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Vermont Green MTN State

I am to start my patch this spring. It is all lawn where I want to start. I hate the idea of how awful the weeds and grass will be my first year. Should I just scrape the sod of and till and fertilize, or should I till the sod in? If I till it in how will I keep from spending all my time pulling weeds!!!???
Doeski

2/25/2004 9:38:22 AM

Webster, NY

I just till everything under, piled on manure and leaf mulch. The weeds were not that bad, as long as you keep up with it. When you let them get out of control, watch out.

Dave

2/25/2004 10:28:43 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

yup like Dave said, "KEEP UP WITH IT"

2/25/2004 11:17:36 AM

Long Island,New York

Well....here's some food for thought. I was able to turn over a portion of my lawn in the spring of '98 because my wife is an angel and because if my "pumpkin efforts didnt work out the lawn is a mess anyway and should be tilled, graded and restarted anyway". Well...it was a lousy lawn because of some grass-effecting fungus' like Rhizoctonia. Guess what else Rhozoctonia likes to eat? Yup...my patch has been effected by Rhizo since '99, so if your gonna turn over your lawn you might wanna evaluate its condition and do some kind of preventative measures...what I dont know, but it happened to me and it aint fun.

2/25/2004 11:39:43 AM

Vermont Green MTN State

The area I am going to till was a former hay meadow for baling. The area has been spread with cow manure for years and also spread with lime too. The crab grass is what sucks. Those things have roots 10 foot long and if you miss a particle of root it comes right back. I would call it a garden "Cancer", Crab grass sucks & Cancer sucks!
Anyway I have this cool mini roto-tiller works great for everything, I would recommend this type tiller to anyone. It is so small it fits between rows in my garden, it helps airate soil and boy does that thing crank!
Ok so I will till it all in and deal with the weeds!
Doeski

2/25/2004 12:36:38 PM

Hobbiton New Zealand

I started a new patch this year and to slowthe weeds down after tilling I covered the whole thing with old carpet as the plants grew just kept pulling it back out of the way.
The carpet still lets the rain through to keep the soil dampand the weeds did nt really grow at all.

2/25/2004 2:50:00 PM

Indiana

If you can spread grass clippings (without herbicide) they keep the weeds down pretty good.
Steve

2/25/2004 6:20:02 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

I've got a new method for weed control....small brush burner. 500,000 BTU propane burner with adjustable flame, the kind used for burning grass off hills, etc.
Been playing with one I bought and I can get pretty specific and tight with the burn to keep it away from being too close to the plants. I'm tired of fighting weeds all the time.....

2/25/2004 6:33:24 PM

Indiana

Be carefull with the torch I cooked some tomato plants last year. Also watch it around wood mulch, I started a small smoldering fire that was going for a couple hours before it started to flame. good thing i smelled it and didnt burn the house down!
Steve

2/25/2004 8:13:32 PM

Vermont Green MTN State

Using the old carpet is a good idea. I have also been looking at the propane burners. Those would work great on my walkway too. Last year I used pesticides. I would like to not use those if all possible; it is hard to keep the pets off these areas.
Thanks!
Doeski

2/27/2004 11:10:00 AM