Lawn Maintenance - Green Thumbs Advice Required.

[Homestar]

Ok, so 10 years after building my house, I'm finally getting around to doing something with the back garden (perfection takes time...)

So, for the last few months, I've slowly turned an overgrown building site into something that is starting to resemble a garden. Garden beds done, natives planted and growing, mulch down, blah, blah, blah. Now, as I've never had a lawn before, I had todo silly things like buy a lawn mower. By the way, my front yard is all natives, no lawn and the nature strip is Tuscan toppings, so I've never needed a mower until recently.

I wanted to put synthetic turf down, but SWMBO wanted real grass. Easy for her to say, she never mows the bloody stuff. Anyway, I'm actually starting to get a lawn happening and with good watering that we are allowed to do at the moment I've got some green stuff happening. Now, I did this by spraying the whole yard with roundup, killing all the weeds, digging all the dead stuff up, and levelling and smoothing out the ground. Then I've been throwing grass seed down and flood irrigating it...

So now I've got all sorts of weeds growing up with the grass - obviously seeds that were dormant when I killed all the weeds off. I pull a few out each evening, but I need a hand - and this is my question - there seem to be quite a few broad leaf and selective herbicides on the market - can anybody recommend one of them that isn't going to kill my grass off? I've heard stories of these sort of things killing everything, rather than the target weeds. Don't ask me what weeds I've got - there are several different varieties - some with roundish sort of leaves, some spindly flat stuff that spreads out under the grass and is a real pain to dig out, then there are prickly things, some canola that has blown in from a local crop, and others.

Any suggestions on how to tame these beasts without have to pull every one by hand, as I seem to be loosing this battle.

Cheers - Gav.

[Peter O]

What weeds are you trying to kill?
Broad leaf is easy with weed and feed or any of the dicamba try sprays.
Be careful near roses and tomatoes and avoid spraying when hot days are expected.
If you have weed grasses in the lawn it will be more difficult to take them out without killing the lawn.

[Kev the Fridgy]

Good old Yates weed and feed has always worked for me.

[Peter O]

Go on ask him what weeds

[Homestar]

Don't know what weeds they are - is there a beginners guide to weeds on the net?

No roses - they're weeds too in my book. Only natives - once it's in the ground it's on its own. Got a pretty good strike rate - only ever lost a couple.

[Homestar]

Ok, giving myself a crash course on weeds. So far I can tell you I have -

Wire Weed
Paspalum
Canola
Prickly Lettuce

I'll update as I find more...

[Andrew D]

Gav

You need to identify the weed first of all otherwise you will kill what you trying to grow. Obviously selective herbicides work on a selection of weeds but you need to know what weeds, and the parent vegetation you are trying to preserve.

Look at this website for information Which herbicide spray for my lawn?

Good place for beginners.

Your description of the weeds is pretty vague but a broadleaf killer sounds like it will get most but if you have a broad leaf grass e.g.Buffalo you will most likely give that a touch up as well.

Can you post any photos.

Regards
Andrew

I used to be bit of a lawn nut. I've got the Scott Bonnar and Honda Mower (sold) combo. Also a hole assortment of chemicals (herbicides)

[Andrew D]

Gav

Here's a product I recommend Kamba.

You need to go to a Elders or similar to purchase and it can be expensive but if you know someone who uses it e.g. cereal farmer/agronomist then you will be in luck.

Also farmers or agronomists and pretty good at killing weeds.

Regards
Andrew

[Homestar]

Thanks for that - I'll take some pics tomorrow. I've listed 4 in my previous post that I'm 99% sure I have right based on the weeds.org website for my area. That still leaves me with several more I can't identify.

I just don't want to rush in and kill my handy work so far, hence my investigations.. Happy to do the research and get it right rather than run to Bunnings and spray my yard with the first thing I find on the shelf.

[Andrew D]

Gav

What was the turf you laid. This is really is deciding factor.

At the end of the day you may need a selection of herbicides.

Regards
Andrew