Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Spraying weed killer as a preventative measure

ramccannramccann Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Hi. I plan to plant grass seeds in the coming weeks. I am manually digging up and removing hundreds of small weeds but wanted to know whether I should then spray the soil with weed killer to prevent any further outbreak, before waiting a few days before planting the grass seeds? Thanks
«1

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    edited April 2020
    Weedkiller works on weeds, not soil.  Any product that inhibits weed seed germination will also stop grass.

    Clear your visible weeds then hoe and rake the soil level.   Leave it a week or two for the temperatures to warm up for better grass seed germination then hoe and rake again just before you sow.  Weed seeds will already be germinating by then and will be easy to kill mechanically, rather than chemically.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • ramccannramccann Posts: 2
    edited April 2020
    Thank you Obelixx and pansyface. I don't understand why you would use weed killer if they have to then be removed manually once they are dead. Why not just manually remove them?
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Weedkiller kills plants it touches.  It does not come with a fitted, automatic hoe/broom/rake.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Why not indeed? Careful application of weedkiller has its uses, eg situations where the roots can't be dug out due to being in a wall or under paving, or bindweed etc growing through other plants.  Weedkiller doesn't make weeds vanish, it just kills them, although the dead weeds would presumably rot down if left long enough.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    edited April 2020
    You could let the weed seeds germinate until you get a 'flush' of weeds. Then smother with a black plastic sheet. Then sow. It is quite effective as any weed seeds that germinated or roots that survived near the surface are killed. The plastic will warm the soil for grass sowing also.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It won't get rid of perennial weeds though @GemmaJF . They'll still be there, underground - just waiting.... ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    I do not see any reason why any perennial weeds could not be spot treated as the lawn develops. I have a real problem with my soil being London clay. It is literally impossible to weed normally. Either it is so claggy I can't separate the roots, or it is baked hard and impossible to dig. Smothering is the only effective method other than dowsing with weed killer (which I generally try to avoid), it has worked for me really well down the years. So much so, the neighbours now copy me  :)
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Spot weeding is a good solution in a growing lawn or even a flower bed but this OP's query is about weed killer on bare soil prior to sowing new grass seed - rather different.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    Obelixx said:
    Spot weeding is a good solution in a growing lawn or even a flower bed but this OP's query is about weed killer on bare soil prior to sowing new grass seed - rather different.
    Yes things are getting confused. I actually offered the smothering advice to deal with any weeds before sowing - as an alternative to putting weed killer down as a preventative measure. As I understand most weedkillers available to the public now deactivate on contact with soil. The perennial weed issue was not what I was addressing, because as I understood OP was only concerned about stopping weeds in the short-term before sowing.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    It all boils down to whether you're happy with a patch of grass or want a bowling green.
    If youre happy with a green patch with a bit of clover and a few daisies, you can deal with weeds as and when they pop up or mow them.  If you want a bowling green, that's another matter entirely.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
Sign In or Register to comment.