkiller cut the grass, keep the blades high, make sure the blades are sharp.

You may have to spot treat any persistent weeds, dig them out or use a total weedkiller and reseed the bare patch.

That 'thing' looks like the base of a rotating washing line, you will have to dig it out or whack it down lower. Using a garden fork will be easier than a spade.

If that deep weed is knotweed then Google is best bet for advice for getting rid of it, any part of the rhizomes left will come back with avengence.

There are two types of weedkiller one that enters the plant through the leaves (most common) and one that affects the soil (not good for use in a garden). So for the weedkiller to be effective the weeds have to be actively growing (to take in the weedkiller) and big enough for the weedkiller to cover the leaf.

When you are ready for seeding, I would overseed the whole lawn so you have the same varieties throughout the lawn.
 
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That looks like it might be a metal fence post spike. Get a club hammer and whack the crap out or it untill the top is about 2 or 3 inches below surrounding soil. Then cover with soil and.....well you know the rest! It could be about 2 foot down and concreted in so removing will be a right pain. You have received some great advice here and, if you follow it, you will have a great looking lawn before you know it. I wouldn't worry about lawn food/fertiliser just yet. Plenty of time for that in due course. For the moment concentrate on getting rid of all the weeds and seeding bare patches. Don't forget to water the existing grass. The bigger weeds can always be removed by hand. Make sure you leave none of the root behind. Good luck and have fun!
 
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Looks like a rotary washing line post to me. With enough force it should pull out
 
one step at a time and be patient, gardening takes time. Plan for seeing a noticeable difference next year and anything before that is a bonus.

Absolutely. The reason why I'm asking all the questions now is so that I do everything in the right order, at the right time and don't miss anything out. I baked a cake once and started the process without having read through all the instructions first. Thought I'd smashed it... until the 2nd from last instruction which stated something I should have done somewhere at the beginning :facepalm: To say I wasn't happy and that I get laughed at and ridiculed to this day every time I bake is an understatement :blush:
 
That looks like it might be a metal fence post spike. Get a club hammer and whack the crap out or it untill the top is about 2 or 3 inches below surrounding soil. Then cover with soil and.....well you know the rest! It could be about 2 foot down and concreted in so removing will be a right pain. You have received some great advice here and, if you follow it, you will have a great looking lawn before you know it. I wouldn't worry about lawn food/fertiliser just yet. Plenty of time for that in due course. For the moment concentrate on getting rid of all the weeds and seeding bare patches. Don't forget to water the existing grass. The bigger weeds can always be removed by hand. Make sure you leave none of the root behind. Good luck and have fun!
View attachment 1167862 Looks like a rotary washing line post to me. With enough force it should pull out

Thanks guys. I did have a sneaky suspicion it was something like this. I'll try and dig and pull it out first (although, that pic above makes it look LOOOOONG!) Failing that, a hammer and as much brutal force as my arms are capable of!
 
Might need some imagination and a bit of leverage, but in this dry weather it should be doable. Unless concrete is involved
 
Might need some imagination and a bit of leverage, but in this dry weather it should be doable. Unless concrete is involved
"Leverage"? And why would the dry weather help? I'd have thought if the soil was damp it would be easier? But that thought is with my little to zero knowledge of any thing DIY or manual!
 
I have a bit of petrol left from my lawn mower. Maybe a few drops of that and a match on the root, with my hose pipe and a BIG bucket of water close by?
PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS... REALLY...
 
"Leverage"? And why would the dry weather help? I'd have thought if the soil was damp it would be easier? But that thought is with my little to zero knowledge of any thing DIY or manual!
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Try and get set up as above, tie the socket to the lever under the 100 and it will pop out when to apply force to the 10
Dry weather helps due to soil shrinkage, ever lost your welly in mud ?
 
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Try and get set up as above, tie the socket to the lever under the 100 and it will pop out when to apply force to the 10
Dry weather helps due to soil shrinkage, ever lost your welly in mud ?

Haha! "Welly in the mud". Now I absolutely understand why.
 
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I just bought some more Resolva and sprayed it on a few weed patches to see if it does the job. Fingers crossed I see a difference by the end of the weekend.

The newly laid seed is still nothing more than seed. The very dry weather hasn't helped at all. But I've been spraying water on the patch twice a day religiously.

I'm doing some trialing before the autumn so I can learn from mistakes before I begin the big process/project in September :)
 
Propane canister instead? I've seen folk advise it online?

It will only burn on the surface, so a complete waste of time for a deep rooted weed. The most likely result is singing the surface growth and your eyebrows (or worse.)
 
It will only burn on the surface, so a complete waste of time for a deep rooted weed. The most likely result is singing the surface growth and your eyebrows (or worse.)
What about using it for the pink flower weeds and clover at the back of the garden where the baron land is?

If this Resolva works I'll just buy the dilute version and use that like you guys advised.
 
Waste of money IMHO, just use weed killer.
 
A quick update:

The weeds that I sprayed with Resolva a few days ago *seem* to have wilted a bit. If you guys agree, do I now pull them out? I'm not sure I'll be able to fully pull them out from the roots due to them doubt snapping as soon as I give them the slightest of tugs.

The clover I sprayed have remained defiant and they are as they were before I sprayed them. I've sprayed them again today and will see if they die by mid next week.

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And here are the shoots from the seeds I planted last week. A bit patchy for some reason, but I'll see how it grows over the next week. The 2nd picture shows one part of the soil which is totally different to the rest of it. Any ideas why? I did use the same soil all over, honestly!

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Edit: YES! FINALLY! It’s rained. My goodness, that 3% of grass I actually have needed it :clap:
 

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Right, advice needed again please guys. I’ve just tried to pull out the wilted weeds (pics above), but these like all the others are very deep routed. I’ve dug about 30cm down and still not reached the roots. Can I snap them a around the 20 to 30cm Mark? Or will I need to go all the way down?

The clovers unfortunately are standing their ground, even 3 sprays over Resolva. Da*@ these things are stubborn.

Grass is coming a long good though. next week, I’m going to re-lay seeds on that stubborn bit of ground where for some reason it just isn’t growing.
 
It will only burn on the surface, so a complete waste of time for a deep rooted weed. The most likely result is singing the surface growth and your eyebrows (or worse.)
If you keep destroying the weeds then I’d have thought that eventually it would starve the roots and die.
 
Eventually, then yes. These weed burners are expensive to run and if the weeds don't die on the first pass, you'll be getting through a lot of gas.
 
Right, advice needed again please guys. I’ve just tried to pull out the wilted weeds (pics above), but these like all the others are very deep routed. I’ve dug about 30cm down and still not reached the roots. Can I snap them a around the 20 to 30cm Mark? Or will I need to go all the way down?

The clovers unfortunately are standing their ground, even 3 sprays over Resolva. Da*@ these things are stubborn.

Grass is coming a long good though. next week, I’m going to re-lay seeds on that stubborn bit of ground where for some reason it just isn’t growing.

I have that clover stuff too, its spreading like crazy and nothing is killing it :-( If anything I wold say Resolva has made mine spread more and flower!
 
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Thanks guys. I've been manic busy last few days and haven't had much time to spend on the garden other than give the small patch of new grass a watering. Other than a few patches where it didn't grow, it's looking quite good. Pics above. There are 2 sets of new grass as I started growing at different times.

Some of the leafy weeds have wilted. I've pulled some of them out today. But they are quite deep routed. Will I need to go deep down to the routes? Or will a quick yank and pull do the job.

My neighbour gave me a bag of All Purpose Compost. Can I use this to sow seeds?
 

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