Weeds in yard...what to use to kill them?

[Skeeter]

You cannnot use 2-4-D on St Augustine or Centipede grass. But they do make weed killers for those type of lawns. My lawn is part St Augustine, but it is still dormant.

I bought 4 quarts of MSMA, pre ban. A little goes a long way. Just wish I had bought more Diazinon or DDT before it was banned.

[Arthurswife]

Who is the best service to call, that REALLY works on various weeds? I couldn't spray my whole yard myself or a 10 year kid... Feedback appreciated

[Frisco Girl]

We've used Off Duty Fireman and Son 972-951-8024

Costs about $65 including a thorough spring clean-up.

[Arthurswife]

Originally Posted by Frisco Girl

We've used Off Duty Fireman and Son 972-952-8024

Costs about $65 including a thorough spring clean-up.

Thats a reasonable price...however, did it require multiple times to become effective?

[Frisco Girl]

Originally Posted by Arthurswife

Thats a reasonable price...however, did it require multiple times to become effective?

No, just one time.

Just remember to unlock your gate......otherwise they will climb over....lol

They told me they were coming out on a certain day but actually came out a day or two early and our gate was locked.

[bizguy]

Originally Posted by Frisco Girl

No, just one time.

Just remember to unlock your gate......otherwise they will climb over....lol

They told me they were coming out on a certain day but actually came out a day or two early and our gate was locked.

Well you would hope that "Offduty Fireman and Son" would know how to use a ladder...

You probably lucky they didn't chop a hole in the fence...

[NTxMom08]

But don't let your kids touch the grass until... well until it's thoroughly washed away. "-cide" means it's meant to kill a living thing and it won't distinguish between a weed and a person. It wouldn't kill you, but clearly they are toxic. The Dirt Doctor talks a lot about how the natural program for lawncare helps create a healthy lawn with lots of biological activity, worms and stuff that helps the grass grow strong, choking out the weeds. The synthetic stuff costs more because once you use it, you have to keep using it because the lawn depends on it and won't do it itself. Fertilizer every season just places the minerals on top but the dirt is dead underneath, especially from the pesticides and herbicides.

[bizguy]

Originally Posted by NTxMom08

But don't let your kids touch the grass until... well until it's thoroughly washed away. "-cide" means it's meant to kill a living thing and it won't distinguish between a weed and a person. It wouldn't kill you, but clearly they are toxic. The Dirt Doctor talks a lot about how the natural program for lawncare helps create a healthy lawn with lots of biological activity, worms and stuff that helps the grass grow strong, choking out the weeds. The synthetic stuff costs more because once you use it, you have to keep using it because the lawn depends on it and won't do it itself. Fertilizer every season just places the minerals on top but the dirt is dead underneath, especially from the pesticides and herbicides.

He is a little over the top, IMO. Last time I tuned in he was waxing poetic about how vaccinations were killing everyone since they weren't "natural". Just because something is toxic to a weed does not mean that it is toxic for humans. I wouldn't let my kid drink the stuff, but going outside to play isn't going to hurt them.

[bard]

I prefer Neil Sperry. Here are hits notes for this time of year.

Early Spring Lawn Care
by Neil Sperry on Monday, February 21, 2011 at 3:35pm ·

Many of you are asking about specific tasks of early spring lawn care. Hopefully this Note will answer most of your questions.

Scalp the lawn to remove brown, winter-killed stubble. Scalping is the process of dropping your mower blade one or two notches, then mowing to trim off the dead blades. Bag the clippings and use them either as a mulch or in the compost pile. By exposing the soil to more sunlight, it will warm up more quickly, causing the grass to green up faster. The new green blades will also show up better and earlier, so your lawn will appear to be weeks ahead of lawns that haven't been scalped. Scalping also eliminates many early-spring weeds, however, it's a dusty process. Wear goggles and a quality respirator.


Apply a broadleafed herbicide to eliminate clover, dandelions and other non-grassy weeds. You'll find several products in nurseries and hardware stores, most of them containing 2,4-D. Read and follow the label's directions for the best control and to avoid damage to desirable trees and shrubs nearby. Many of you have asked if there are "weed-and-feed" granular products that I would recommend, and the answer is "No!" I believe it is much more prudent to apply a broadleafed weedkiller as a spray directly to the weeds, rather than applying it in tandem with fertilizer to the entire lawn. Further, the best time to apply weedkillers is generally 4 to 6 weeks earlier than the best time to apply fertilizers to turf.



Apply a pre-emergent weedkiller to stop the germination of crabgrass, grassburs and other warm-season annual grassy weeds. Dimension is one common type of pre-emergent that you'll see in retail garden centers. Others are Halts, Balan, Barricade and Team. Each gives 100 to 110 days of control of germinating weeds. Timing is critical. The dates I am giving are for the Texarkana/DFW/Abilene/Midland/Odessa corridor. If you are way south of that line, make your applications 1 to 2 weeks earlier. If you are way north of that line, add 1 to 2 weeks. So, the dates: In that corridor, make your first application by mid-March and a second "booster" application 90 days later, in early June. These materials are safe around trees and shrubs, and they're safe for any type of lawngrass. Do not, however, use them on new turf until it has gone through its first winter.



Water your lawn during prolonged dry spells, even though it's still comparatively cool. Soils dry out quickly during the spring winds. If you want your lawn and landscape to green up and start growing quickly, you'll need to water all areas deeply.



Check your sprinkler system to be sure it's accurately adjusted and that all parts are functioning properly. Check each head to ensure it's putting out a normal pattern of spray, and that it's aimed in the correct direction. Look for sprays of water that would indicate broken pipes or missing heads. If the soil around the lowest head on a given station is constantly wet, check the valve to be sure it's closing properly. Grits of sand can become lodged against the gasket, or the gasket's rubber itself may have turned hard and dry. This would be a good spring to install a "smart" controller if you don't already have one.



Fertilize your lawn, but don't rush to do so. First feeding in South Texas should be March 15. In Central Texas, April 1. In far North Texas/Panhandle April 15. Have your soil tested to determine the best fertilizer for your needs. Don't be surprised if the test suggests that you apply an all-nitrogen fertilizer in clay soils and a 4-1-2 ratio high-nitrogen fertilizer in sandy soils. Choose a quality fertilizer with half or more of its nitrogen in slow-release form. Again, I am NOT an advocate of weed-and-feed products. Of course, I'd be happy to see you use Neil Sperry's Texas Best 24-0-0 (all-nitrogen) Fertilizer or Neil Sperry's Texas Best 24-6-12 (high-nitrogen, 4-1-2 ratio) Fertilizer. Here is a link to the list of dealers: http://www.neilsperry.com/pages/neil...rtilizers.html



Level your lawn. If your lawn is uneven, make plans to level it after it has greened up and started growing, probably late April or May. Use weed-free topsoil if you're filling areas an inch or deeper, or dry mortar sand for shallow fills.



Start new turf. Spring is the ideal time to start new lawns. Common bermuda is extremely durable and drought-tolerant. St. Augustine grows best in full sun, but it tolerates shade. Zoysias are intermediate between the two, but growing in popularity. Buffalograss should be confined to areas where bermuda will not invade it. There is no product that can eliminate bermuda in buffalograss without damaging the buffalograss at the same time. You can sod bermuda aned zoysia almost anytime in the spring, but seeding and hydromulching should wait until after mid-April. St. Augustine sod will re-establish more quickly once the soils warm, probably after early to mid-April. Keep the new grass moist until it establishes deep roots.



Possibly aerate your lawn. If you have an accumulation of thatch (undecomposed organic matter that is on top of the soil but beneath the runners), rent an aerator in late April or May. Core aerators work best, since they actually remove a small cylinder of the thatch and topsoil, allowing air, moisture and nutrients into the soil. Given that exposure to water and air, the thatch layer will also break down. Dethatching machines flail the grass and can do serious harm. In reality, you probably will never need to aerate or dethatch lawns under normal conditions.

[Sticky Davis]

Granulawn - I've used them for 25+ years - no weeds and my yard just stays green. Never have to pull weeds.