Dock leaf dilemma!

pickle61 · May 2022

My son's buying his 1st house. We've only had one visit so far, way back in March. The back garden (snort of derision) is basically a square lump of grass that is absolutely riddled with dock leaves! Completely overrun! It would be back-breaking, time-consuming, mind-numbingly a thankless task trying to dig 'em all out! I was thinking of killing the whole bally lot with weedkiller and then next spring scattering grass seed, doing an area at a time - what do you think? ALL advice is gratefully welcome!!!

Fairygirl · May 2022

Probably the best solution. If you weed kill it all just now, you'd be able to tidy it up and get it prepped for sowing seed later this year.
If you're in a consistently damper area, you can do it about 6 weeks or so after the weedkiller. I've sown lawns in June, but in drier areas, September is ideal

Pete.8 · May 2022

I agree - weedkiller is the best option for such a problem.
Roundup should work, but I use a stronger form called Rosate which should kill the lot after one spraying, but be careful not to let any drift onto anything you want to keep.
I set my sprayer to small droplets - a fine mist will blow about too much

pickle61 · May 2022

Fairygirl- thank you! If I did weedkiller it all, would I need to do anything like remove the turf or can I just mix topsoil with seed and scatter that?

pickle61 · May 2022

Thank you too Pete.8! I'm going to check out rosate now.

Fairygirl · May 2022

No - you wouldn't normally need to remove it, but it's a good idea to see how level it is, and you can then add more soil in the dips etc, to get a nice level start

You might need to do a bit of clearing and scraping, depending on how bad it is.

As @Pete.8 says - pick a day when it's nice and still so that you don't spray other things by accident.

Pete.8 · May 2022

I just had a look and rosate doesn't seem to be about any more.

This is the sort of stuff that will do it - anything that contains glyphosate and 360 -
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/s?k=glyphosate+360&crid=2SBF2FV3FRSBB&sprefix=glyphosate+360%2Caps%2C123&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

It's a LOT more expensive now than when I bout it a few yeaes ago

Novice23 · May 2022

Just found this by accident. I have docks in part of my garden and spend ages each year digging they up to eradicate them, but usually unsuccessfully as they are always back the next year. So I will try Roundup, they do one that you can use as a gel on the leaves so protects neighbouring plants.
Thank you for all of this. Good Luck pickle61 with the new lawn.

pickle61 · May 2022

Hi novice 23! Yes I've used the gel on bindweed before but I did struggle; getting the top off, clicking the gel up, holding the leaf in one hand and applying the gel with the other - all while trying to NOT get it all over ME! It's messy. Even with gloves on it was "a right clart on!" Thanks, I just hope I know what I'm doing!

JennyJ · May 2022

Sturdy rubber gloves (washing-up type, not the thin vinyl ones) are good for applying weedkiller gel, then you can scrunch the leaves up a bit and rub the gel on with your hands if the applicator is fiddly. Many years ago I had one that came with a brush inside the lid like paint tester pots which was easy to use, but with the modern ones with the fiddly plastic bit that you have to click to get the gel out, then apply it like stick deodorant, it's hard not to get it everywhere but where you intended.

Dock leaf dilemma!

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