Weeds and Wintergreen Lawn

[TomDunreedy]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone has had experience in weeds invading a wintergreen lawn ?
I have a lawn with plenty of weeds and I don't mind pulling them out but was wondering there was a weed & feed solution I could give the lawn that would make my life easier?

I could ask the guys at Bunnings but was hoping someone here has had a similar issue and found the best solution.

Thanks and sorry if this post has been asked before.

Tom

[Sturdee]

I have the opposite problem so I can't help you. My nature strip is a lawn of weeds and I have a few bits of grass trying to grow in it.


Peter.

[scooter]

Gday Tom, as wintergreen is a type of couch, ie. a grass or monocot, you can use a broadleaf herbicide to target the weeds, commonly available types usually contain one or more of MCPA, Bromoxynil (sp?), dicamba, & mecoprop.

I have used Kamba M (dicamba & MCPA) with good results, not on that species of grass though. Can't see why it'd be different.

Kleen Lawn (dicamba & mecoprop) is another commonly available one.

Follow the instructions re application rates, etc.

I reckon you're better off fertilising and targetting weeds as separate activities, use a slow release type lawn fertiliser for the feeding, and the broadleaf weeder for the weeding.


Good luck................cheers...............Sean

[David L]

IMHO weeding and feeding should be carried out as two separate operations to be successful, using products as suggested by Scooter above.

[Terrian]

IMHO weeding and feeding should be carried out as two separate operations to be successful, using products as suggested by Scooter above.

True, but there is always products like 'Weed N Feed', both in spray (attach garden hose and spray) or as a powder (20kg bags I think)

[Spelunx]

True, but there is always products like 'Weed N Feed', both in spray (attach garden hose and spray) or as a powder (20kg bags I think)


I didn't have much luck with this type of product. It appeared to work for a while, but then my lawn ended up with Dollar-spot, which is a fungal infection and difficult to get rid of. Also, the lawn really never thrived like it did when I separated to two functions.

Cheers

Jayson.

[TomDunreedy]

Thanks to all who replied.
I think I'll fertilise the lawn properly, and apply a weed killer to the weeds, i.e. 2 functions.
With the weed killer (say Kamba M or Kleen lawn) - if I attack all the weeds hard, will the lawn be OK ?
I'm just a little worried I'll get bald/yellow patches around the weeds I try and kill...

Thanks

[Planned LScape]

If you use the powder Weed N Feed it leaves black spots on your lawn, but this is just the broadleaf chemical reacting to water and doing it's thing. Watch the pets if you have any too

I would go and buy a selective herbicide specifically for broadleaf weeds, just make sure it won't affect your lawn type, some can go a bit yellow even though the actual grass isn't a broadleaf.

[scooter]

if I attack all the weeds hard, will the lawn be OK ?
I'm just a little worried I'll get bald/yellow patches around the weeds I try and kill...

The herbicide is highly unlikely to affect the lawn grass, just read the table that specifies the mixing & application ratios, it will point out if some grasses are a little sensitive, buffalo can be one I seem to recall. Seeing you have wintergreen, look for any couch reference & note that.

Not really an issue at this time of year, but spraying in the real heat of a summer's day can lead to leaf burn on the lawn, so do early or late in the day in summer to avoid this.

Bear in mind that some broadleaf herbicides, such as dicamba, used in greater concentrations can kill larger broadleaf plants such as trees. Easy to avoid this, don't spray or allow drift near the foliage of nearby trees.

Some "weed & feed" type products contain iron which leaves black marks on concrete, not sure if that's what Planned Lscape has seen but won't be an issue with the sprays you mentioned.

Good point about keeping pets away when spraying & afterwards when the weeds are still wet, once again the label will mention any danger to stock (animals) or fish.

You will find a couple of weeks after you spray the leaves will curl up on the weeds and some will look dead but some just sick. If you give them a kick with your toe you will often find that the roots will have shrivelled up & they will just fall out of the ground.

It's good to have a dedicated sprayer for your broadleaf weeder, if you have to use the same one for total weedkillers such as Roundup ensure you triple rinse the spray unit, hose, wand etc between different types. Good to have one for each, can just spot spray regularly then.

If you have a lot to do, you could also get some spray dye to mix in with the herbicide. This is usually available in liquids or tablet form, red or blue coloured and show where you have already sprayed. The colour just fades afterwards.

Wear gloves when handling any of these chemicals, especially the dye :D:D


Re the fertilising, ideally apply a coated/slow release type, these don't usually have to be watered in, & can wait for the next rain; as opposed to non coated types that must be watered in thoroughly or they can burn the grass. They also dump all their nutrients at once, as against the coated types that release it gradually over a longer period of time. Keep the fertiliser off the paths, too, as above they sometimes contain iron for good dark green colour (which is good) but it leaves black spots when wet.


Cheers.....................Sean

[David L]

With regard to dollar spot it can be controlled with an application of Nitrogen fertiliser or a mixture high in Nitrogen.

If not using slow release fertiliser I would still recommend waiting a couple of weeks after applying weed spray to allow it to do it's job, other wise it can cancel out the effects and the weeds can out grow the herbicide.
Thus the reason I do not use Weed and Feed.

[Terrian]

I didn't have much luck with this type of product. It appeared to work for a while, but then my lawn ended up with Dollar-spot, which is a fungal infection and difficult to get rid of. Also, the lawn really never thrived like it did when I separated to two functions.


on a couch / rye lawn I had (past tense) out the back, weed n feed worked very well, I was more than happy with it.

[Terrian]

Some "weed & feed" type products contain iron which leaves black marks on concrete, not sure if that's what Planned Lscape has seen but won't be an issue with the sprays you mentioned.

No, both the powdered & spray on weed n feed both make the broad leaf weeds turn black & shrivel & die.