weed and feed?

[4390evans]

hey everyone,

Im wondering are these weed and feed things true? do they do what they say on the tin?
Im thinking about using it as my lawn is over run with weeds just down one side and no matter how much I pull em out they return with vengeance!

I didnt wanna use any as Im told you cant put our clippings in the compost bin then so trying to keep every thing as natural as possible x

[rustylady]

What sort of weeds are they?

[4390evans]

looks like dandelions and crab grass

[rustylady]

With dandelions you need to make sure you get the whole taproot out. A sharp kitchen knife can help. Site here about natural lawn care LAWN CARE SIMPLIFIED - A Safe and Natural Approach: All About Crabgrass

[WendyC]

If you're not keen on the weedkiller why not just give it a feed. My lawn was very thin after the poor summer and winter but after a weed and feed is growing thickly and is now even green! Strong growing grass will crowd out the weeds. Big ones can be dug out as suggested. I do compost the lawn clippings but they eventually go on ornamental beds. If you want a natural feed I think there was a discussion on here recently about using pelleted chicken manure. Lawns work hard and I think you have to put something back if continually cutting and taking the cuttings off. Alternatively you can leave the clippings on to feed the lawn and there are mulching mowers designed for this purpose.

[pintspiller]

i normally weed and feed separately. autumn feed is more important than spring feed imho. i'd prefer to use autumn feed in spring than spring feed. i use verdone when there appears to be enough weeds to warrant filling a watering can at least once

[Bill HH]

If you're not keen on the weedkiller why not just give it a feed. My lawn was very thin after the poor summer and winter but after a weed and feed is growing thickly and is now even green! Strong growing grass will crowd out the weeds. Big ones can be dug out as suggested. I do compost the lawn clippings but they eventually go on ornamental beds. If you want a natural feed I think there was a discussion on here recently about using pelleted chicken manure. Lawns work hard and I think you have to put something back if continually cutting and taking the cuttings off. Alternatively you can leave the clippings on to feed the lawn and there are mulching mowers designed for this purpose.

I agree with this wholeheartedly, lush strong growing grass suffocates many weeds, I would also not cut it too short for a while to give the grass a chance to establish better roots. Its easier to hand weed if the weeds are a little bigger too.

[Two_Sheds]

lush strong growing grass suffocates many weeds,

That depends on what grass species you have. Couch grass, yes, will out-compete other plants. Lawn grass, esp. the fescues, are not strong at all.


The very best lawns come when the ground & the situation are optimal, ie sunny, free draining, weed-free.
I have never fed, watered nor weedkillered my own lush green lawn: it just happens to be growing in good conditions. I do get dandelions in it, but they are levered out when in flower (so they never set seed), and fed to the guinea pigs, so I think of them as an asset not a nuisance.

If you attempt to grow a lawn in shady waterlogged soil, you are doomed to fail.