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.

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.

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.

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.

TIA
John

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.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

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

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

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

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)?

The weed & feed is dry pellets. I have a dispenser. It will burn the
grass if you get too much on one patch so be careful. Also do it on a
still day although pelleted the fines can drift quite a long way.

The broadleaf specific herbicide is a liquid and I do it with a backpack
and spray wand a couple of times a year to spot weed any new up and
coming weeds. Adjacent meadows provide plenty of thistle seeds and the
buttercup always returns somewhere every year.

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

Snag with weed & feed is that it turns moss black so you will need to
rake the worst of it out after treatment to allow the grass to thrive. I
don't treat my mum's lawn because it is mostly moss for that reason.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article ,
says...

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

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)?

The weed & feed is dry pellets. I have a dispenser. It will burn the
grass if you get too much on one patch so be careful. Also do it on a
still day although pelleted the fines can drift quite a long way.

The broadleaf specific herbicide is a liquid and I do it with a backpack
and spray wand a couple of times a year to spot weed any new up and
coming weeds. Adjacent meadows provide plenty of thistle seeds and the
buttercup always returns somewhere every year.

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

Snag with weed & feed is that it turns moss black so you will need to
rake the worst of it out after treatment to allow the grass to thrive. I
don't treat my mum's lawn because it is mostly moss for that reason.

Our lawns eventually had so much moss it was overtaking the grass and
the ground was always wet for kids to play on. I used a moss killer
then dethatched; now I just run the little (60 quid in any shed)
electric moss-rake over it once a year and the grass is much improved.

Fertiliser spreaders are sometimes lent out free by suppliers; or you
can hire one very cheaply. Dethatchers can also be hired. Hire costs
might be easier for your employer to swallow, than persuading him to buy
and store machinery that's only used once por twice a year.

Janet

On 22/02/2017 17:30, Another John wrote:
But I would like to treat it this Spring to
encourage the grass, and discourage (preferably kill, eradicate, destroy
utterly) the buttercups.

Just buttercups?

I quite like the primroses and cowslips in ours (yes, both) and I
_really_ like the orchids.

It would be hopeless for a bowling green!

Andy

In article ,
Vir Campestris wrote:

On 22/02/2017 17:30, Another John wrote:
But I would like to treat it this Spring to
encourage the grass, and discourage (preferably kill, eradicate, destroy
utterly) the buttercups.

Just buttercups?

I quite like the primroses and cowslips in ours (yes, both) and I
_really_ like the orchids.

[Thanks to all for the advice received -- very useful.]

Yes, O Man of the Plains: just the buttercups -- it's all that we get.

Last year I left a large corner of the grass to grow, and it developed
into a nice little buttercup meadow, with other species flourishing too
(it adjoins a genuine field). However, the owner decided he didn't like
it: wanted it cut neat and short. Shame, but he's the boss. As a
result, buttercups are the only things that get a grip -- and grip they
do, the buggers.

J.