Does lawn weedkiller work on bulbs? I thought it only worked on broad-leaved plants (dicots) not on monocots including grasses (of course!) and bulbs. Happy to be told if I've got that wrong though
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I agree - as long as you apply it while they're actively growing. If they're already dying back they might not absorb much of it, and if they reappear next spring through your new turf glyphosate would kill the grass too (unless you carefully painted individual leaves without spilling any). Mowing will gradually weaken them but the best approach if you want to turf this coming autumn would be to remove as many bulbs as you can when you do the preparation work. You will almost certainly miss a few (bluebells in particular can be very deep).
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I think the lawn stuff will weaken the foliage rather than killing off the bulbs themselves @JennyJ, so it would be a temporary fix if grass wasn't being cut or similar. Not something I've ever done though - I keep all the bulbs I have, so you may well be right about the effectiveness It's definitely a better idea to dig the bulbs out, and then see how things go once it's grass. That's where a combined effort of mowing and a spot of weedkiller would possibly be the best way forward, but it might have to be a standard weedkiller carefully dabbed on leaves. Any remaining bulbs will still try to grow though, unless the foliage is continually removed to weaken the bulb itself. Muscari in particular is a real thug.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@byronpatterson84. Yes, I regret utterly ever using weed suppressing stuff. It does not do what it says for a start and it breaks down and comes up to the surface where it is impossible to remove. If the strands of it get wrapped round a mower blade it is an absolute "!£!"£! to remove.
Plus under turf like that there is no point anyway as just mowing the grass and normal lawn management will deal with most weeds. It would just be an unnecessary expense.
Weed suppressant membrane is only really useful in a very limited number of situations. Under turf isn't one of them. Many of the bulbs you have (especially the bluebells) will still grow and just poke through the membrane anyway.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
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Palustris, what's your reasoning if you don't mind me asking, is this something you have done with regrets?
It's definitely a better idea to dig the bulbs out, and then see how things go once it's grass.
That's where a combined effort of mowing and a spot of weedkiller would possibly be the best way forward, but it might have to be a standard weedkiller carefully dabbed on leaves. Any remaining bulbs will still try to grow though, unless the foliage is continually removed to weaken the bulb itself. Muscari in particular is a real thug.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...