I live in the boonies and have never had a "lawn". Some green stuff
covers the areas around the house, barn, and garden area and I keep
the two to three acres generally mowed back. The rest of the clear
area (maybe 5 or 6 acres), I am in the process of transforming into
reclaimed prarie and quail habitat. However, in recent years, the
weeds seem to have communicated with each other and have descended on
me with malice a' forethought. The more insidious low creeping ones I
have pulled and deposited on the clay banks on the far side of the
pond. We shall see how that works.
I have heard rumors, here and there, that there are some types of
grass(es) that agressively retard some weed growth. I know there is
no magic bullet and that weeding is in my long-term future, no matter
what, but can anyone here substantiate the rumor of prick the bubble?
Is there, indeed, grass that competes favorably with some of the
weeds? (I know fescue grows year 'round, but it spreads like the
plague and is hell on quail chicks)
Appearance (other than three feet tall weeds) is not a factor. I
don't care what grows, as long as it doesn't grow high.
The question doesn't apply to the garden(s). Weed control there is a
mater of hands and knees, hoes and weedwhakers.
What is especially galling is that, in the fall, some of the most
nasty guys that have come up in the cracks of the stone steps, under
the deck, between siding and flower beds, etc. wind up with lovely
small flowers on them. I found this out by going on vacation and,
upon return, weeds hiding the windows had little indigo, yellow, and
red flowers on them.

Sorry for the rambling.

cheers, and thanx for any guidance

oz, who has slept with the windows open and the temp in the 50's for
the last few nights

"MajorOz" wrote in message
oups.com...
I live in the boonies and have never had a "lawn". Some green stuff
covers the areas around the house, barn, and garden area and I keep
the two to three acres generally mowed back. The rest of the clear
area (maybe 5 or 6 acres), I am in the process of transforming into
reclaimed prarie and quail habitat. However, in recent years, the
weeds seem to have communicated with each other and have descended on
me with malice a' forethought. The more insidious low creeping ones I
have pulled and deposited on the clay banks on the far side of the
pond. We shall see how that works.
I have heard rumors, here and there, that there are some types of
grass(es) that agressively retard some weed growth. I know there is
no magic bullet and that weeding is in my long-term future, no matter
what, but can anyone here substantiate the rumor of prick the bubble?
Is there, indeed, grass that competes favorably with some of the
weeds? (I know fescue grows year 'round, but it spreads like the
plague and is hell on quail chicks)
Appearance (other than three feet tall weeds) is not a factor. I
don't care what grows, as long as it doesn't grow high.
The question doesn't apply to the garden(s). Weed control there is a
mater of hands and knees, hoes and weedwhakers.
What is especially galling is that, in the fall, some of the most
nasty guys that have come up in the cracks of the stone steps, under
the deck, between siding and flower beds, etc. wind up with lovely
small flowers on them. I found this out by going on vacation and,
upon return, weeds hiding the windows had little indigo, yellow, and
red flowers on them.

Sorry for the rambling.

cheers, and thanx for any guidance

oz, who has slept with the windows open and the temp in the 50's for
the last few nights


The agricultural technique most used for favouring grass over weeds to
produce pasture is slashing. This works because many weeds are annuals and
if you get them before they seed they are reduced for next year and most
weeds have their growing point at the top (where grass has it at the bottom)
so cutting sets back the weeds much more that the grass.

Also there are herbicide applicators drawn behind a vehicle that dispense
herbicide at a given height, you set it so that it gets the taller weed
heads but not the grass. If you have tall grass and short weeds this is
clearly not working.

David

"MajorOz" wrote in message
oups.com...
I live in the boonies and have never had a "lawn". Some green stuff
covers the areas around the house, barn, and garden area and I keep
the two to three acres generally mowed back. The rest of the clear
area (maybe 5 or 6 acres), I am in the process of transforming into
reclaimed prarie and quail habitat. However, in recent years, the
weeds seem to have communicated with each other and have descended on
me with malice a' forethought. The more insidious low creeping ones I
have pulled and deposited on the clay banks on the far side of the
pond. We shall see how that works.
I have heard rumors, here and there, that there are some types of
grass(es) that agressively retard some weed growth. I know there is
no magic bullet and that weeding is in my long-term future, no matter
what, but can anyone here substantiate the rumor of prick the bubble?
Is there, indeed, grass that competes favorably with some of the
weeds? (I know fescue grows year 'round, but it spreads like the
plague and is hell on quail chicks)
Appearance (other than three feet tall weeds) is not a factor. I
don't care what grows, as long as it doesn't grow high.
The question doesn't apply to the garden(s). Weed control there is a
mater of hands and knees, hoes and weedwhakers.
What is especially galling is that, in the fall, some of the most
nasty guys that have come up in the cracks of the stone steps, under
the deck, between siding and flower beds, etc. wind up with lovely
small flowers on them. I found this out by going on vacation and,
upon return, weeds hiding the windows had little indigo, yellow, and
red flowers on them.

Sorry for the rambling.

cheers, and thanx for any guidance

oz, who has slept with the windows open and the temp in the 50's for
the last few nights


Where you live probably is important in relation to the type grass to
overtake the weeds. Using google groups prevents me from determining your
rough geographical location. Maybe buffalo grass is the native grass.

In my location, in similar circumstances, I seeded with Bermuda (Sahara).
Don't get it near the garden, you can't get it out once its arrived at its
boundaries.
Dave

On Sep 14, 9:12 am, "Dave" wrote:
"MajorOz" wrote in message

oups.com...



I live in the boonies and have never had a "lawn". Some green stuff
covers the areas around the house, barn, and garden area and I keep
the two to three acres generally mowed back. The rest of the clear
area (maybe 5 or 6 acres), I am in the process of transforming into
reclaimed prarie and quail habitat. However, in recent years, the
weeds seem to have communicated with each other and have descended on
me with malice a' forethought. The more insidious low creeping ones I
have pulled and deposited on the clay banks on the far side of the
pond. We shall see how that works.
I have heard rumors, here and there, that there are some types of
grass(es) that agressively retard some weed growth. I know there is
no magic bullet and that weeding is in my long-term future, no matter
what, but can anyone here substantiate the rumor of prick the bubble?
Is there, indeed, grass that competes favorably with some of the
weeds? (I know fescue grows year 'round, but it spreads like the
plague and is hell on quail chicks)
Appearance (other than three feet tall weeds) is not a factor. I
don't care what grows, as long as it doesn't grow high.
The question doesn't apply to the garden(s). Weed control there is a
mater of hands and knees, hoes and weedwhakers.
What is especially galling is that, in the fall, some of the most
nasty guys that have come up in the cracks of the stone steps, under
the deck, between siding and flower beds, etc. wind up with lovely
small flowers on them. I found this out by going on vacation and,
upon return, weeds hiding the windows had little indigo, yellow, and
red flowers on them.

Sorry for the rambling.

cheers, and thanx for any guidance

oz, who has slept with the windows open and the temp in the 50's for
the last few nights

Where you live probably is important in relation to the type grass to
overtake the weeds. Using google groups prevents me from determining your
rough geographical location. Maybe buffalo grass is the native grass.

In my location, in similar circumstances, I seeded with Bermuda (Sahara).
Don't get it near the garden, you can't get it out once its arrived at its
boundaries.
Dave

I'm sorry, Dave. I know better. I live about 60mi. N of the MO-AR
border, where zones 5,6,and 7 all run together. About six inches of
rich black soil on top of bedrock and clay. There are no crops other
than hay in S MO.
Ironically, this was an even more depressed area until fescue rescued
the cattle industry. The area between the MO river and the AR border
now produces beef cattle second only to the whole state of TX. But,
as I mentioned, the quail have all but disappeared.
Thanx for the info.......you too, David.

cheers

oz, looking forward to three days of pickin, singin, and dancin this
weekend and next.