Reddit mentions: The best weed & moss control products

Alright, I'll tell you what I would do if I were you. Keep in mind that this isn't the only way to do things.

You have about 2.5 acres, so anything high maintenance is going to be out the window. That'll be too expensive for you. So we'll go with something that's a little lower-maintenance.

Kill off the salad bar (optional)

This step would be getting rid of the weeds. You have two options for this.

1. Kill off most broadleaf weeds
   
2. Kill off all the weeds.
   
   If you go with option 1, you'll need glyphosate. I gave you an Amazon link, but you can also find the same thing at your local big-box hardware store. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in RoundUp, in case you were curious. Mix it up, spray it everywhere. If you did it right, everything will be dead in 14 days.
   
   If you go with option 2, I'd recommend anything with the active ingredient 2,4-D. Again, I gave you an Amazon link, but you can also find a ton of similar products at a Home Depot or Lowe's. You can also go with a granular option but I don't like those as much if you have animals, because it'll stick around longer and possible be bad for your doggie. Up to you, though.
   
   In either case, if you go with the liquid option, you'll want to keep a few things in mind:
   
   

• Spray in the morning or evening, whenever there's no wind or breeze. You don't want this stuff just drifting around.
  
• Keep your dog off the parts that you've sprayed for a day. Let the stuff dry. Once it's dried and absorbed by the plants, it'll be safe for your dog unless the dog eats a lot of the sprayed vegetation.
  
• You'll be safe to seed 7 days after applying these products. So if you spray on a Saturday, the first day you'd be safe to throw down seed would be the following Sunday.
  
  You might be thinking about weed and feed products. I try to stay away from weed and feed products because the vast majority of the time you don't need weed control literally everywhere, but in your case that might be what you need. I don't know if a weed and feed product would interfere with seed germination, so you'd have to do your own research on that one. Getting rid of weeds without seeding would allow the hard-to-kill weeds (crabgrass, goosegrass, dallisgrass, creeping charlie, etc.) to flourish, because you've just eliminated their competition. I wouldn't advise not seeding if you're going to kill things.
  
  

  Initial seeding
  

  This is seriously pushing the spring seeding window with timing right now, so this step may not be for you. You'll have to make your best guess based on your current temperatures.
  
  I'd go with Turf Type Tall Fescue, for the following reasons:
  
  

• Good drought tolerance
  
• Good wear tolerance (because dog)
  
• Reasonable disease tolerance
  
• Won't be a magazine-quality showoff lawn, but still looks really good when managed correctly.
  
• Is relativley low-maintenance, compared to bluegrass or bermudagrass.
  
• Low cost to seed.
  
• Can grow reasonably well outside its typical plant hardiness zones.
  
• You can spray pretty much any herbicide on it for weed control, and it won't be hurt unless you do something seriously wrong
  
  
  Since you have a lot of space to seed, don't feel the need to go with expensive, pretty cultivars. Cheap is fine, and your dog won't care. This is what most homeowners go with. Can't go wrong with it. Or you could go with K31. It won't grow in as pretty as the Scott's, but it'll still look fine, and you'll get solid turf out of it. My parents just seeded 4 acres with it in NJ, and they're very happy with the results.
  
  Spread your seed around with a broadcast spreader, following the pounds-per-square-foot recommendation on the bag. Don't be afraid to look secondhand for a broadcast spreader, as sometimes they're needlessly pricey. I got one on craigslist for fifteen bucks, in like new condition.
  
  Once your seed is down, make sure you keep everything wet. Not sopping, dripping, the ground is soaked wet, but enough to keep it moist so that the seeds have enough water to germinate. Rain is certainly a help, as is the morning dew. If it's unusually hot or dry, you'll have to water it yourself. Your tall fescue should germinate in roughly 14 days, and should be ready for its first mowing within six weeks. You'll have to be the judge on when it's ready.
  
  

  Feeding
  

  You don't have to put down fertilizer at the same time as you put down seed, but you should do it within a week or two, so those little seedlings will have all of the nutrients they'll need to grow. Personally I go with this brand because of cost, although they changed the packaging so that it now looks like this. If you find a better deal on one, good for you, go ahead and get it, and let me know where it is :).
  
  Once your yard is established, you won't really need anything else except good old trusty milorganite. It's an organic fertilizer, so it's totally safe for the dog, and it's more of a soil treatment than anything else. If you want to spend the extra money and put it down 5 times a year (spring green-up, early summer, July 4th, late summer, and early fall), go for it. You can't possibly hurt your lawn with milorganite. I seriously can't say enough good things about it. If you want to save a few bucks, I'd say the best times to put it down are spring green-up, mid-summer, and early fall.
  
  You might see a lot of products like Scott's lawn food. These are mostly nitrogen, and will push green leafy growth, but kinda neglect root growth and all-around plant health. It's great if your dog is really wearing the turf down and it needs a boost, but for most people it really isn't necessary. Plus, budget, amirite?
  
  

  Fall and overseeding
  

  If you want to, you could ignore your yard until the fall, skip everything I just said, and start here. Fall is the best time to seed. Whether or not you'll start now (early May), you should definitely overseed in the fall. Same as above, but skip the weed-killing steps. Weeds don't really germinate in the fall. Not really part of their survival plan. Fall seeding allows some seed to come up right before winter, so that your turf has a real advantage over encroaching weeds come springtime.
  
  

  General tips
  

  Your turf type tall fescue (TTTF) will thrive best when mowed high. 3.5"-4" is the sweet spot. At this height, the blades are nice and long so they can absorb a lot of sunlight, and they're also tall enough to shade out a lot of competing weeds, stopping them before they can take over.
  
  Some weeds can't be controlled with stuff you find at the hardware store. For tough ones like crabgrass, you'll have to kill them with quinclorac, the brand name of which is Drive (or Drive XLR8, or Drive 75DF, or something similar). Nutsedge or nutgrass you'll have to controll with SedgeHammer, or a similar product with sulfentrazone. Nothing will kill invading bermudagrass except RoundUp, unfortunately.
  
  Put down a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring. This stuff stops seeds from germinating, so don't use it when you're overseeding. Putting this stuff down will stop crabgrass and goosegrass from germinating, so that you won't have to spend outrageous amounts of money trying to eliminate weeds from your grass in the heat of summer. Seriously it's worth it.
  
  Check out this guy's YouTube channel. Watch the videos from when he lived in Indiana, because he had a TTTF lawn, and did a really good job with it. There's days worth of content there, and he'll answer questions you didn't even know you had.
  
  

  Summing up
  

  I don't know how much you already know, and I'm sorry if I explained way too much or you feel pandered to. I just really like this stuff, and I want to be helpful. I gave you a full plan for a complete overhaul. Not all of this may be necessary for you. I won't be mad if you decide to not do a lot of these things. Having just bought a house myself, it's still very fresh in my mind how much work moving and setting everything up is. Please let me know if you have any questions or want clarifications on stuff.
  
  Happy lawn-ing!

I'm just up a bit north in MA 6B, so I can help.

I just read through this entire thread. You're doing it all wrong.

1. You can seed till the cows come home, but you're just committing turf genocide with your routine.
   
2. You put 60lbs of Scott's stuff for 1000 sq ft. Either you're measuring your yard incorrectly, or you just dumped waaaay too much synthetic fertilizer on your lawn. And you did it only once all season. Shame. I have about 10000 sq ft of yard, and 60lbs of synthetic is plenty enough for the spring. Nevermind, I read incorrectly. You still need to fertilize more than once a season.
   
3. You need water. Cool season grass (which is what you likely have) needs water in the spring, lots of water in the summer, and water in the fall. Water it no more than 3 days a week. The amount you're watering each day depends on how hot it is. So, it might be 10-20 minutes in Apr May, but it'll be closer to 45-60 minutes in June-Sept.
   
4. TTTF = mowing height of 4". KBG = mowing height of 3".
   
   What you need to do is fix your thinking. Want lush, green, thick grass? You need to spend money on water and fertilizer. Want to save money on watering? You need to accept that your yard will be full of weeds and patchy brown grass. You also need to accept that the lawn will go dormant in July and August. That's fine. Let it go yellow, but keep it alive with water 1-2 times a week.
   
   Here's the plan:
   
   
5. Get a smart irrigation timer. Rain Machine or Rachio. Pick one. It'll save you on your water bill way better than a manual timer. If you're just using a hose, then ignore the fancy timer. Water 2-3 times per week, and eliminate 1 day for every 1" of natural rain you get that week. When you water, make sure you do it enough so that the soil is soft. Not sopping wet, just moist and soft enough that you can drive a screwdriver down 4-6" easily.
   
6. Prep soil and seed. Seed and drop starter fertilizer (dosed for your lawn). 1 month after germination drop another round of fertilizer. So, what kind of seed? North facing - that's typically not a sunny spot, so pick a northeastern mix or one that has fine fescue mixed in with it. You can also get shade friendly KBG mix. Really, a TTTF and FF mix will probably better suit you. It's what I put on my east facing side that has a tree shading it. All other parts of my lawn are a TTTF KBG mix, since they're sunny and South facing.
   
7. Follow proper mowing and watering guidelines. If you want your grass to go dormant, then water just enough to keep it alive during summer heat. That's probably about 1x per week DEEEP.
   
8. Fertilize your lawn according to how it's supposed to grow/sleep. If you want it green, it's growing. So fertilize it Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day if using synthetic. If using Milorganite, fertilize it monthly. If you are going to allow it to go dormant, then only fertilize it with Milorganite Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. The reason is if you feed a sleeping lawn it's going to try to get out of dormancy. Same thing with water. Too much water, and you get your lawn out of dormancy. What you don't want to do is get your lawn to go back and forth too much. It stresses it and wastes nutrients that it's trying to store for survival. So pick one and stick with it. Dormant vs green.
   
9. Since the lawn is young, you want the roots to go deep and establish for the winter. You also want to bring in reinforcements to replenish casualties of summer. In late August or EARLY September, overseed with a slit seeder. Water daily enough to keep the soil moist for the seed. Drop starter fertilizer and again at 1 month after germination. Water and fertilize rated for growing grass (e.g. 2-3x per week deep enough to stick a screwdriver down 4-6" easily.
   
10. In the fall, mow it lower and more frequently. It forces the grass to spread and establish root depth.
    
11. Just before the first frost of the season (usually around Thanksgiving) winterize your lawn. Put down a combination of Milorganite AND fall fertilizer. It'll feed the lawn w/o growing it and get it boosted for the winter.
    
12. DO NOT WATER AT NIGHT. Water super early at 4-5am or by 9-10am at the latest. Watering early will minimize water loss from hot air since it'll have soaked into the soil before the hot sun bakes it off. Watering overnight will allow it to keep the leaves wet and promote fungus, since no sun dries off the leaves.
    
13. Minimize your use of weed killer on young grass. Not until its 2nd month after germinating should you use weed killer.
    
14. Use a pre-emergent before crabgrass breaks through. Plenty of topics on that subject, but I use Tenacity. It's pricey, but you can put it down, then drop seed over it w/o negative effects on your new seed. Other pre-emergents will prevent germination.
    
    So, what do I do?
    
    

• I seed in the spring (or do dormant seeding in the winter).
  
• 1 dose of starter fertilizer in the spring.
  
• Milorganite or Bay State Fertilizer every 2-4 weeks.
  
• Water 3x per week deep during the spring and fall, 1x per week deep during the summer. I use a Rain Machine to figure out the rain adjustments to my watering.
  
• I overseed in the fall if I have casualties.
  
• I hand mostly hand pick my weeds, and use 2,4D only if I have to.
  
• I use tenacity to control my crabgrass and poa annua.
  
  Choose your adventure, and good luck.
  
  Edit: fixed details that I misread about your routine.

Haha sorry!

So you do have grass there. It's dormant from the cold. Now is the time to prepare it for the transition to summer. The best offense against the weeds that come with summer is a good defense. A pre-emergent, like the name suggests, stops weeds before they have time to emerge/germinate. A weed control, also known as a post-emergent, is used to control the weeds that are currently visible.

http://www.imageforweeds.com/St-Augustine/index.html

The active ingredient in this product is Atrazine (always check the package label to make sure Atrazine is the listed active. Image for nuts edge is imazaquin which is not what you're looking for). It is a dual purpose herbicide that prevents and controls weeds to come and those visible. You can purchase it in a garden hose attachment form which makes application easy.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Trba9R9oU78

This is a pretty good tutorial. He's spraying ppre emergent but you can substitute any herbicide or pesticide. Measurements are key to a successful application. Measure the area of your backyard. If you have a 4,000 soft back yard, and the product calls for 1oz/1000 sqft, then you know to mix and apply for 4oz of material. Sometimes you'll see 16oz/acre ~ 16oz/44,000sqft ~ .4oz/1000sqft ~ 1.6oz/4,000sqft.

While Atrazine does a good job, it does not do a great job, and it is not your only option. Were it my lawn, I would use a half rate of Atrazine + a regular St Augustine rate of speed zone southern.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006LBBHE0

The Speedzone will catch more weeds that Atrazine will leave behind. And for a pre-emergent, I would use Barricade ( Prodiamine).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004GTQBEK/ref=pd_aw_sbs_lg_1

You can purchase it in WDG form (water dispensable granules) which allows you to dissolve it in water, mix, and spray it, OR you can apply it as granular with a spreader. You can buy it for a very high prices in flowable liquid form as well. Anytime you can spray pre-emergent either with WDG or flow able form, you will get consistently better results than granular.

One application of these three products will have you in the right direction. Mid May I would fertilize with a slow release fertilizer with iron (4.0% or higher iron content. Check the bag for percentages). You're safe to use a higher nitrogen blend like a 24-4-8 or a 34-0-4. The important aspects will be the iron and the slow release. You want to apply this at 3-4lbs/1000sqft.

Let me know if you have anymore questions. By the way repeat the pre-emergent process come September. You'll need to do pre-emergent applications every fall and spring otherwise, see original lawn photos.

If you didn't get pre-emergent down in time that is okay, you might just have an abundance of grassy type weeds later on this season. Prodiamine has a tighter window for application, and it must go down when soil temps are around 55 degrees. If you look for a product with the active ingredient of Dithiopyr, your window opens up a bit for application because it can still be effective until the first stage of crab grass growth. The only problem is that dithiopyr can be more expensive than prodiamine.

https://www.domyown.com/hiyield-weed-and-grass-stopper-with-dimension-herbicide-p-1779.html

https://www.domyown.com/dimension-2ew-herbicide-p-1494.html


Side note: pre-emergents are mostly effective against crab grass and other grassy weeds, if you have a lot of broadleaf like clover, dandelion, etc. you can easily take care of those with a "broadleaf" weed control like the 3-way herbacide I mentioned. Something with the 2,4-D ingredient is what you want. Get the concentrate in a bottle and mix it up in a 1 gallon pump sprayer with a little bit of dish soap or baby shampoo to act as a surfactant (it will help the chemical stick to the leaves better). Just don't use something like round-up that is a "NON-selective" herbacide and will kill gras.. 2,4-D is perfectly safe.

This works https://www.domyown.com/speedzone-lawn-weed-killer-concentrate-p-1515.html

Or look for the Spectracide brand at Home Depot, I've had great luck with that and it's super cheap. Look for 2,4-D and Dicamba. https://www.amazon.com/Spectracide-Weed-Stop-Lawns-Concentrate/dp/B07BBSC88Y

Here's how I would attack it:

Weed Control

1. Mow high, mow regularly for the rest of the summer.
   
2. Once the weather starts cooling down, hit it with fertilizer. Like a 30-0-8 and water it in well. This should kick the grass and weeds into a growth spurt.
   
3. 3-4 days after laying down the fertilizer, apply a selective herbicide such as Trimec, 2,4D etc... Wait a few days, then do it again.
   
4. Use multiple applications of Tenacity in a pump sprayer to take care of your crabgrass and any remaining weeds.
   
5. Any weeds that survive the above are going to need more specific help.
   
   In the spring, lay down a pre-emergent product to prevent the crabgrass and any other weed seeds from coming up.
   
   
   Overseeding
   
   
   Now that we've eased the weed pressure on your lawn, you are going to want to start thickening it up as you will suddenly have a large amount of exposed dirt.
   
   This fall, I would make sure to overseed with an appropriate seed mix for your climate. Makes sure to rake out any thatch to expose bare soil. In areas where the remaining grass is still fairly thick, you don't need to cover the new seed; if it's fairly exposed, rake it lightly into the dirt. Ideally, exposed grass seed should have ~1/8" of soil covering it.
   
   Keep the seed moist until it has full germinated (several weeks).
   
   Fertilizing
   
   Surpisingly, I am keeping the fertilization step for last, because it's arguably the biggest topic depending on how you want to go, and what your available time involvement and interest is.
   
   In short, your turf will need a certain amount of nitrogen and other nutrients. However, to go into more detail will require more time than I have right now - hopefully someone else will pick up the ball on fertilizers here.
   
   As a touchpoint, my personal fertilizer schedule is to hit it with 20lb of alfalfa pellets / 1000ft^2 four times per year, plus a 1lb / 1000ft^2 application of urea late fall as a winterizer, but your mileage may vary.
   
   Soil Test / Amendments
   
   If you are really serious about a good lawn, I would recommend taking a soil test and submitting it to Logan Labs for analysis. You can find better instructions here. That will let us give you much better help about how to amend your soil towards optimal conditions for turf growth.

In that first picture I'd take a chainsaw to some of those low branches. That'll allow for more sunlight to what looks like your front yard, and also will encourage more upward growth for the tree. It'll make the tree nice and slim. This will also give you much more sunlight to the grass in the surrounding area.

​

The fact that your house is neighboring a forest is going to be a constant issue in terms of weeds, but creating a little separator should keep that in check. It looks like the area by the fence used to be a big mulch bed and the rocks are there to contain the mulch. You'll want to spread a new layer of mulch there and keep the grass/ weeds from growing in there. Round-up is a great tool.

​

Now in terms of the grass/ weeds. The first thing you'll want to find is a nice 2 gallon sprayer and some broad-leaf herbicide. I personally use lesco eliminate-d broadleaf herbicide. I had a big problem this spring and using this herbicide vs pulling weeds out manually was a lifesaver. I used it alongside a surfactant and it was simply magical. Usually 3-4 days after you spray your yard at the proper rate you'll see all the weeds that the herbicide targets to wither and die. I understand that you have dogs and that might not be a great approach for you. If you can keep the dogs indoors and out of your yard for a few days it'll be a lot easier than pulling the weeds by hand. Now get a good mow in and the weeds should be gone. From there it depends what you want to do with your yard/ how much time and money you want to throw at it.

alright, first things first, remove the rack above, second, you want your exhaust to be passive as far uptop a you can mount it,even coming out the ceiling if you want to get real specific, but just coming out the top right side while your active intake comes in from the bottom left you will be alright(don't forget to put filtering material on both sides), unless u got something really stinky, for small grows like this i'd just use a bubble bucket, buy some pinesole and a fish tank pump with sime airstones and mix in 1000/1 pinesole and let it bubble, it will take care of the smells and cost u cpl hundred less in carbon filter. SECOND dont start with that big ass pot, go from half gallon to gallon to 3 gallon, and soon as she takes to the 3 gallon flip her 12/12, and during veg lots of training, LST, HST, topping, the whole nine so u can get the most out of that. as far as your intake goes your gonna want to place it at the bottom as hot air rises and cool air stays close to the ground. Might i suggest this 6 inch 240CFM inline fan https://amzn.to/2rLcyA9 , and in order to control your temps, humidity, and all that a variable fan speed controller, This is insane the exact same one i use. https://amzn.to/2rK8Dmn . This is just some experience coming from an old timer that knows that its all about the climate, and if you don't get that right then nothing going to go right for ya. Good luck, and i know those are dear. however i picked em for myself just because they where the cheapest and never let me down. gluck - Phil

The Acclaim Extra does more of the work in suppressing Bermuda. The Turflon Ester helps some, but is there mostly to lessen the impact of the AE on the Fescue. You need the AE. TE will work on its own if you have a little sprout pop up here and there, but it won't dent it long term on what you have going on.

I got a pint of AE each year. I use seedworldusa.com and coupon code seed4life for 10% off. They're the cheapest I've found: https://www.seedworldusa.com/products/acclaim-extra-herbicide-1-pint

Triclopyr: https://www.seedworldusa.com/products/triclopyr-4-herbicide-1-gallon (Triclopyr is the active ingredient in Turflon Ester. It's the exact same stuff, they just haven't paid for the labeling to approve it for use on ornamental lawns. You aren't really supposed to buy it this way, but it's far cheaper and I do it. Triclopyr is also a great broadleaf herbicide so you can use it other times of year to knock out most weeds.)

The other stuff I buy by the gallon, as eventually it gets used, it's far, far cheaper, and I have extra to help friends with when they have issues pop up.

I used Lazer Blue Marker from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Harvest-Concentrated-Pattern-Indicator/dp/B0049I9OBA

Southern Ag Surfactant: https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Surfactant-Herbicides-Non-Ionic/dp/B00553EREC

That's the plan that worked for me.

You've got a couple of things in there. The clover will be killed by 2,4-D, Mercopop, dicamba, etc. All easy to find stuff.

The creeping Charley is a little tougher. 2,4-d, etc will knock it back, but triclopyr really works much better.

Crossbow should work great to clear them all out. Amazon sells it, and you might be able to find it locally if you look around. It's not cheap but it's a concentrate that will go a long way. You can either mix it up in a pump sprayer, or use it with a hose end sprayer like this: http://www.lowes.com/pd_549199-446-0841010_0__?k_clickID=3bde818b-af81-4895-92ab-6a8d8bf56190&store_code=1881&productId=50074025&selectedLocalStoreBeanArray=%5Bcom.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%402df12df1%5D&storeNumber=1881&kpid=50074025&cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-LawnGarden-_-Sprayers-_-50074025%3AORTHO&DM_PersistentCookieCreated=true&CAWELAID=&CAWELAID=320011480001691978

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D0JHB5K/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687762&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004TGNLJ8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=151YDMSS7R378F7DB7F0

It depends on what type of grass you go with. Zoysia, Centepede, Bermuda, Tall Fescue, etc... I don't know much about warm season grasses, but I do know plenty about Fescue as I've been battling perfecting my lawn without hiring someone for the last two years.

You never want to aerate fescue in the spring because it brings more nutrients to the weeds that are sprouting - aerate cool season only in fall. If you must seed in the spring, you cannot put down a weed and feed. Only a feed fertilizer, in your case, a 'starter' fertilizer is needed. Follow the same steps with lime and topdressing - follow directions on lime for spreading, and watch youtube for topdressing. You will be battling weeds through the summer, like crabgrass and clover and such. Pull it up as quickly as you see it. A new one will pop up every day. It's a constant battle. Do the same for the back yard. Again, in the fall, you will now aerate, then you will overseed, and again using lime and a starter fertilizer per directions (no weed fert until winter). Will also want to topdress the lawn.

You can begin weed and feed in the winter, when you apply your winterizer fertilizer. However... You can do post-emergent spot treatment with Tenacity through the summer before you seed again. Go to YouTube for more info on this product. It's VERY important that you measure out as directed or you can risk killing the grass. I mentioned SPOT treating, because this product can also be sprayed on your entire yard, but I would not recommend that. The grass you spray will lose its color and turn white where it is applied, but it shouldn't kill the grass- only the weeds. I would only do this if you are finding yourself with weeds that you can't control by hand. I had to use this for a clover infestation and it worked ok.

No guarantee that the shaded area will take, but when you're at your local hardware store or seed shop, look for a shade Fescue blend, which is a mix of full sun and part shade strains. I have a really shaded area in my yard and the grass isn't doing too well there. I've decided to create beds out of that space anyway. Best advice for success in the back yard is to not disturb it while it's growing. No walking excessively, no dogs, etc.

Watering, for the first few weeks, twice a day, very lightly, just enough to keep the soil damp. Over watering is bad and may wash your seeds away. Once the grass has sprouted, reduce to once a day (preferably morning - never let you lawn go to bed wet), with about 5 more minutes so the water and seep to the roots. If water is pooling anywhere, shut it off. Once it's established, 2x a week for 15 min is fine, but I'd just watch your grass. If it's starting to wilt or brown, more water. If water is draining into your driveway or something, less water. I don't have this down to an exact science yet. All this should be covered in the below.

The company whose newsletter I follow each season is Super Sod. All of their tips are listed on their website and can be a good reference for you. However, they are mainly in the South East so the tips may differ because of your hardiness zone. This is why I recommend finding a company like Super Sod for zone specific recommendations.

I think the Glyphosate would be a good bet for you, it wont harm the amphibians unless you spray it directly on them, often.

Youll want to get a product like:

http://www.amazon.com/Rodeo-Aquatic-Herbicide-gallon-Glyphosate/dp/B008QC00CC

Or anything similar that has 40ish percent glyphosate. I dont know the size of your pond so you can get the amount you need. You will also need to buy a surfactant if the product doesnt come with that. Helps it penetrate the cell wall and such.

This is a good surfactant:
http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/Products.asp?mi=18911&itemnum=17132&redir=Y

No fish species will control that, dont let any hatcher folks tell you otherwise; they just want to sell grass carp. You have a pretty dense amount of vegetation so herbacide is pretty much only way.

I cover plants that already have cages or supports. Individually or sometimes in pairs. The netting drapes over the top and I secure the bottoms with a few garden staples. I just pull out a staple or two and lift the netting when I want to access the plant.

I use this type of netting, cut to fit. If I were going to try to do a wider area, I would use something more like a micromesh with hoop supports. That allows you to do a bigger area and the birds and animals won't get stuck in it like they would in a netting.

If you want to deal with this this year, I would act fast in terms of buying things. I think a product like crossbow would kill the majority of the weeds in this lawn. Pretty sure that is creeping Charlie which crossbow will take care of. However there is a wait period to overseed with that product so check the label. Once all that creeping Charlie dies, you'll want to overseed. I would recommend a Fescue or rye grass in your zone. KBG would be fine but you won't have time for it to establish after waiting the waiting period after using crossbow. Look for shade tolerant in grass like a fine Fescue or whatever you like.

Dish soap and baby shampoo work. I've never used either, but I think you need them to be as plain as possible. Quick google search should tell you what to look for/avoid. I'm a fan of this surfactant. I'd also like to second his thought on Triclopyr. I used Ortho CCO and saw amazing results after 2 applications.

I had this stuff ALL OVER my back yard and working its way into my neighbors'. I used a pre-emergent this spring around April/Early May. this is what i ordered:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H6UHDN4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

after that, around mid-June, i used this:

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Spectracide-Crabgrass-Control/4736729

I also have been cutting my grass as tall as my mower will go, which was recommended in order to help "shade out" the creeping charlie.

it is mostly gone as of now, however there are couple of spots where it survived and is now starting to come back a bit. I am planning on putting down more of the spectracide in October (right around or just after the first frost of the year), as this helps kill it over the winter while it is dormant. if i still have issues in the spring, i plan on repeating this procedure. Keep in mind, I am located in Illinois and i checked to ensure that my grass type is able to cope with the chemicals. From what I've read, this stuff is incredibly difficult to get rid of but this strategy seems to have worked quite well.

Edit: I did quite a bit of research on this before purchasing these products to ensure that they would work because apparently, there are many products that don't treat creeping charlie. Also: keep in mind that you do not want to burn out your lawn, so you need to ensure that you arent trying to do too much at once with too many chemicals. I'm going after the creeping charlie this year and possibly next year. after that, i can focus on the rest.

I do something very similar for my indeterminate tomatoes. I grow them vertically using poly twine and tomato clips. Then as they grow, you do Lower and Lean which keeps things manageable so you're not dealing with stuff 9 feet high. Trim all the stems to one or two main stems and remove the bottom foliage. I just keep the foliage above the fruit and then you have more airflow and less disease pressure. Just keep some shade on the fruit so they don't get scalded. Growing vertically is also easier since you're not bending over, but you do have to make a trellis that will handle quite a bit of weight. I have rollerhooks on the edge of my patio roof. The rollerhooks easily dispense more twine and slide along a cord too. My tomatoes are in 7 gallon grow bags with one 2 gph dripper in each bag that goes off automatically (a cheap battery operated controller on the hose bib) twice a day for 15 minutes. I put in organic (just because it's slow release) fertilizer once a month so it's totally a low-maintenance setup which is perfect since between work and my commute I only have time to play with my garden on the weekends. No digging, very little maintenance.

Tomato clips clips lock onto twine, can undo and move it
Roller Hooks I got mine at Johnny's because I only needed 5 of them
Poly Twine won't rot, holds up to 96 pounds

Indeterminate tomatoes grow as a vine, and won't stop until frost or you kill it, so it works perfectly this way.

edit: For determinate tomatoes try doing Basket Weave/Florida Weave trellising

I've gone through this a couple of times in the last four years. I used an independent insurance broker. Four years ago, when I first got insurance through them, they had a contractor come out and access my 21 year old shingle roof. Passed with flying colors. A couple of years later, supposedly that particular insurance company wouldn't renew my policy because the roof was too old. Naturally, there was another company that was willing to take on the risk for a few hundred dollars a year more. They canceled me a year later, for a reason unrelated to the roof. Insurance company number three in four years said they would insure me but the roof has a 10% deductible. House value $200K. Deductible for roof $20K. Plus, this company had someone come out and take numerous pictures of my house, inside and out. This guy takes pictures of five houses a day, five days a week. He said my shingles looked like they were five or six years old. He couldn't believe they were 25 years old. Zero mold/algae stains.

Shingle maintenance. I have done this three times in 25 years. Nineteen years ago I bought numerous gallons of Jomax and twice(?) as many gallons of bleach. Followed the instructions and used a garden sprayer to spray the shingles my 1500 Sq. Ft. house with 3000 Sq. Ft. roof. Did it again about seven or eight years later. It's sucks because my roof is 9:12 pitch and I am old. I have to tie ropes everywhere to get around on the roof. Without a rope, a slip means next stop is the ground. Knew my insurance policy had been canceled and knew of the potential problems with 25 year old roof. I had an old gallon of Jomax left over. Active ingredients O-Phenylphenol @ .25%. Since then Rustoleum bought the company that makes Jomax. They changed the ingredients. PDF Companies typically don't change ingredients to make products better. They do it to increase their profit margins. I went looking for something that contained the original ingredients. I bought a gallon of Tek-Trol from Amazon. This mixes @ 256:1. Instead of buying who knows how many gallons of Jomax @ $20 each, I bought one gallon of Tek-Trol @ $46 including shipping. Following the ratio on the Jomax container, I mixed distilled water, bleach, Tek-Trol @ 256:1 and a Non-Ionic Surfactant for Herbicides that I had laying around. This time instead of using a pump up garden sprayer, I used a submersible utility pump and about 25 feet of garden hose with a sprayer. I would mix up everything in a five gallon bucket, drop the pump in, carry it up on the roof, and spray away. That was much easer and faster than using the pump up sprayer. With old roofs that haven't been cleaned every now and then, it may be difficult to remove the mold/algae stains.

After you've pulled the plants out of the soil (that isn't covered by tiles) you can re-plant there, but you should either dig in it (with a shovel) to mix it up or use one of those claw tools (called a [cultivator] (http://www.amazon.com/True-Temper-Best-Cultivator-1983700/dp/B00004S1ZJ)) to mix up the soil. This will help disturb weeds and weed roots and also aerate the soil so the plants you want will grow better. If you need to raise the level, use potting soil or topsoil and mix it well with the existing dirt.

Round-Up and other weed killers (including "selective" ones) typically keep working on soil for a few weeks to a few months. If you use Round-Up, only use it on the tile cracks and keep it away from the plain-dirt areas or you'll have trouble growing anything.

For planting the plain-dirt area, consider putting down a [weed barrier] (http://www.amazon.com/Dewitt-50-Foot-12-Year-Barrier-12YR450/dp/B0016AJC1Q) and then wood chip mulch on top of that. The barrier cloth will block weeds from growing and help keep the soil moist, as will the mulch - and it looks pretty good. [Example] (http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/171154088-flower-garden-with-wood-chip-mulch-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=bVibIklCHsKI%2BYN0LOTfgqhkWvaOnrQ59hsrGtEEUGM%3D). Wood chip mulch comes in several different colors and is pretty inexpensive.

Is anyone really surprised? If anything I'd guess that she's an 85%-er.

For those not in the loop, Alabama has had a ton of success in football since Nick Saban became head coach in 2007. One consequence is that their fan base is roughly 15% alumni and 85% "sidewalk fans" (aka fans who have never set foot in a classroom at the University and only cheer for them when they win). The most extreme example of a sidewalk fan is Harvey Updyke.

After Auburn beat Alabama in the 2010 "Iron Bowl" (their annual rivalry game), and Auburn fan taped an Auburn jersey to the statue of legendary Bama coach Bear Bryant. Updyke got so upset that he purchased a herbicide called "Spike 80DF", drove down to Auburn and poisoned the 2 oak trees Auburn's "Toomer's Corner". He singled out these trees because after every victory, Auburn fans "roll" the trees with Toilet Paper (a tradition dating back to 1972). He was later sentenced to 3 years in jail and has been permanently banned from the University of Alabama's campus, though has publicly stated that he "wish[ed] he hadn't poisoned the trees... so that [he] could do it again". (Also of note- Updykes children are named "Crimson Tyde Updyke" and "Bear Bryant Updyke")

Yep I've got this problem as well. I got this and this. I'm hoping this will take care of it before I over seed. I will be getting it today and if it doesn't keep raining this weekend i'll be putting it down. I can do a follow up on it to let you know how it goes for me.

Thank you so much for you help. I am sending out a check for the local extension office for their soil report.

All of this is new to me. I usually just go to Lowes and by something that says crabgrass for a pre-emergent. Are these OK?


Dicamba 2,4 d
Tenacity
[Surfactant] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XDHRCE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A1AJDJ0H6GF3H&psc=1)
Backpack sprayer
pre-emergent

I wondered if that stuff worked. Figured it didn't, since even RoundUp and RoundUp For Lawns barely put a dent in my half of my weeds, even the damn dandilions.

If you're looking for a good product for lawn weeds, this is the best I've ever used by far: Bonide Chemical 310 Weed Beater Ultra Concentrate https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009ATACVO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MrW-AbJNTB4FQ You might be able to find it locally for the same price. My local places only carry the 16oz for $27, so the 32 oz is much better deal. I know, I know, same company, but it works. They're brown around the edges by the next day and start looking ill the same day. Plus you can spray it down to like 45° now.

The only reason I used RU for Lawns was because I got it on clearance at Walmart last year for $10 and $3, and figured it'd be good enough for at least dandilions. Nope. Those suckers only looked a little limp for a couple days before going right back to blooming.

I buy both the Southern Ag 2-4-d and surfactant. As you can see it is pretty cost effective as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Surfactant-Herbicides-Non-Ionic/dp/B004XDHRCE?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_3041595011

https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Killer-Control-Broad-Leaf/dp/B0072289CA?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_3041595011

Aeration has it uses like on a golf courses or you drive heavy equipment across your yard. Normal use yards don't get compacted enough to warrant the use. I use a soil conditioner and it really helps.

Pre emergent in the spring can't use it now cause it would block your grass seed from growing. You can use https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/cr/B005DUTNF0/ref=mw_dp_cr
Pre and post seed but read the directions 3 times to make sure you apply it correctly. It will cause your grass to whiten but it will come back. It's a little pricey but it will knock out a lot of weeds.

In the spring use something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Dimension-2EW-Dithiopyr-Pre-Emergent-Herbicide/dp/B0056650Z8
Or anything with dimension in it.

1.... put on funnel over the wand nozzle and spay the weeds. This prevents the wind from blowing the spray around to other areas.

2.... something like this, it works ok
https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Selective-Broadleaf-Control/dp/B0072289CA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1492125031&sr=8-7&keywords=weed+killer

2.... this is some of the best stuff but not cheap. You might be able to find it in smaller containers. Just make sure you understand how to use it and always test it first.
https://www.amazon.com/Trimec-992-Broadleaf-Herbicide-2-5/dp/B004HFT26C/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1492125200&sr=8-16&keywords=trimec

3.... Weed block but that can become a pain later on.

extra... If you have crabgrass use on of these and follow the instructions, it works great and will NOT kill your good grass.
https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Herbicide-Gallon-KILLS-CRABGRASS/dp/B0058W42QS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492124978&sr=8-1&keywords=drive+xlr8

https://www.amazon.com/Quinclorac-75-Herbicide-Quinstar-Select/dp/B015X6FP82/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1492124978&sr=8-6&keywords=drive+xlr8

That lime green stuff looks very much like crabgrass. Quinclorac with a surfactant mixed in is your best bet.

https://www.amazon.com/Quinclorac-Selective-Herbicide-Equivalent-quali-1014/dp/B006LAVM3W

Unfortunately, any local merchant that carried either one required a contractor license to allow me to purchase at the 'contractors' rate. Which was about 60-80% cheaper than most prices the general public would pay. I ended up getting both from Amazon here and here. I needed to make sure that the Amazon vendor was also able to ship to CA. As some fellow redditors have told me, some vendors honor this, others do not, but contacting the vendor directly also gives you a better idea of their shipping practices.

Awesome! Make sure you read the label - it will tell you exactly how much to mix with water for spot spraying. You also might want to add a surfactant to break down the surface tension. In a pinch, a little dish soap will do, just make sure it's not antibacterial.

Here's the one I use:

Southern Ag Surfactant for Herbicides Non-Ionic, 16oz, 1 Pint https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XDHRCE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dPTwCbGC8XNHH

Once you have the herbicide, surfactant, and pump sprayers - they should last you a few years and save you money over buying bottles of diluted weed killer.

3600 what? Rpm, I assume. It may be watts though. Either way, vfd's are for 3 phase motors. I am almost positive you can use a speed control. Being it's 110v AC.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BMR4THQ/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_Ldk3Cb18VSFCX

Something simple like this should work, if the motor has a regular 110v, 3 prong plug. If not, you should be able to make a cord for it.

This: https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Killer-Control-Broad-Leaf/dp/B0072289CA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1537328647&sr=8-3&keywords=2-4d+weed+killer

​

With a little of this mixed in: https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Surfactant-Herbicides-Non-Ionic/dp/B004XDHRCE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1537328680&sr=8-3&keywords=surfactant

(Crucial in the effectiveness, don't skip!)

​

Best if sprayed by something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FA09S2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

With an adjustable tip for good spot coverage.

You need to be using a non-ionic surfactant with the Tenacity if you want it to work best as a post-emergent.

Drive XLR8 will take care of the crabgrass without killing the grass, but it is pricey.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058W42QS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AjVqDbYZ6FW7G

I would add a non-ionic surfactant as well.

This will knock it out in about 3 days. Make sure you use a good surfactant that contains methylated seed oil.

https://www.amazon.com/Drive-XLR8-Herbicide-Gallon-CRABGRASS/dp/B0058W42QS

Liquid Harvest Lazer Blue Concentrated Spray Pattern Indicator - 1 Quart (32 Ounces) - Perfect Weed Spray Dye, Herbicide Dye, Fertilizer Marking Dye, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049I2FPM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_ayjYmeNvLSevr

Southern Ag Surfactant for Herbicides Non-Ionic, 16oz, 1 Pint https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XDHRCE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_b8sHqQkCZXkEN

You really just need a motor speed controller, they produce the same effect as you'd think of a dimmer, but are designed for motors.
Something like this should work

https://www.amazon.com/Casolly-Variable-Controller-Exhaust-Inline/dp/B07BMR4THQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?keywords=motor+speed&qid=1557789535&s=gateway&sr=8-12

I've had good results with https://www.amazon.com/Tenacity-Turf-Herbicide-8-ounces/dp/B005DUTNF0

Someone on here was saying Drive XLR8 was awesome on crabgrass. I just got some, but haven't tried it out yet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058W42QS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am in the same part of the state dealing with similar-looking grassy weeds, but a few different kinds. My (yet untested) plan is to hit it with Drive, which can also be purchased as the generic quinclorac.

https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Herbicide-Gallon-KILLS-CRABGRASS/dp/B0058W42QS

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/quinkill-max-crabgrass-and-weed-killer-p-3019.html

Note: not safe for St Augustine grass in case you have any under shade trees like I do.

If you want to go nuclear, there is a relatively new product called Tenacity that will selectively kill bentgrass. I haven't tried it but reviews are good.

Tenacity Turf Herbicide - 8 ounces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DUTNF0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_X-FkybHRD62MC

https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Surfactant-Herbicides-Non-Ionic/dp/B004XDHRCE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1537489926&sr=8-4&keywords=surfactant+for+herbicide

It will make the droplets smaller and stay on the leaves. Creeping Charlie has a waxy skin which makes it tough for liquids to stick. This helps.

Try this! It's usually recommended on here for wild violet due to the Triclopyr in it. Note that you should also use a surfactant as well. I finally broke down and bought/used it this past week and it seems to be doing the trick. I'll definitely need to do at least one more application but it's working.

Quali-Pro Dithiopyr 40 WSB (Dimension) Herbicide https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C4Y24IG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_iYxyDbM48NYDA

I just ordered this. Here in New Mexico I need something that can act as a post emergent for the warm fall season.

Here are the products I’m using:

2-4D with Triclopyr note : this was cheaper at my local fleet & farm supply store.

surfactant I did buy this off of amazon

You can use either of the following two products if you want to seed now. After 5 weeks, you should add either baracade or dimension.

Tenacity Turf Herbicide - 8 ounces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DUTNF0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Arg7ybMNZ0Y65

Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food - Starter Food for New Grass Plus Weed Preventer, 5,000-sq ft (Starter Lawn Fertilizer Plus Crabgrass, Dandelion & Weed Preventer) (Not Sold in FL) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B04KC4O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ctg7yb1EWMGNZ

It's called Tenacity.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Syngenta-Tenacity-Turf-Herbicide-ounces/dp/B005DUTNF0

I've used this stuff. The 14oz bottle goes a long way.

Amazon link but probably available elsewhere

Is it tenacity herbicide?

http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Specialty-Herbicide-Triclopyr/dp/B00D0JHB5K?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Selective-Broadleaf-Control/dp/B0072289CA?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

http://www.amazon.com/Compare-N-Save-Concentrate-41-Percent-Glyphosate-1-Gallon/dp/B00ARKS3XO?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Is this the Tenacity I should be purchasing? Its hard to find out about their products from their website.

https://www.amazon.com/Tenacity-Turf-Herbicide-8-ounces/dp/B005DUTNF0

this stuff? https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Specialty-Herbicide-Triclopyr/dp/B00D0JHB5K seems like a couple years supply for me lol, will it kill chickweed?

Sorry for hijacking your thread but is there a shortage of Tenacity recently? Amazon sells 8oz for $110. A year ago you could buy them for less than $50!

Use Quinclorac and MSO Surfactant to kill.
Use Prodiamine to prevent.

Stupid question... and I’m sorry, but I’ve looked online and found straight quinclorac (like this: Quinclorac 75 DF Selective Herbicide Equivalent to Drive quali-1014 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006LAVM3W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.EoqDbWYH7Q2D).

Is this better than regular crabgrass weed killer that has quinclorac in it? Which should I be using?

Buy some Glysophate and a pump sprayer and spray that area, in 3 weeks it will be 100% dead. Lay down some pre-emergents and monitor for any weeds that sprout after. You'll want to till the ground after the weeds die in 3 weeks before you lay the pre-emergents.

This glysophate needs a surfactant and needs to be mixed with water accordingly.

http://www.amazon.com/Compare-N-Save-Concentrate-41-Percent-Glyphosate-1-Gallon/dp/B00ARKS3XO/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1464552388&sr=1-1&keywords=glyphosate

http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Surfactant-Herbicides-Non-Ionic/dp/B004XDHRCE/ref=sr_1_6?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1464552388&sr=1-6&keywords=glyphosate

Try an Actual surfactant. https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-Surfactant-Herbicides-Non-Ionic/dp/B004XDHRCE?th=1&psc=1 Dish soap is a stop gap if you don't have any at the time, but for tough to kill weeds you need to really use the real deal.

2-4D will not kill crabgrass. It is a broad leaf killer. It will kill dandelions, clovers, and the like, but not crabgrass. Crabgrass is an annual, and can be controlled with applying a late fall or early spring pre-emergent fertilizer. The pre-emergent will stop the crabgrass (And other!) seeds from germinating and sprouting. You will not be able to grow any grass for a period of time after you apply the fertilizer.

Otherwise, you will want to combat the crabgrass before they drop their seeds for the year. You can do this with a non selective weed killer such as RoundUp, pull weeds with your bare hands, or you can purchase some weed killer that combats crabgrass.

For effectiveness, the pre-emergent is probably your best bet. If you are looking into taking care of your crabgrass now, you can look for herbicides that will kill the weed and not your grass. I am not endorsing the below products, but through reviews and a bit of research on my own, I was going to try these products on my yard to combat crabgrass.

Drive XLR8 Herbicide 1/2 Gallon 64 OZ. KILLS CRABGRASS

Bayer Advanced 704140A All-In-One Lawn Weed and Crabgrass Killer Concentrate

Finally, any herbicide you buy, buy in the concentrate. You will save money in the long run. Get a decent pump or battery sprayer and you will be all set.