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randhawa012

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#296296 5-Jun-2022 22:53
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Hi, 

 

Can someone guide or advise how to get rid of Clover and Crabgrass from lawn.

 

I have tried everything available and unable to get rid of these 2 and they keep coming back.

 

Even spent countless hours removing them by hand, but still keep coming.

 

Any suggestions ?

 

 

 

 


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neb

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  #2923119 6-Jun-2022 06:00
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The general answer to that is to plant something that crowds them out, e.g. a dense mat of kikuyu will keep other stuff out. For crabgrass it's an annual so you need to kill the seeds from the previous year before they germinate, there are some herbicides that will do that called pre-emergent herbicides which kill germinating roots but I've never tried sourcing any. For clover your best bet is to crowd it out with other stuff and weed anything that comes up in isolated spots like garden beds.



tdgeek
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  #2923120 6-Jun-2022 06:12
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Clover. I use Turfix, that works well, alternate with a Triclophyr spray, such as the ones labelled for Hydrocottle. Both are broadleaf sprays, wont touch grass (although they do) With Turfix, the leaves will pale and shrivel after a few days, takes a month to kill, but as it shrivels and pales, the aesthetic benefit is quite quick

 

Crabgrass. As these are one plant, you can remove with a proper weed tool, knowing it will come back. When it does, and its small, use Glyphosate (Roundup, although plain brands are much cheaper and are identical at IIRC 120gm/litre)  The brown patches you can reseed. I had issues here with a different type of spreading grass like that, glyphosate and reseeding worked well.

 

This time of year, unsure how Turfix or a Triclophr spray would go

 

Lawn wise, look after it, fertilise it in Spring and Summer, water well (infrequently but deep water when you do) and mow weekly. Dont mow short, thats too hard on the grass (less leaf less photosynthesis) . Mow as high as your happy with, the grass will thicken and thats a good weed barrier. 

 

 


tdgeek
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  #2923121 6-Jun-2022 06:15
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neb:  there are some herbicides that will do that called pre-emergent herbicides which kill germinating roots but I've never tried sourcing any.

 

I was going to, but didnt mention pre emergent.From what Ive read and watched about it, its a long term gradual strategy. Assuming the OP has crabgrass growing as bits here and there, Id rather zap it for good and re seed




Bung
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  #2923131 6-Jun-2022 07:55
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"and they keep coming back." Do you mow your own lawns? Many have a reasonable belief that lawn mowing contractors end up with a collection of lawns all containing every weed that ever grew in any of them.

tdgeek
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  #2923134 6-Jun-2022 08:08
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Bung: "and they keep coming back." Do you mow your own lawns? Many have a reasonable belief that lawn mowing contractors end up with a collection of lawns all containing every weed that ever grew in any of them.

 

I think he means he pulls them out and they regrow. Even when you get the roots put there will always be a little there, and breaking the root tells the plant to go again. 


neb

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  #2923135 6-Jun-2022 08:23
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Bung: "and they keep coming back."

 

 

Sometimes they come back.

FineWine
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  #2923170 6-Jun-2022 11:56
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Turfix is great.

 

For Crabgrass, as previously stated just a wee bit of root left and it comes back. Find the stem portion, place a ½ to 1 inch dia, short length (2in) of conduit over the stem and spray a good amount of Roundup or similar down the tube avoiding over spray.

 

Four weeks ago I prepared my very small lawn (25msq) for winter.

 

· I aerated the bare patches.
· Racked entire lawn (scarified).
· Lightly over sewed entire lawn with Tui LawnForce® Superstrike® Shady Places Lawn Seed, as one end of my lawn has a Cherry tree shading that area. As my lawn is primarily tall fescue, this Shady Places seed is a mix of tall fescue and fine fescue.
· Heavy sewed the bare patches. (most of my bare patches are caused by earth worms)
· Lightly spread lawn compost (Daltons Premium Lawn Soil) from Bunnings over entire lawn
· Over the these bare areas I spread a heavier layer of Lawn Soil to cover the seed.
· Heavy first watering then normal watering, if not raining, daily for week.
· Do not mow till new grass is at least 80mm to 100mm.

 

You can redo this in spring as well.

 

With my own fescue lawn I do not mow shorter than 50mm in winter and 70mm in summer. Ensure you always have sharp blades on your mower, otherwise you are just tearing and bruising the grass leaf blades and they will die.

 

Spring and Autumn I fertilise. You can use any of the lawn fertilises. I use KiwiCare LawnPro products.

 

Here is a good website guide to mowing lawns in NZ: https://www.pimpmylawn.co.nz/Lawn+Advice/Mow+It.html

 

 





Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.


 
 
 

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).
Eva888
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  #2923174 6-Jun-2022 12:18
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Much to the horror of friends who have perfect manicured lawns, I purposely seeded over some areas of grass with clover and now have patches of both and hoping the clover takes over. It takes longer than you would think and I wish it would all turn to clover faster.

In summer when weather is dry and the grass is brown the clover thrives and is a nice green. It also doesn’t need to be mown as often because it grows low, the flowers are fragrant and the bees and butterflies love them, it’s rather pretty. Have also learnt to choose white, not pink clover seed which is a larger taller plant.

My perception of what a weed is has changed considerably over the years and evolved towards a more relaxed way of gardening that encourages bees and insects. It meant less worry about perfection and a lot less work fighting against nature. I do still selectively hand weed in the flower garden but generally only to remove grass that seeds there and leave the low weeds to cover the ground as a habitat for insects. I clear a small patch just enough to plant flowers or spinach in between the low weeds and allow wild parsley to self seed.

There are lots of articles about why weeds are beneficial in lawns but I guess it’s a personal thing. I’m all for making life simpler.






tdgeek
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  #2923228 6-Jun-2022 13:37
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FineWine:

 

For Crabgrass, as previously stated just a wee bit of root left and it comes back. Find the stem portion, place a ½ to 1 inch dia, short length (2in) of conduit over the stem and spray a good amount of Roundup or similar down the tube avoiding over spray.

 

 

 

 

Thats a good idea.

 

What I was thinking of earlier, is get a piece of cardboard, decent size. Cut middle edge to centre, cut out a bit of a hole. Grab the Crabgrass and lift the leaves, slide the middle cardboard hole to the Crabgrass stem and spray the leaves. Pull cardboard out and move to the next one.Not that fiddly, and you avoid bigger dead patches.

 

Oh, and ups to raising the lawn length. I dont mow low but raised it so its probably 70mm this past season, its now thicker and denser, and better for holding soil moisture and less weeds. Oddly I have just cut it , and gone a length lower for Winter, so as not to hold too much surface moisture = moss


blackjack17
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  #2923232 6-Jun-2022 14:11
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Eva888: Much to the horror of friends who have perfect manicured lawns, I purposely seeded over some areas of grass with clover and now have patches of both and hoping the clover takes over. It takes longer than you would think and I wish it would all turn to clover faster.

In summer when weather is dry and the grass is brown the clover thrives and is a nice green. It also doesn’t need to be mown as often because it grows low, the flowers are fragrant and the bees and butterflies love them, it’s rather pretty. Have also learnt to choose white, not pink clover seed which is a larger taller plant.

My perception of what a weed is has changed considerably over the years and evolved towards a more relaxed way of gardening that encourages bees and insects. It meant less worry about perfection and a lot less work fighting against nature. I do still selectively hand weed in the flower garden but generally only to remove grass that seeds there and leave the low weeds to cover the ground as a habitat for insects. I clear a small patch just enough to plant flowers or spinach in between the low weeds and allow wild parsley to self seed.

There are lots of articles about why weeds are beneficial in lawns but I guess it’s a personal thing. I’m all for making life simpler.


 

Clover took over my lawn (which was once a beautiful ready turf lawn that was killed by the 2019-2020 summer).  The clover looked okay but I also have small children and the regular bee stings and susceptibility to foot traffic led me to killing it and sowing with a kikuyu mix which is slowly taking over.

 

Clover and kikuyu are the only things that survive round my neigbourhood without regular maintenance. 





neb

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  #2923364 6-Jun-2022 22:41
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tdgeek:

What I was thinking of earlier, is get a piece of cardboard, decent size. Cut middle edge to centre, cut out a bit of a hole. Grab the Crabgrass and lift the leaves, slide the middle cardboard hole to the Crabgrass stem and spray the leaves. Pull cardboard out and move to the next one.Not that fiddly, and you avoid bigger dead patches.

 

 

One note on that, if the surrounding lawn is kikuyu you have to be very careful with use of glyphosate since it seems to be extremely sensitive to it and the creeping death runs along the rhizomes so you end up with a slowly-expanding patch of dead lawn everywhere you apply it.

xlinknz
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  #2923705 7-Jun-2022 18:58
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Anyone else notice Crab Grass likes to grow along the edge of paths or maybe that is where the wind blown seed collects?

 

I dug some out and discovered and impressively chunky root system

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


AklBen
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  #2924248 9-Jun-2022 13:32
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Eva888: Much to the horror of friends who have perfect manicured lawns, I purposely seeded over some areas of grass with clover and now have patches of both and hoping the clover takes over. It takes longer than you would think and I wish it would all turn to clover faster.

In summer when weather is dry and the grass is brown the clover thrives and is a nice green. It also doesn’t need to be mown as often because it grows low, the flowers are fragrant and the bees and butterflies love them, it’s rather pretty. Have also learnt to choose white, not pink clover seed which is a larger taller plant.

My perception of what a weed is has changed considerably over the years and evolved towards a more relaxed way of gardening that encourages bees and insects. It meant less worry about perfection and a lot less work fighting against nature. I do still selectively hand weed in the flower garden but generally only to remove grass that seeds there and leave the low weeds to cover the ground as a habitat for insects. I clear a small patch just enough to plant flowers or spinach in between the low weeds and allow wild parsley to self seed.

There are lots of articles about why weeds are beneficial in lawns but I guess it’s a personal thing. I’m all for making life simpler.

 

I've come to a similar conclusion too. Having a lawn that's a picture perfect rye or fescue mix is unsustainable - it cannot survive a hot dry summer and I find it thins out and can't compete with weeds. Our lawn is a bit of a mongrel with crabgrass, Kikuyu, rye, fescue, couchgrass, a bit of moss and other weeds. There are a few weeds I really don't want (paspalum and those thick flat leaf types) which I most deal to with digging them out and just filling the hole with soil and some new grass seed. Keeping it short and tidy makes it look good.

 

Lots of people don't like em but a kikuyu lawn is my favourite and if I started from scratch that's what I'd go for.


tdgeek
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  #2924251 9-Jun-2022 13:39
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AklBen:

 

I've come to a similar conclusion too. Having a lawn that's a picture perfect rye or fescue mix is unsustainable - it cannot survive a hot dry summer and I find it thins out and can't compete with weeds.

 

 

I dont agree with that. I have a browntop fescue lawn, ChCh, bone dry here all Summer, lawn is fine. Have a watering regime, fertilise, and don't mow too low. Doesnt need to be long just not a bowling green look. And mow once a week. I had some issues that you mentioned, but all good now, nice lawn, thick, no room for many weeds


AklBen
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  #2924262 9-Jun-2022 14:13
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tdgeek:

 

AklBen:

 

I've come to a similar conclusion too. Having a lawn that's a picture perfect rye or fescue mix is unsustainable - it cannot survive a hot dry summer and I find it thins out and can't compete with weeds.

 

 

I dont agree with that. I have a browntop fescue lawn, ChCh, bone dry here all Summer, lawn is fine. Have a watering regime, fertilise, and don't mow too low. Doesnt need to be long just not a bowling green look. And mow once a week. I had some issues that you mentioned, but all good now, nice lawn, thick, no room for many weeds

 

 

Fair challenge and point taken! 


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