weeds in the lawn

[Monkey533]

or should I say, grass in the weeds?

Seriously, my lawn is sadly about 40% weeds. Mostly clover and dandelion, but also a few prickly ones that really hurt if you step on them barefoot which I have to good fortune to do often enough in the summer.

I'd really like to try to tackle it this year and am looking for recommendations. Heavy clay soil so digging up, though I imagine necessary, is a a right pain. I've broken a few daisy grubber tools in the past (just cheap b&q ones) so any sturdy tools would be of interest. Are the long handled four-prong thingys any good? Any good methods for tackling it?

TIA

[roisin]

If it's really that bad, I would just dig them all out with a trowel. Then add some lawn feed and fertilizer, and overseed the whole lawn. Now is a great time of year to do this. There are some great videos on Youtube on how best to prepare the lawn for this.

When you've planted the grass seed, keep children and animals off the grass for a few weeks and don't cut it too early until it's established.

I dug a load of daisies out of our lawn (in patches) 2 weeks ago, but the cold temperatures have stopped the grass seed germinating so far. I hope it warms up soon and my grass starts growing!

[Monkey533]

I pulled some out the other day and my 4 year old got all excited when he saw. "Look, a rabbit hole". It really makes such a mess. :(

[Ferguson]

Wolf do a weed-extractor, which can go on their T-handle or on a smaller handle. Wolf tools are amongst the most robust and versatile, and worth the extra expense. (Not sure what 'four-prong' thing is, but not as good as Wolf I shouldn't think.) Also they do a wheeled scarifier, and a hollow-tine aerator, but I don't think you need those at this stage. You could aerate with a digging-fork and 'waggle' it around.

But I would have thought a good 'weed-feed-mosskill' treatment would be better, as at least it should boost the grass that is there, and in due course get rid of the weeds. (But maybe that isn't an option with young children to consider.)

[debbiedlemur]

Just think of it as a Wildflower meadow instead! Bees love clover, dandelions etc, just dig up the prickly ones if they are a problem.

[AlternativeTentacles]

Yes, dig up the pricklies, and mow only where you want it mowing...a path and somewhere to put some seating/play is enough. And have lovely long grass in the summer.

[NorahDentressangle]

Leave the clover as it is green and doesn't get too high, buy a spot weedkiller (spray or dabber, if they're still available) and do the dandelions and thistles. It seems a huge job but if you get rid of them early in the year that will be it until next year. Do them as soon as they appear to be growing, in the next few weeks. Scatter seed over the area as they will die and leave gaps and rake the seed in a bit.
Keep DCs off when weedkiller is wet.

[MoreBeta]

You could try turfing it?

Just had my lawn done this way as it was a weedy, moss covered mess beyond repair after when we bought the house and umpteen builders mixing concrete and plaster on it and dropping all sorts of stuff didn't help.

Total garden makeover admittedly and you would need to keep the DCs off it about 8 weeks. Turf is surprisingly cheap and if it isn't too big a project and you keep it well watered it might be the best solution.

[PurpleWithRed]

If the ground is rubbish grass won't ever be very happy there. Can you get it relaid? If you do, make sure there is proper prep done on the underlying soil.

Or you can go the long term improvement route - scarify, prick it with a fork, weed n feed and top dress (RHS website will help).

Just weed n feed alone will improve it gradually, it will never be a croquet lawn but it won't be as awful.

Or just live with it with the 'wildflower' route above. It won't be a beautiful wildflower meadow and you will need to trim it in the autumn or you'll end up with an impossible tussocky mess, and it won't be full of flowers, but it will be fun for the kids.

[NormHonal]

For all of the money you will spend on tools and fertiliser etc, we actually found it was cheaper to get in a company like Green Thumb (we found a local version) to treat our lawn. It came up beautifully in no time. I know it's using chemicals though, and not everyone will want to do that.

[shovetheholly]

I have heard great things about those lawn companies.

But I also want to add my voice to those saying that it's worth embracing some weeds. By all means, wage bloody war on the dandelions and pricklies (in fact, start right now with the former, before they flower and seed). But daisies are lovely - why would you want a boring monoculture, when you could have those? Clover - ditto. I've actually been trying to get it to grow in my lawn, and it won't take .