Killing Weeds Prior To Growing New Lawn (The Beginning)

[TinaMcG]

Doc, I also think you give great advice! Thank you. Extension master gardener here, and we give lawn renovation advice on our hotline hundreds of times every August-October.

[ukrkoz]

Ha-ha. Chemicals, aye, mates?

VINEGAR. Sam's has 2 gallon box of vinegar for about few bucks. 50% mix of it with water, in 4 gallon back pack sprayer, will toast ALL vegetation. Good part - it's 100% natural. Rain flushes it off and turns into nothing but weak acid and harmless compounds. You will need to do over, but for the cost involved it's nothing much.
Or, if you want to, you steam them. Steam kills any vegetation too.

[TinaMcG]

Glyphosate completely degrades in the soil within 4-8 weeks. Poof. Gone. Degraded by the soil organisms that biodegrade stuff. IMO, you could do more harm with vinegar than with a chemical used responsibly. As for steam, it's not a very practical thing to use on a lawn, and it would likely only kill the topgrowth, not the weeds.

I was a fiercely organic-all-natural gardener for many years. Trust me, some trendy homespun garden solutions are way more trouble than they're worth.

[DocD357]

Originally Posted by TinaMcG

Glyphosate completely degrades in the soil within 4-8 weeks.

Sometimes way shorter than that (if the conditions are right)! While it is degrading, it's still held tight to the soil and inactive.

[TinaMcG]

"it would likely only kill the topgrowth, not the weeds. "

What I meant to say was, "not the roots".

[Kaatte123]

hello,
thanks for all the tips,i am also having a small garden so i just plan to grow some plants but scared of the weeds that ca damage my plants,this tips are s nice