[Olylawnboy]

I have 15k ft of what used to be nice turf 15 years ago, to try and rehabilitate. It belongs to the woman I rent my shop space from. It's so covered with weeds now that I expect the grass will be totaly gone in another two years.
The property is surounded by a native plant nursery that want's no use of chems on the property, and I can understand that.
So I'm asking what can I do to knock out broadleaf weeds organicly in a good sized area that was and should be grass? And time is not problem, I can take a year or two or more, to get what I can when I can if I can figure out how. It's had no fert of any kind over the same 15 years either, so I do plan on areating this fall and again in spring and spreading what meal, gluten, etc and seed, what ever I can to try to get this place to get back to grass.
Any ideas?, help would be great Oh, and it's not irrigated but could be. Thanks, Oly

 

[TurfProSTL]

Maybe an application of herbicide to start off. How would this affect the neighboring nursery if you apply it correctly?

Then do your organic, no chemical, magic on the place.....

 

[Olylawnboy]

Hey thanks, but chem is just not an option for these people. And I understand what your saying and thanks

 

[NattyLawn]

You can try the Green Guardian orgnanic broadleaf weed control that Farm Crop Extracts has. They are a sponsor on here, so check that out.
If you're aerating and overseeding in the fall and spring, I would skip the CG, and apply straight organic fert.

Good Luck...

 

[kthhayes]

Got some in but no time to play as of yet, you should be able to thicken the lawn enough to kill out the weeds through over-seeding, and the correct NPK as needed in the lawn your working on. For now, get the NPK in order, and if soil conditions are favorable, areate now. First get a soil test to determine what is lacking. Also cut the lawn a bit longer, 3 1/2' to 4" to help the roots grow deeper. This process works wonders, but here in Ohio it wolnt solve the clover problem, that is why I'm trying the Green Guardian.

 

[Neal Wolbert]

Getting ready to try some Green Guardian for broadleaf weeds in Washington State. Care to share your experience with this product with me? Neal

 

[sheshovel]

Well this is what I would do.Cut it as low as you can,moisten it well then put a thick mill plastic sheeting over the whole area,black is fine cuz you dont really want to solarize it with clear stuff.Then pin it down tight all round so hardly any air gets in,then wait 2 months in the hot summer.take it off or look under,and make sure it is all dead.Remove the plastic rake it out well,till it and amend it and seed the heck out of it.in fall

 

[FLD]

Sheshovel,

Would this not kill everythingunder the plastic, both good and bad? KIlling the weeds and the microbs also?

 

[SodKing]

Sheshovel,

Would this not kill everythingunder the plastic, both good and bad? KIlling the weeds and the microbs also?

Thats the iea. there are no effective organics that will control just broadleaf weeds. You will not use a selective herbicide even though when used properly and drift is managed, it will offer no harm to your native plants.

If you want to control all the broadleaf weeds without the use of control products grab your favorite steak knife and go out and hand weed the area.

 

[NattyLawn]

Sheshovel,

Would this not kill everythingunder the plastic, both good and bad? KIlling the weeds and the microbs also?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but UV rays kill microbes, but if they have nothing to feed on, their number might drop anyway.

 

[SodKing]

Have you offered to spray the area with a shielded sprayer?

 

[FLD]

Killing everything with the plastic would bring you to the pint of steril soil. The you would have to start over with compost and foods to rebuild the soil. Would it not be better to do a complete soil test to see what the soil needs so the grass can out compete the weeds. Grass grows better in a soil with a one to one bacterial to fungal biomass, so if the weeds have taken over slowly over the last 15? yrs, it seens that the soil is missing something that the grass needs to out compete the weeds. Testing is expensive, but it is the only sure way to know what the soil needs. We use SFW New York but David said that he knew/used? a less expensive lab. David?

 

[organictwo]

Use the Green Guardian product. Spray it once a week for three weeks, and then aerate, seed, and water.

After establishment, you will have to do the three-spray program again and the weeds will be wiped out.

I use the green guardian- selective broadleaf product with terrific results.

 

[cowboy bob]

Could you tell me more about Green guardian. I am looking into starting up an organic program. Where do you get it from? Also what is the price?

 

[NattyLawn]

Could you tell me more about Green guardian. I am looking into starting up an organic program. Where do you get it from? Also what is the price?

Green Guardian is a site sponsor and have a forum on here. Price is dependent on how much you're purchasing.

www.farmcropextracts.com

 

[trying 2b organic]

I have renovated many lawns chemical free. My best and most cost effective results in a case such as yours is from:

1. Topdress with compost (1 yd per k)
2. Heavy overseed
3. Organic based starter fert.

With proper watering you will have a new lawn. Do it at a time where you get less competition from weeds. For eg here in PNW I would do it in March not May.


btw dont worry about killing benificial micro organisms. They are easily replaced. A skim of compost or an app of compost tea will do it, thats for the above posting about killing with black plastic.

edit, my compost is a local product called sea soil, use excellent compost that you know has been made weed free.

 

[Norm Al]

here you go,,,try this... www.crabgrassalert.com somebody will probably come up with a dumb reason why you shouldnt try it tho!

 

[TurfProSTL]

^ I wouldn't apply anything without being able to check out the label first.

What exactly is this stuff? How much do you apply? What is the cost?

 

[Norm Al]

did you check out the label for corn gluten? did it work? how much does it cost?

man dude make an investment,,,,call the people,,,,,you got any other alternatives for killing weeds?

 

[TurfProSTL]

I figured it was over-priced, small packages of corn gluten. The company is so proud of this fact it doesn't post the label on-line and lists the ingredients on the MSDS as proprietary (top secret).

No thanks.

For crabgrass, I will continue to use lower-rate pre-emergent herbicides. Dimension, for example, does a decent job at a single application rate of 1/4 of a pound AI per acre. Costs less, easier on trucks and equipment and applicators, and does a better job than CGM ever will. And you are spreading out 1/4 lb of chemical (eek) over an acre of turf.....