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Laying new lawn covered in dandelions
slavinder80
Posts: 2
Our lawn is awful, lumpy, bumpy, patchy and covered in dandelions. Whoever initially layed it did so over a path too so it's prone to moss as well.
If we pull up this lawn how can I make sure dandelions don't return?
What's the best way to pull a concrete path up? I don't think it's paving stones just concentrate and pebbles
0
Posts
Get a contractor to remove all of the lawn and concrete
Then replace the soil down to 12 inches with new top soil and start again
Dandelions are flowers and supply food for bees and add colour to a garden for a few weeks only
Use glyphosphate to kill the dandelions.
Available most often as Roundup, or my preference Rosate36 (much stronger)
Spray on a calm day and remember it will kill anything green that it gets sprayed on. Wait at least 3 weeks to ensure everything is dead (if not spray and wait again), then remove the dead weeds, but don't compost them. Glyphosphate gets broken down on contact with soil and is becomes harmless.
I'll let others suggest the best way to remove the path, but it's gonna involve a lot of effort
good luck!
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
There are only 2 choices for the dandelions really, either dig the roots out or use a glyphosate-based weedkiller and wait 6 weeks to ensure it is translocated into the roots to kill them, so depends on how quickly you want to lay the new lawn. As far as the path goes, it depends on how deep and compacted the sub-base is - a pick axe and garden fork should break it up. If the pebbles and base chippings are small you could just dig them in over the whole area to improve drainage otherwise you would need to skip them.
Personally, I would use weedkiller, wait 6 weeks, use this time to break up the path and then rotovate the whole area before raking level and perhaps adding a thin layer of topsoil before laying turf.
I recently had a similar problem (without the dandelions). Lawn was uneven and during last summer patches of brown appeared. During April the entire lawn was rotovated to remove the old grass which was then composted, ground was re-levelled and good quality turf put down. Bought a new sprinkler and kept it watered every day (1 hour per session 'we have a water meter!!!') and didn't walk on it until it needed cutting ('twas 3 weeks). Lawn now looks excellent.
We have used a company to come 4 times a year to spread fertiliser on the lawn (no names mentioned) but to be honest I have found them to be a complete waste of time and money so have given them the flick (as they say).
Thanks guys. We have a dog... What does that mean re the dandelion killer?!
I have a dog too - as you can see.
After spraying keep your dog away until it's completely dry. I think 6 hours is advised on the label.
If your dog chews long grass (as mine does) and you're spraying dandelions where there is long grass that your dog may eat, then cut the grass right back before spraying so your dog isn't tempted.
It's not great to use chemicals around the garden, but often it's a sensible choice. Glyphosphate is sprayed onto fields of oats by farmers to ensure even ripening of the oats - then we eat it in our porridge, so I'm guessing that whilst it's not good for us, hopefully it doesn't do too much damage...
Once you've sprayed it will take several weeks to work, so don't pull the weeds before they are completely withered and brown
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Digging down 12" is one heck of a job . Replacing all that soil would be expensive so many of these solutions depend on your time, muscle and money.
I think you will have to be pragmatic and just fit your solution to your rescources. I use weed killer as a damage limitation exercise to prevent the weeds getting right out of hand.
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
There is absolutely no need to remove 12 inches of soil, or any soil at all come to that. You do need to get the old path, including any sub-base removed and topsoil added to make the level back up.
Personally, if the grass is as bad as you say, I'd be inclined to weedkill the whole lawn and once it's taken effect, rotovate and level the entire area before returfing in the autumn.
You can't prevent dandelions or any other weeds appearing in the lawn over time. Seeds will blow in and be brought in by birds. You just need to keep an eye open for them and either use a spot weedkiller or dig out the individual weeds.