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Dandelions and weed and feed

headbangingsocietyt8u8c8dLheadbangingsocietyt8u8c8dL Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Hey all!
Currently just getting into gardening and doing lots of researching before I hit my garden.
Its got quite alot of dandelion growth and moss and I understand it might take me a couple of seasons to get it right.
What I'm struggling to understand is, with the weed and feed, if it kills off most of the dandelions, will I still have to remove them?

I'm looking at scarifiers to pick up the moss as its all over, but I've seen not to use a scarifier when there are lots of weeds as it might spread them across the garden.

Just after some advice really to help point me in the right direction so I can begin tackling the problem!

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @headbangingsocietyt8u8c8dL .I've never bothered taking them out after using one of those products. Once they're completely dead, they just disappear into the ground. The front grass here was largely dandelions and buttercups when I moved in. A good trick is to use a feed only product. That gets everything growing, and when you follow that up a bit later with a weed and feed, it works better, as the weeds are also bigger, and the product has a better effect. Just be aware of the application rates, and the conditions needed for it. We get more posts in spring about blackened lawns than almost anything else! Better to use less of it than too much. 
    I've not used a scarifier - usually just a rake, but once the moss/weeds are completely dead, I'd have thought it shouldn't be a problem. It's pretty normal to take the moss out with either tool. It can leave you with a fairly bare looking plot if it's bad, but the grass should recover. If it doesn't, you can always re seed, but it helps if you know the reason for it looking bad. It can be one of several things. A shady aspect, compaction, or scalping the grass, are the usual reasons.  
    You'll always get weeds seeding in from elsewhere anyway. I still get a few, but I just spot weed them now. I rarely use a weed and feed at all, just a feed occasionally. Whether that's what you'll have is down to conditions, and how perfect you want your grass to be.  Most people just want a reasonably green space for their usage, and that's also a factor.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • headbangingsocietyt8u8c8dLheadbangingsocietyt8u8c8dL Posts: 2
    Hi there!

    Thanks for the reply :) 
    I'm expecting a barer garden due to the amount of moss growth within the grass, so I'm prepared to sacrifice the garden this year to make it better for next year. I'm also prepared to re-seed and sand/topsoil to level it out a bit more too (due to de-weeding last year made the garden bumpy).

    I'm wondering if I use the weed and feed, leave it for 4-5 weeks as per instruction to let the moss and weeds die, then scarify it all. Then prepare to re-seed and level out in September as I hear thats a good time to re-seed? 

    I might also use your advice on the feed too to grow it out a bit more.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    That would probably be ideal. September can be a bit late here for sowing, but as long as you're in a warmer area, it should be fine done then.  :)
    It's always tricky when a lawn has been a bit neglected, but it doesn't take much to get it looking half decent again  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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