Grass

[TGDragonfly]

I realize that the last thing any of us want to think about is our lawns, but hopefully someone might be able to help. I bought this property 2 years ago, out of 6 acres, 2 of it is lawn that I have to mow every 5 days. I am desperately trying to stay organic by laying corn meal as a pre-emergent to control weeds. However I am having a really bad crab grass evasion. In the morning when the due is heavy I can see it as I look out across the back from the upper deck of my house. It has invaded at least a third of my lawn, and is now popping up in my beds.

Aside from the old hoe, does anyone have any advice as to what I should do? I'm afraid that it is to late. Should I be using a chemical to help?

 

[master J]

.....I thought this would be another "legalize grass" thread!:ssmoke

Oh well, so Tom, can we talk about "old hoe's" instead?!

 

[BOSS]

Get a "Quack Goat".....:rofl:

Only solution I have found "organically" is to pull it by hand....but then my yards only a 1/2 acre with only about 1/4 of that grass....

 

[Victoria]

'cides are illegal here.

May I suggest you turn it into gardens.

V

 

[FloralFantasies]

Do you really need 2 acres of lawn? Why not plant a good ground cover and just keep the grass lawn for a smaller area where you really need a lawn? There are lots of different ground covers which only need mowing only a couple of times a year.

 

[Queen of Weddings]

Its all in how you cut the grass, if you cut it say not to low, crab grass hates shade, So if you say move up the mower a little higher, then the pesky stuff with strangle to death, also re-seed in the fall, the first frost will get rid of the pesky stuff, this worked for us,

 

[HeatherTuckey]

Sorry, can't help you. We have Scott's treat our lawn (fertilize, weed killer, crab grass preventer, etc., etc.). Tried to do it ourselves for a couple years (non-organic)to save some $, and it still looked like crap. Now we pay Scotts lawn service (have for about 5 years). Each year our lawn looks better and better. Our front lawn looks super green and lush (gets more water and no dog to trash it).

Just curious... why are you against them?

I had HUGE weed problems in my flower beds. Tried that Preen this year and it kicked ass! Almost no weeds at all. I have done three applications.

 

[Joe Mioux]

Give it up. Next winter/spring, spread some Barricade down.

joe

 

[Victoria]

All 'cides are illegal here. As I said, I'm more than fine with that. For me there is a strong correlation between pesticides, herbicides and cancer, and so many other illnesses.

When I had my gardens, weeding was therapeutic... I put a face on a weed and pulled.

Perennial beds and ground covers are a great way to choke out weeds... and of course hand pulling.

My goal, before things changed direction was to be rid of grass altogether.

V

 

[Joe Mioux]

btw: how many pesticides, via residue on the stems of flowers do you think we touch everyday? if you guess a lot, you win.

 

[Victoria]

Sadly that's very true Joe... which is why I'm glad I live in an area where they have at least taken some precautions.

V

 

[Joe Mioux]

Sadly that's very true Joe... which is why I'm glad I live in an area where they have at least taken some precautions.

V

with flowers? or are you talking about the grass?

 

[Victoria]

Out door use Joe.

 

[Mark Anderson]

Hey Victoria,

I understand the concern but here in Toronto this experiment has been a disaster. There is just no grass left in the parks - they have turned into weed farms over the past two years.

I know that ground cover is an option in some cases but my kids play soccer and baseball in these parks. They need grass. If my lawn looked anything like the public parks I would be fined by the city.

The city keeps telling us that you don't need chemicals to have great grass. IMHO they need to lead by example and show us how it can be done on city property before they inflict this kind of policy on their residents and taxpayers. Instead of tripping over themselves in their desire to be the first municipal government to interfere even more in our lives they should have had a few pilot projects to prove that it was viable.

Of course I want to keep my kids safe from any kind of dangerous herbicides but there is already a mechanism in place for this. The US and Canadian authorities have declared these herbicides safe and legal to use. Are they infallible? Of course not. But I trust their judgement much more than I trust Mayor David Miller of the $75,000 "Hot Drink Task Force". For those of you outside the area our city council created this task force to try and find a paper replacement for the plastic lids that go on paper coffee cups. Seriously. I wish I was kidding.

What happens when David Miller reads something about flower farming, decides that it is bad and prohibits all Toronto florists from selling anything but organically grown local flowers and then all of the other municipalities follow suit? You can laugh but the precedent has been set. The current administration is casually exceeding it's authority whenever the mood strikes them. They seem far more interested in building a reputation as environmental crusaders through empty and self-defeating grandstanding than serving their citizens.

P.S. Don't get me started on the bag tax. That is going to become the biggest farce in the history of this city - and that is really saying something.

 

[Joe Mioux]

Ground covers and perennial beds are not necessarily a solution for weed controls.

also, organic solutions are not necessarily safer than manufactured pesticides.

so, what does all this boil down to? a bunch of legislators listening to a bunch of people with too much time on their hands.... and legislators trying new ways to tax us through chemical registration fees.

joe