weed growing through new turf do we need a membrane?

[lovelypair]

hi, we had new turf laid last june, soil was rotovated sp?, new top soil put down etc, but now we have really prickly weeds coming through. had a gardener come over today and he says we need to put a membrane (whatever that is) down under the turf or the weeds will keep growing back.

dis this the only option? will weed killer not work? any advise appreciated please.

we have quite a big garden and an active toddler so have to make safe the grass!

thanks

If they are very strong-rooted weeds then the usual lawn weedkillers won't make much of a difference. But if you don't mind putting the effort in, you can either get a spot weedkiller and do each one as they come up, or else just pull the wretched things out.

It will take effort and not be an instant solution, but I think it would be a lot cheaper than having him take up all the lawn, put in a membrane, then put the turf back on top, which I assume is what he means.

Have never heard of putting a membrane down for a lawn. You can use a selective weedkiller like lawn feed and weed. This type of weedkiller will only kill broad leaved plants and leave the grass alone. Not sure how long you'll have to leave it before letting toddler on it again, you'd have to read the label.

Otherwise spot weeding by hand would be what I'd do. I wouldn't take the lawn up, sounds bizarre to me.

he is talking rubbish! you don't put membrane under turf - turf needs to grow into the soil. (Membrane is that stuff you see in municipal flower beds with bark over it to keep the weeds down.)

I suspect these are the wonderful creeping thistles. Rotavating the soil would have chopped up their roots and then they grow a new plant from quite small bits of root. Sounds worse than it is. Use spot weedkiller, or even salt, or dig them up individually (you will need one of those pointy trowels as their roots may go down quite deep). Keep on top of them and eventually they will give up.

How on earth does he think you'll grow grass on top of a membrane? The point of membrane is that stuff won't grow through it, you cut it so that you can plant plants into it.

I'd be checking out the weedkillers if i were you, which one you choose depends on what you're trying to kill. Don't put it on too thick though, you'll scorch the grass (as DH discovered!)

You're always going to get weeds growing in your lawn as seeds from the weeds will be blown onto it.

That's why you use feed weed and mosskiller twice a year. You can also buy spot weedkillers for use on lawns.

I think the gardener is desparate for work!!

Phew! I had never heard of a membrane either! As we only had the turf laid last year we haven't been able to use anything on it, but will have a look in homebase for weedkiller, feed weed etc

Thanks!