Got too many weeds in one patch of the yard about 15x30 and decided to kill or remove all the old grass/weeds and start fresh with new seed.

I'm wondering if I covered it with tarps, how long would it take for the grass and weeds to die? I don't want to spray it with herbicide. Temp will be around 75-80 from now until August, then 80-90 until mid-Sept. No rain excepted any time soon.

Thanks.

On 06/13/2016 12:35 AM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
Got too many weeds in one patch of the yard about 15x30 and decided to kill or remove all the old grass/weeds and start fresh with new seed.

I'm wondering if I covered it with tarps, how long would it take for the grass and weeds to die? I don't want to spray it with herbicide. Temp will be around 75-80 from now until August, then 80-90 until mid-Sept. No rain excepted any time soon.

Thanks.


A solution of one gallon of vinegar with a tablespoon of dish detergent sprayed on weeds kills them dead.

On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 02:19:19 -0600, Hillari Clinton
wrote:

On 06/13/2016 12:35 AM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
Got too many weeds in one patch of the yard about 15x30 and decided to kill or remove all the old grass/weeds and start fresh with new seed.

I'm wondering if I covered it with tarps, how long would it take for the grass and weeds to die? I don't want to spray it with herbicide. Temp will be around 75-80 from now until August, then 80-90 until mid-Sept. No rain excepted any time soon.

Thanks.


A solution of one gallon of vinegar with a tablespoon of dish detergent sprayed on weeds kills them dead.

OK, but does it affect germination of the new seed? That is why you
can't use Roundup or similar chemicals.

On Monday, June 13, 2016 at 5:44:51 AM UTC-4, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 02:19:19 -0600, Hillari Clinton
wrote:

On 06/13/2016 12:35 AM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
Got too many weeds in one patch of the yard about 15x30 and decided to kill or remove all the old grass/weeds and start fresh with new seed.

I'm wondering if I covered it with tarps, how long would it take for the grass and weeds to die? I don't want to spray it with herbicide. Temp will be around 75-80 from now until August, then 80-90 until mid-Sept. No rain excepted any time soon.

Thanks.


A solution of one gallon of vinegar with a tablespoon of dish detergent sprayed on weeds kills them dead.

OK, but does it affect germination of the new seed? That is why you
can't use Roundup or similar chemicals.

plus the existing weed seeds already in the soil will germinate, espically once you dig up the soil to plant new grass seeds.

your really better off to use normal weed control methods.

the sorched earth kill everything isnt the better choice.

my neighbor recently killed a entire area like you want to do.

he used a propane burner on a hose..

i will post back here when it s complete. which might be next spring....

given time to dig up, plant seed, germinate. in the heat and dry summer its going to be hard to grow grass seed

I've neglected my yard for years, and while it was still green it was really more weeds than grass.

This year I put on one bag of a combination herbicide and fertilizer, like a feed and weed, from Walmart at about $20. (5,000 ft^2).

The weeds died and the surviving grass took over the whole yard. It looked brown and ugly for about two weeks, now it looks great.

The lawn care industry has solved this problem better than you can.

On Monday, June 13, 2016 at 5:44:51 AM UTC-4, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 02:19:19 -0600, Hillari Clinton
wrote:

On 06/13/2016 12:35 AM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
Got too many weeds in one patch of the yard about 15x30 and decided to kill or remove all the old grass/weeds and start fresh with new seed.

I'm wondering if I covered it with tarps, how long would it take for the grass and weeds to die? I don't want to spray it with herbicide. Temp will be around 75-80 from now until August, then 80-90 until mid-Sept. No rain excepted any time soon.

Thanks.


A solution of one gallon of vinegar with a tablespoon of dish detergent sprayed on weeds kills them dead.

OK, but does it affect germination of the new seed? That is why you
can't use Roundup or similar chemicals.

You can use Roundup (glyphosate) and reseed as soon as it's dead.
That's one of the big advantages, it's very effective and quick.
The tarp will work, provided you have enough tarps and don't mind
looking at it, securing it, etc.

I would wait until late August to proceed. Summer is the worst
time to reseed, at least with cool season grasses, IDK where he is.
Lots of competition from weeds and it will take a lot of water.

On Monday, June 13, 2016 at 7:54:29 AM UTC-4, bob haller wrote:
On Monday, June 13, 2016 at 5:44:51 AM UTC-4, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 02:19:19 -0600, Hillari Clinton
wrote:

On 06/13/2016 12:35 AM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
Got too many weeds in one patch of the yard about 15x30 and decided to kill or remove all the old grass/weeds and start fresh with new seed.

I'm wondering if I covered it with tarps, how long would it take for the grass and weeds to die? I don't want to spray it with herbicide. Temp will be around 75-80 from now until August, then 80-90 until mid-Sept. No rain excepted any time soon.

Thanks.


A solution of one gallon of vinegar with a tablespoon of dish detergent sprayed on weeds kills them dead.

OK, but does it affect germination of the new seed? That is why you
can't use Roundup or similar chemicals.

plus the existing weed seeds already in the soil will germinate, espically once you dig up the soil to plant new grass seeds.

your really better off to use normal weed control methods.


You still have that problem with Roundup. It only kills the actively
growing vegetation. And AFAIK, any herbicide that persists, will not
only keep the weeds from sprouting, but also the new grass.




the sorched earth kill everything isnt the better choice.

my neighbor recently killed a entire area like you want to do.

he used a propane burner on a hose..

i will post back here when it s complete. which might be next spring....

given time to dig up, plant seed, germinate. in the heat and dry summer its going to be hard to grow grass seed

Agree, summer is the worst time. Fall is by far the best, followed by
eary Spring.

On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 06:20:01 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

Agree, summer is the worst time. Fall is by far the best, followed by
eary Spring.

When I lived up there in the frozen north (Md), the time to throw
grass seed was over the last snow of the season, (typically around
Easter). The seed would sink down in the snow so the birds would not
get it and when the snow melted, it germinated the seed. Spring was
always rainy there.

On Monday, June 13, 2016 at 9:36:19 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 06:20:01 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

Agree, summer is the worst time. Fall is by far the best, followed by
eary Spring.

When I lived up there in the frozen north (Md), the time to throw
grass seed was over the last snow of the season, (typically around
Easter). The seed would sink down in the snow so the birds would not
get it and when the snow melted, it germinated the seed. Spring was
always rainy there.

The disadvantage to Spring over Fall is that you have more competition
from weeds, rising temps that will require more watering, and then it
doesn't have long before it's July and summer stress. If you do it in
Fall, it has several months to grow in Fall, then all Spring before
it gets to really tough weather. A lot depends
on if you have an easy, automatic, cost effective means of watering it.
If you do, then Spring can be fine. And I agree with your strategy
of doing it very early, now it's a whole different ball game.

On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 06:54:06 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

On Monday, June 13, 2016 at 9:36:19 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 06:20:01 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

Agree, summer is the worst time. Fall is by far the best, followed by
eary Spring.

When I lived up there in the frozen north (Md), the time to throw
grass seed was over the last snow of the season, (typically around
Easter). The seed would sink down in the snow so the birds would not
get it and when the snow melted, it germinated the seed. Spring was
always rainy there.

The disadvantage to Spring over Fall is that you have more competition
from weeds, rising temps that will require more watering, and then it
doesn't have long before it's July and summer stress. If you do it in
Fall, it has several months to grow in Fall, then all Spring before
it gets to really tough weather. A lot depends
on if you have an easy, automatic, cost effective means of watering it.
If you do, then Spring can be fine. And I agree with your strategy
of doing it very early, now it's a whole different ball game.

I was never much of a lawn guy so I defer to people who are. I just
know what I hear.
In SW Florida lawns are a horrible waste of time, effort and water we
can't afford to lose. Lawns are also the major cause of algae blooms
and overall water pollution because the fertilizer does not stay on
the lawn. It washes off into the water.
In my yard, all I want is something green, whatever will survive
without any help from me. I have grass in the rainy season and wild
flowers in the dry season.

On 6/12/2016 11:35 PM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
Got too many weeds in one patch of the yard about 15x30 and decided to kill or remove all the old grass/weeds and start fresh with new seed.

I'm wondering if I covered it with tarps, how long would it take for the grass and weeds to die? I don't want to spray it with herbicide. Temp will be around 75-80 from now until August, then 80-90 until mid-Sept. No rain excepted any time soon.

Thanks.


Lawns are out these days, you stupid *******.

On 6/13/2016 7:26 AM, Colonel Edmund J. Burke wrote:
On 6/12/2016 11:35 PM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
Got too many weeds in one patch of the yard about 15x30 and decided to kill or remove all the old grass/weeds and start fresh with new seed.

I'm wondering if I covered it with tarps, how long would it take for the grass and weeds to die? I don't want to spray it with herbicide. Temp will be around 75-80 from now until August, then 80-90 until mid-Sept. No rain excepted any time soon.

Thanks.


Lawns are out these days, you stupid *******.


That might be true in California, where I live. However, there are
still areas of the globe where fresh water is so plentiful that it can
still be wasted on landscapes.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

When a Moslem shoots up a nightclub in Florida
or a party in California, it is terrorism. When a
Christian shoots up a movie theater in Colorado or
a church in South Carolina, however, it is not
called terrorism. Why is this so?

On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 05:44:48 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 02:19:19 -0600, Hillari Clinton
wrote:

On 06/13/2016 12:35 AM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
Got too many weeds in one patch of the yard about 15x30 and decided to kill or remove all the old grass/weeds and start fresh with new seed.

I'm wondering if I covered it with tarps, how long would it take for the grass and weeds to die? I don't want to spray it with herbicide. Temp will be around 75-80 from now until August, then 80-90 until mid-Sept. No rain excepted any time soon.

Thanks.


A solution of one gallon of vinegar with a tablespoon of dish detergent sprayed on weeds kills them dead.

OK, but does it affect germination of the new seed? That is why you
can't use Roundup or similar chemicals.
Roundup is fine. Plant after 2 weeks no problem - they say 1 to 3
days - except for extendedcontrol weed and grass killer plus weed
preventer - which requires about 6 months.

It is the product of choice for knocking down weeds before replanting
or sodding. Generally 2 applications 2 weeks apart then reseed after
another week. This gets 2 generations of weeds and gives you a
fighting chance at a weed-free lawn.

On
I was never much of a lawn guy so I defer to people who are. I just
know what I hear.
In SW Florida lawns are a horrible waste of time, effort and water we
can't afford to lose. Lawns are also the major cause of algae blooms
and overall water pollution because the fertilizer does not stay on
the lawn. It washes off into the water.
In my yard, all I want is something green, whatever will survive
without any help from me. I have grass in the rainy season and wild
flowers in the dry season.


Yeah, I'm a mother nature type.. what ever grows grows. The mower
knocks it down, something grows back. Much more interesting watching
the plants compete for survival then a boring mono culture. Bag the
stuff? No way, the only green stuff or whatever the mower cuts that gets
away is the stuff that manages to find it's way onto the street.
Last time I mowed I noticed a slightly greener spot out front where
I'd buried a stray cat a couple of years ago that had gotten run over.

On Mon, 13 Jun 2016 07:56:45 -0700, "David E. Ross"
wrote:

On 6/13/2016 7:26 AM, Colonel Edmund J. Burke wrote:
On 6/12/2016 11:35 PM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
Got too many weeds in one patch of the yard about 15x30 and decided to kill or remove all the old grass/weeds and start fresh with new seed.

I'm wondering if I covered it with tarps, how long would it take for the grass and weeds to die? I don't want to spray it with herbicide. Temp will be around 75-80 from now until August, then 80-90 until mid-Sept. No rain excepted any time soon.

Thanks.


Lawns are out these days, you stupid *******.


That might be true in California, where I live. However, there are
still areas of the globe where fresh water is so plentiful that it can
still be wasted on landscapes.

I mow ten acres of gorgeous lawn each week for six months of the year
and I've never watered... the northern Catskills Hudson Valley has
some of the finast soil on the planet (the very rich top soil on my
property is a good six feet deep), I never fertilize or use any chems
either. The only watering is from natural precipitation, sometimes
too much:
http://i63.tinypic.com/2wren8w.jpg
Lovely ginkgo tree I planted:
http://i65.tinypic.com/10sewpe.jpg
My favorite spruce, planted eight years ago on my 65th birthday:
http://i68.tinypic.com/2eci2w0.jpg
Getting ready to demolish my rental cottage, druggie *******s don't
pay rent, they should all over dose and die, quickly:
http://i64.tinypic.com/154zzx0.jpg
Will be a great spot to plant a half dozen more fruit trees, I'm
thinking a variety of semi dwarf plum, I don't worry about the crop
size, the blossoms are spectacular. However I can sell the fruit at a
roadside stand on an honor system but mostly getting rid of that
cottage will reduce my property taxes about two grand, more than I've
ever cleared on rent, when they paid which is rare these days, the
economy sucks... students come out of college in heavy debt and with
NO marketable skills

In rec.gardens "Snuffy \"Hub Cap\" McKinney" wrote:
Got too many weeds in one patch of the yard about 15x30 and decided to kill or remove all the old grass/weeds and start fresh with new seed.

I'm wondering if I covered it with tarps, how long would it take for the grass and weeds to die? I don't want to spray it with herbicide. Temp will be around 75-80 from now until August, then 80-90 until mid-Sept. No rain excepted any time soon.

Try googling "soil solarization" and you'll find a wealth of information. From what I gather it'll
work in a few weeks _provided_ you have lots of hot, all-day sunshine.

Apart from needing full sun, the tarps need to be sealed tightly, usually by burying the edges, and
it helps if the soil is watered before tarping.

Here's one of many articles on the subject:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74145.html

hth,

bob prohaska

"My 2 Cents" wrote in message ...
On
I was never much of a lawn guy so I defer to people who are. I just
know what I hear.
In SW Florida lawns are a horrible waste of time, effort and water we
can't afford to lose. Lawns are also the major cause of algae blooms
and overall water pollution because the fertilizer does not stay on
the lawn. It washes off into the water.
In my yard, all I want is something green, whatever will survive
without any help from me. I have grass in the rainy season and wild
flowers in the dry season.


Yeah, I'm a mother nature type.. what ever grows grows. The mower
knocks it down, something grows back. Much more interesting watching
the plants compete for survival then a boring mono culture. Bag the
stuff? No way, the only green stuff or whatever the mower cuts that gets
away is the stuff that manages to find it's way onto the street.
Last time I mowed I noticed a slightly greener spot out front where
I'd buried a stray cat a couple of years ago that had gotten run over.

That's how we get nearly all the new flowers & trees. The lovely Miseries Snuffy makes me mow around anything that does not look like a weed, so it's easier to dig it up and move it into the garden.

Got a beautiful manzanita plant that way that is now 6 feet tall & covered year round with bright red berries about the size of BBs. I think that one came from a berry of a limb I brought home years ago. I wanted to cut it down many times before it started blooming because of catching my shirt on the throns. Good thing I'm not the boss around here.

Also got several Mexican date palms and a couple of yucca plants that all came up wild. Not the real pretty ones, but they're green & don't take any work or watering. One turned out to be a Canary Island date palm, now about 20 feet high - really nice looking but fons are sharper than needles. I'd rather trim a field full of rosebushes than one of these things.