On 22/02/2017 22:12, Another John wrote:
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

On 22/02/2017 17:30, Another John wrote:
Hi all

The chap I do gardening for has a very large stretch of grass in his
garden; I'd guess half the size of a football pitch, using the age-old
popular measurement. The garden used to be a field (2 or 3 decades
ago, but I doubt the "lawn" was ever laid, which is why I call it
"grass"; it's inherently wet, drains poorly, and is clayey.

You will need to sort out the drainage to get rid of the moss (or just
accept that moss is green and low growing).

I've cut the grass for a couple of years now -- it looks OK from a
distance, in summer. But I would like to treat it this Spring to
encourage the grass, and discourage (preferably kill, eradicate, destroy
utterly) the buttercups.

I favour a generic spring weed & feed formulation bought at a discount
when they are clearing out in Autumn to make space for dracula's
cave/santa's fairy grotto. Keeps well enough somewhere cool and dry. I
do my own lawn about 1/3 acre and the village green this way every year.

So I need equipment ... I'm thinking one of the those wheel-along
rotary spreaders? -- They must have a pretty wide scatter range.

And I need a jolly good chemical for the job.

I favour a general hit with the weed & feed and then a spot weeding of
any problem areas with a broad leaf specific herbicide like Verdone
later. There is always a new infestation of buttercup somewhere.

Big dandelions come out with a satisfying amount of tap root using a 12"
screwdriver and is worth doing manually at the outset.

There's a plethora of "solutions" from manufacturers, all expensive. The
chap whose garden it is may well 'spring' for good equipment +
treatment, but I don't want to make a poor decision -- which is why I've
come here to ask the question: nothing like hands-on experience for
helping make a decision.

I only seriously persecute dandelions and buttercups in my lawn (and
ground elder). I let daisies and other small wild flowers alone.

Martin - thanks very much -- valuable advice there. How do you apply
the treatment? Is it dry, and thus spread by a wheel-along, or a
solution, and sprayed (presumably via a backpack)?

By the way I'm not worried about moss: it comes every year, it goes
every year -- eventually!

John

This really shows why you should employ a person who has had training
and is qualified in the use and application of chemicals.
If I go over the road to spot treat my neighbours ragwort then without
the right certificates I am breaking the law.
If I cut his grass and remove it from his property then again I am
breaking the law, waste disposal.
It would be worth your time to find out if you have a local college
doing short courses that would get you the right bits of paper and also
training in the use of the chemicals and equipment you want to use.
With the latest change removing "Grandfather Rights" now after almost 60
years of spraying I am now supposed to get training to get my bit of paper.
What ever you use do read the pack carefully, then read it again.
Check out the sprayer to find out what speed you need to walk to get the
cover and volume you need to apply at the right rate, If you can
practice with a tank of water on a dry concrete surface it makes it much
easier.
David @ a damp side of Swansea Bay