I'd ideally love to have a lawn sprinkled with daisies but without great
lumps of other lawn weeds such as dandelions. At teh moment my lawn has
plenty of daisies but is also so full of dandelions that teh grass is
struggling to compete (we also have a lot of clover which I do not mind).
Any suggestions as to how to eradicate (or at least cut down) the
dandelions? There are too many and the lawn is too big for hand weeding. I
thought of pouring some kind of selective weed killer over the worst bits.
Will teh daisies recolonise them? Can you buy daisy seed and can I just
sprinkle it on? can you still get selective weedkiller that works? I tried
spraying all the dandelions with some last year but it had no effect (it was
just a hand held pot of spot weeder.) any idea where I went wrong?
TIA,

--
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)

H Ryder wrote:
I'd ideally love to have a lawn sprinkled with daisies but without
great lumps of other lawn weeds such as dandelions. At teh moment my
lawn has plenty of daisies but is also so full of dandelions that teh
grass is struggling to compete (we also have a lot of clover which I
do not mind). Any suggestions as to how to eradicate (or at least cut
down) the dandelions? There are too many and the lawn is too big for
hand weeding. I thought of pouring some kind of selective weed killer
over the worst bits. Will teh daisies recolonise them? Can you buy
daisy seed and can I just sprinkle it on? can you still get selective
weedkiller that works? I tried spraying all the dandelions with some
last year but it had no effect (it was just a hand held pot of spot
weeder.) any idea where I went wrong?
TIA,

No lawn is complete without daisies! The only thing you did wrong was
probably to expect complete results from a single application:
dandelions are very tough and have remarkable powers of recovery. I'm
wondering if the best approach might be to dig up as many daisies as you
have time and energy for, plant them in seed-trays, then hit the lawn
with the usual weed-and-feed till you're sure the dandelions etc have
surrendered; then replant the daisies. Once re-established, the daisies
will spread again. You'll have to keep on top of any new dandelions
which appear, of course: but maybe spot treatment will be enough.

You can buy daisy seed, but I think just scattering it on a lawn would
be disappointing, as few would come up. Let the plants do it for you:
they can afford the waste.

--
Mike.

In article ,
"Mike Lyle" writes:
|
| No lawn is complete without daisies! The only thing you did wrong was
| probably to expect complete results from a single application:
| dandelions are very tough and have remarkable powers of recovery. I'm
| wondering if the best approach might be to dig up as many daisies as you
| have time and energy for, plant them in seed-trays, then hit the lawn
| with the usual weed-and-feed till you're sure the dandelions etc have
| surrendered; then replant the daisies. Once re-established, the daisies
| will spread again. You'll have to keep on top of any new dandelions
| which appear, of course: but maybe spot treatment will be enough.

Hmm. My approach is the converse! Dandelions are weeds of rich
and disturbed soil, and so NOT feeding can help keep them under
control. An old kitchen knife or equivalent is good at cutting
their root far enough down that they rarely regrow (an inch or
two is usually enough).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"H Ryder" wrote in message
...
I'd ideally love to have a lawn sprinkled with daisies but without great
lumps of other lawn weeds such as dandelions. At teh moment my lawn has
plenty of daisies but is also so full of dandelions that teh grass is
struggling to compete (we also have a lot of clover which I do not mind).
Any suggestions as to how to eradicate (or at least cut down) the
dandelions? There are too many and the lawn is too big for hand weeding. I
thought of pouring some kind of selective weed killer over the worst bits.
Will teh daisies recolonise them? Can you buy daisy seed and can I just
sprinkle it on? can you still get selective weedkiller that works? I tried
spraying all the dandelions with some last year but it had no effect (it
was
just a hand held pot of spot weeder.) any idea where I went wrong?
TIA,

--
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dandelions are not a real lawn weed and cannot withstand close mowing
and soon die off. Daisies, however, thrive with a close cut and without a
grassbox they will really prosper. Keep this up for a few months and the
dandelions will be finished.
I actually grow dandelions, packed into pots, kept in the dark, for
their blanched chards. Very special in salads.
My own lawns wouldn't dare produce a daisy!!
Best Wishes Brian.

H Ryder wrote:
I'd ideally love to have a lawn sprinkled with daisies but without great
lumps of other lawn weeds such as dandelions. At teh moment my lawn has
plenty of daisies but is also so full of dandelions that teh grass is
struggling to compete (we also have a lot of clover which I do not mind).
Any suggestions as to how to eradicate (or at least cut down) the
dandelions? There are too many and the lawn is too big for hand weeding. I
thought of pouring some kind of selective weed killer over the worst bits.

You could use a generic spring weed and feed containing a broadleaved
weedkiller. And/or use a spray wand with similar broad leaf herbicide.

Will teh daisies recolonise them? Can you buy daisy seed and can I just
sprinkle it on? can you still get selective weedkiller that works? I tried
spraying all the dandelions with some last year but it had no effect (it was
just a hand held pot of spot weeder.) any idea where I went wrong?

Hand held pots of pre-diluted weedkiller are expensive, convenient but
pretty well useless. The diluted weedkiller is not stable enough. If you
must spot weed this way the wax based pencil formulation is better.

Freshly made solution is much more effective. And you need to hit them
at the right time in active growth, but it should be fairly easy to rid
a lawn of dandelions with one hit early in the season and one later to
get rid of the first flush of new seedlings.

I prefer the 12" screwdriver method for removing any large ones. They
make a satisfying crunch as the tap root breaks. There will always be
new ones - just look at the airborne seeds from the wild hedgerows.

I have never had any trouble with daisies (or their nicer cousins) or
clover expiring due to weed & feed treatments. And I find creeping
buttercup more troubesome to eradicate than dandelions.

Regards,
Martin Brown

--
X-No-Archive
"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
H Ryder wrote:
I'd ideally love to have a lawn sprinkled with daisies but without great
lumps of other lawn weeds such as dandelions. At teh moment my lawn has
plenty of daisies but is also so full of dandelions that teh grass is
struggling to compete (we also have a lot of clover which I do not
mind).
Any suggestions as to how to eradicate (or at least cut down) the
dandelions? There are too many and the lawn is too big for hand weeding.
I
thought of pouring some kind of selective weed killer over the worst
bits.

You could use a generic spring weed and feed containing a broadleaved
weedkiller. And/or use a spray wand with similar broad leaf herbicide.

Will teh daisies recolonise them? Can you buy daisy seed and can I just
sprinkle it on? can you still get selective weedkiller that works? I
tried
spraying all the dandelions with some last year but it had no effect (it
was
just a hand held pot of spot weeder.) any idea where I went wrong?

Hand held pots of pre-diluted weedkiller are expensive, convenient but
pretty well useless. The diluted weedkiller is not stable enough. If you
must spot weed this way the wax based pencil formulation is better.

Freshly made solution is much more effective. And you need to hit them
at the right time in active growth, but it should be fairly easy to rid
a lawn of dandelions with one hit early in the season and one later to
get rid of the first flush of new seedlings.

I prefer the 12" screwdriver method for removing any large ones. They
make a satisfying crunch as the tap root breaks. There will always be
new ones - just look at the airborne seeds from the wild hedgerows.

I have never had any trouble with daisies (or their nicer cousins) or
clover expiring due to weed & feed treatments. And I find creeping
buttercup more troubesome to eradicate than dandelions.

Regards,
Martin Brown
So how can one encourage dandelions? I find them pretty to look at and the
tortoise is partial to them. I cannot grow enough of them.

"PammyT" wrote in message
...


--
X-No-Archive
"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
H Ryder wrote:
I'd ideally love to have a lawn sprinkled with daisies but without
great
lumps of other lawn weeds such as dandelions. At teh moment my lawn has
plenty of daisies but is also so full of dandelions that teh grass is
struggling to compete (we also have a lot of clover which I do not
mind).
Any suggestions as to how to eradicate (or at least cut down) the
dandelions? There are too many and the lawn is too big for hand
weeding.
I
thought of pouring some kind of selective weed killer over the worst
bits.

You could use a generic spring weed and feed containing a broadleaved
weedkiller. And/or use a spray wand with similar broad leaf herbicide.

Will teh daisies recolonise them? Can you buy daisy seed and can I just
sprinkle it on? can you still get selective weedkiller that works? I
tried
spraying all the dandelions with some last year but it had no effect
(it
was
just a hand held pot of spot weeder.) any idea where I went wrong?

Hand held pots of pre-diluted weedkiller are expensive, convenient but
pretty well useless. The diluted weedkiller is not stable enough. If you
must spot weed this way the wax based pencil formulation is better.

Freshly made solution is much more effective. And you need to hit them
at the right time in active growth, but it should be fairly easy to rid
a lawn of dandelions with one hit early in the season and one later to
get rid of the first flush of new seedlings.

I prefer the 12" screwdriver method for removing any large ones. They
make a satisfying crunch as the tap root breaks. There will always be
new ones - just look at the airborne seeds from the wild hedgerows.

I have never had any trouble with daisies (or their nicer cousins) or
clover expiring due to weed & feed treatments. And I find creeping
buttercup more troubesome to eradicate than dandelions.

Regards,
Martin Brown
So how can one encourage dandelions? I find them pretty to look at and the
tortoise is partial to them. I cannot grow enough of them.


It's a well know fact that wasps help to spread and fertilise dandelion
seed.
So encourage the wasps and don't kill them ;-)