Beginner question - weeds all over my lawn
 

Hi group,

First time poster (and beginner gardener) here. I have a question
which is probably laughably simple to you lot but remember, I'm a
newbie...

What kind of weeds are these?

http://www.redpath.fireflyinternet.c...mages/weed.jpg

....and how can I get rid of them? They seem to be all over my back
lawn. I've tried pulling them up but most of them break away at the
root.

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers.

Derek R wrote:
Hi group,

First time poster (and beginner gardener) here. I have a question
which is probably laughably simple to you lot but remember, I'm a
newbie...

What kind of weeds are these?

http://www.redpath.fireflyinternet.c...mages/weed.jpg

...and how can I get rid of them? They seem to be all over my back
lawn. I've tried pulling them up but most of them break away at the
root.

Ignore anybody who laughs at you: a true gardener won't. It looks
like a sow-thistle, or some kind of thistle, to me: if it is
something like that, you'll get a milky sap when you break it.

But it doesn't matter much what it is: these rosette- forming weeds
are usually controllable with ordinary lawn weedkillers used
according to the instructions on the packet. I'm afraid you'll
probably need more than one application, though. If budget isn't
desperately tight, it's worth buying the cheapest spreader at the
same time as you get the killer; you can do it by hand even if you're
as clumsy as I am, but I've never been able to get a perfectly even
spread.

You can also loosen each one with a fork and pull it out by hand; but
any bit of root left behind will grow. I prefer it this way, as I
like to keep selected wildflowers in my lawn; but it's a hell of a
hassle.

What you can't do is expect these rosette-forming weeds to give up if
you simply mow over them: they just hug the ground a bit closer and
laugh at you.

Mike.

"Derek R" wrote in message
...
Hi group,

First time poster (and beginner gardener) here. I have a question
which is probably laughably simple to you lot but remember, I'm a
newbie...

What kind of weeds are these?

http://www.redpath.fireflyinternet.c...mages/weed.jpg

...and how can I get rid of them? They seem to be all over my back
lawn. I've tried pulling them up but most of them break away at the
root.

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers.

Hi Derek,

They are danelions.

They have quite a long tap root, so use a long knife or blade to loosen
round the root before pulling them out. Else you can get rid of them with a
broadleaf weedkiller, making sure to get one that is suitable for use on
lawns.

HTH

Cheers

Nick
http://www.ukgardening.co.uk

In article , Nick
Gray writes

"Derek R" wrote in message
.. .
Hi group,

First time poster (and beginner gardener) here. I have a question
which is probably laughably simple to you lot but remember, I'm a
newbie...

What kind of weeds are these?

http://www.redpath.fireflyinternet.c...mages/weed.jpg

...and how can I get rid of them? They seem to be all over my back
lawn. I've tried pulling them up but most of them break away at the
root.

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers.

Hi Derek,

They are danelions.

No, not dandelions. The leaf colour is wrong - too pale and too blueish,
and the edges are too serrated. Mike is right with sow thistle. Doesn't
affect the advice, though.

They have quite a long tap root, so use a long knife or blade to loosen
round the root before pulling them out. Else you can get rid of them with a
broadleaf weedkiller, making sure to get one that is suitable for use on
lawns.




--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article , Nick Gray
writes

[snipped]
They are danelions.

No, not dandelions. The leaf colour is wrong - too pale and too blueish,
and the edges are too serrated. Mike is right with sow thistle. Doesn't
affect the advice, though.
Kay

Yep, having had a second look, I stand corrected. Sorry about that.

Cheers

Nick
http://www.ukgardening.co.uk

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 19:40:50 -0000, "Nick Gray"
wrote:


Yep, having had a second look, I stand corrected. Sorry about that.

Cheers

Nick
http://www.ukgardening.co.uk


Don't worry, I've got dandelions too, but I knew what they were :)

Thanks for the advice all.

"Derek R" wrote in message
...
Hi group,

First time poster (and beginner gardener) here. I have a question
which is probably laughably simple to you lot but remember, I'm a
newbie...

What kind of weeds are these?
http://www.redpath.fireflyinternet.co.uk/images/weed.jpg
...and how can I get rid of them? They seem to be all over my back
lawn. I've tried pulling them up but most of them break away at the
root.
Any advice appreciated.
Cheers.

The name of the weed escapes me but you can buy a special long sort of thin
bladed shade type thingamajig to get out all the tap root. You need to remove
every single bit of root or it will grow back.

Mowing will keep them in check and they might give up after a while :~)

Jenny

In article , Nick
Gray writes


Yep, having had a second look, I stand corrected. Sorry about that.

No need for apologies. It's crystallised my thoughts about dandelions
and sow thistles from a gut feeling to a difference that I can explain
:-)
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article , says...

"Derek R" wrote in message
...
Hi group,

First time poster (and beginner gardener) here. I have a question
which is probably laughably simple to you lot but remember, I'm a
newbie...

What kind of weeds are these?
http://www.redpath.fireflyinternet.co.uk/images/weed.jpg
...and how can I get rid of them? They seem to be all over my back
lawn. I've tried pulling them up but most of them break away at the
root.
Any advice appreciated.
Cheers.

The name of the weed escapes me but you can buy a special long sort of thin
bladed shade type thingamajig to get out all the tap root. You need to remove
every single bit of root or it will grow back.

Covered the name earlier in the thread. Can you dig your memory for a
name for a tap root dealing with tool? The new bed is looking good
except the incumbent docks are making a last stand and coming up
everywhere. This afternoon, I pulled up an elderly incumbent where there
were only two tiny leaves attached to 36" of tap root. Most of the
perennial weeds are coming from below the double dig depth of cleaned
out bed. I'm about to start putting in the hardier plants and the shrubs
so it won't be possible to make big holes to remove single weeds in the
near future. I'll have to rely on killing them off by exhausting them.

On Monday we're going to a car boot sale. I reckon cutlery may manage to
get a foot of tap root.


Warwick