Weed strategy

Living where I do weeds are a constant threat to your lawn. I'm sure just about everybody here has some type of weed control program and I'd like to hear it.
For me, the first line of defense is in the early spring which this year seems to be right now as the temperature at the airport is 82F, my thermometer reads 89. It's at this time most of the weed seeds in the ground start to germinate and the weeds are easy to spot because they grow so much faster then the grass. Using a selective herbicide I spot spray what I can see, hopefully killing it before the seed heads are mature, eliminating the plant in a few days or weeks depending on the temperature. It's important to spray now because if the sustained temperature is too high it will kill the grass as well as the weeds. I'm using a 2-4-d based product I get at the H.I. store. I will use this until early summer when it gets too hot, after that any weeds I find get the pull. I have looked into premergent herbicides but they are very expensive and the application process seems to be complex and water intensive.

I realize a lot of you people are still thinking of snow removal, but spring is right sround the corner and this is after all, LAWN MOWER FORUM So, any sugestions on weed control?

normally i just water/cut and occasionally...(very occasionally) use a weed-n-feed and then what ever happens , happens. but the last two years i've been using a (bayer brand) weed killer,mostly for the clover and that has worked very well. i'm sure there are other weeds that look similular to grass that go undetected by me,but i keep my grass at 2 - 2 1/2 inches high with a razor edge cut and it looks good even with a mild amount of weeds / clover.but this year(spring) i'll throw down the works, btw i like the liquid better than the granules through a spreader.

My weed control is largely done with my MOWER...
There are places that would be kind of bare ground if not for the weeds...
I do use round up and 2 4 D occasionally in places that I want no weeds...

Dandelions I am about to consider as flowers... they always seem to make a heavy spring appearance...
:smile:KennyV

My weed strategy is to mow them down with the grass. I live in the country and don't put emphasis on a neatly manicured yard. As long as it's not muddy when it rains, is green and weeds aren't taking it over, I'm happy.

Robert,
I use Halt's Crabgrass preventer in the Spring and a spot spray of Weed be gone in the summer. I mow frequently too which helps more than anything. Thick grass helps choke out the weeds.

Do you have St. Augustine grass?

jenkinsph said:

Robert,
Do you have St. Augustine grass?

Click to expand...

No, but I have just about everything else.
I feel as though I have won the battle for the last 3 years, but the fighting continues. By far my biggest concern or worst weed is called Pusley, we have 2 varieties here Florida Pusley and Brazilian Pusley. This is a low lying weed that grows out from the center incredibly fast with 10's of thousands of seeds. The root grows straight down, deep, and is quite large and robust, much larger than you would expect for a weed of it's size. I target this weed specifically and have for 5 years. I have removed it by hand by the wheelbarrowful. The worst part about this weed is that as it gets larger it crowds out the bahia grass. I often wonder if it has a hormone of somekind that inhibits the growth of plants in it proximity. I have seen lawns that have been completely ruined by this plant, so I felt that I can't afford to ignore it, limiting my options.
After consulting with several county extensions and 2 universities, I've decided it will soon be known as the the most difficult weed to control, an invasive plant it wil probably spread from Florida into other parts of the country. (ever wonder if the lawn care companies purposefully introduce weeds so they will sell more control products, it would not be hard to do)
Here's a picture of my nemesis, the root is shown next to the stalk and leaves. I use this picture (taken several years ago) to use as an indentification tool. Weeds have many different names in different locations, you may have this already but call it something else. This species is Florida pusley. Brazilian pusley looks similar to a plant called purslane but I have no idea where the similarities end. That leaf would not cover a dime. Look at the seed head! A large plant 12-14" in diameter ( the plant grows prostrate amd does not use stomates (thank god) will have a dozen or more heads like that.
The hotter it gets the faster it grows.

When I planted my lawn 3 years ago, I dug up the area and tilled the old grass that had been naturally occurring under. I did it in sections as I had time, and I separated as many weeds out from the loose soil as I could by hand. Only a few weeds sprout up here and there and as I see them, I spray them right away or dig them out. It was work on the front end, but easy upkeep now.