# Front/Back Yard full of unwanted weeds



## concretemasonry (Oct 10, 2006)

Broadleaf weed killer used prequently cmbines with cutting and watering will keep the area presentable until it is time to decide what you can afford to do. This will usually encorage the more desireable growth as opposed to the tall, visually objectionable growth.

You can still expect some objectional low growth, but grass can be made very healthy with care and patience.


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## agrace (Jul 22, 2008)

*Weeds out*

Fall is coming. Now is the time to get rid of the weeds. If you can spray them and kill it all off now do it. Best to spray, do not water and let it all die. Cut it all off so short your almost mowing dirt. It will usually take a couple of weeks for it to all die, cut it then and rake up the junk so new seeds don't try to start. You know what they say if you pull it and it comes up its a flower, if you pull it and need shovels to get it out its a weed!!
As soon as fall starts bring in a truck of good soil some decent grass seed for your area and straw to cover it after you have spread it so the birds don't have a feast. Then water it at least twice a day. The warm days and cool nights will get your grass up and mowable in 2-3 weeks.


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

dankreboot,

What size is your yard?

What do you call tall weeds? Some people mean that the grass has not been mowed and had crabgrass. Some may mean waist or head high. Briars, thistle, poison ivy? Different approaches here.

In the meantime, one process recommended by (your state) university Extension Service, is to spray with herbicide, let die and mow down, spray regrowth again, mow again.

The taller the weeds, the more leaf surface equals more intake but also equals more herbicide needed equals more expense.

When you say 


> I was thinking a hoe, a shovel and some type of chemical that would prevent regrowth.


I take it that you have a fairly small area to deal with.

My suggestion would be to knock everything down- mow, weedeat, bushhog, whatever that would be. Are there good shrubs etc in there that you want to save or can you even tell at this point?



> Fall is coming. Now is the time to get rid of the weeds


If these are annual weeds, they are about to die anyway. Why waste time and money? Sort of like sentencing a 90 year old criminal to lethal injection and having 20 years of appeals. Maybe that's a bad example, but... Yes fall is coming. Even if the weeds are perennial, most are about to go dormant. If you get them cut back good, they will stay down at least for the winter and give you time to get a better plan.



> some type of chemical that would prevent regrowth


This is another story beyond killing and cleaning out what you have now. Just my thinking but you might be trying to get too much done before you are ready. 
Get some ID on what your worst weeds are and learn how to get rid of them. 
Get it all cut back.
Get a plan during the winter.
Then know what you are spraying (plants and chemicals) and do a good job.

Don't just "point south" with a jug of spray that could:
Waste your money.
Not kill the plants you want to. 
Kill the plants you don't want to.
Drift onto neighbors' landscape.
Leave residues in the soil that will affect future landscaping.

Take time to learn the difference between selective and non-selective, annual and perennial, amine and ester formulas, pre-emergent and post-emergent, and woody and herbaceous.


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## Brik (Jan 16, 2007)

I would just mow and weedwhack right now. Do a soil test (DIY kits available) to see what your lawn may be short on. Then begin a treatment plan starting early fall. Continue plan through spring. Next fall re-evaluate and aireate and re-seed if necessary. 

The Handyguys did two shows on lawn care. You can check out both at http://www.handyguyspodcast.com/tag/lawn-care
Also at that link is info n a soil test, spreader, etc.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> I would just mow and weedwhack right now.


Ayuh,..... Same here....

Then in the spring,.... Til it all under, regrade, rake,+ Seed it with whatever you want.....


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