Clearing Weeds

Sparky Joe

What's the easiest or cheapest way to clear a field of weeds without removing too much top-soil to get it ready for seed or sod?

thanks
-joe

BobsLandscaping

How big an area are we talking? Are you going to sod, hydroseed, dry seed?

ChainsawCharlie

Roundup (glyphosate), or it's half priced generic counterparts such as Kleenup Pro.

Will kill just about everything living. Then you have to deal with the billions of weed seeds left behind.

There are other chemicals which will control future weed growth, but that is dependent on seeding or sodding.

cleveman

Turn it over with a disc and get it ready to seed on labor day. You'll have to roundup first if they are really big. But this will only kill the plants, not remove them.

tkle

Round up, water and wait for the seed to sprout followed by more round up.

Sparky Joe

0.29 acre -2800sf and probably dry seed, though I haven't priced out sod but I'm trying to save for vinyl fence.

It's my own yard so I got plenty of time n patience to care for it, It's just looking out at the 3' tall weeds that's leaving me unmotivated.

I got a GC friend that owes me about a $700 favor from last winter. He's got equipment(though I'm not sure what), but I may prefer him to dig the sprinklers given that he's insured?

Mike(VA)

Hyvar XL. Wait one year, plant anything you want.

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SLSTech

How about burning it?

Once you get your lawn established it will help prevent future weeds from coming up

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BobsLandscaping

If you want to save some money and don't want instant coverage check out hydroseeding. It's cheaper than sod (a lot cheaper) and much more effective than dry seeding. Just make sure the company you use uses the appropriate fertilizer for your soils chemical make up.

ChainsawCharlie

There's also stolons and hydromulch. A little more than seed but still far cheaper than sod, and you get a big head start over just seed. And you can use pre-emergent hebicides to help keep the weeds in check. Can't do that with seed.

ChainsawCharlie

http://www.contractortalk.com/f7/sod...seeding-59092/

Sparky Joe

Burning it crossed my mind; I got a couple bb-q tanks and I could borrow a weed burner from work.
But I've only used em for bending PVC conduit, and because there's still more empty lots than houses around I worried about settin the whole neighborhood ablaze

Also because of all the weed covered lots I've noticed some of the neighbors got quite a few weeds in their sod.
Possibly wind blown seeds, or just not prepped right?

What about renting a bob-cat or some other better machine I probably don't of?
If that could get it done in a weekend it'd be worth the extra cash. Or would that just be frustrating and difficult?

And thanks for that link Chainsaw, very good info

-joe

SLSTech

The bobcat is just going to stir up the seeds in your soil, & you will be bringing in soil from who nows where. Oh & then the weed seeds from the neighbors will still get in it.

Weed killer, burn it, pull em, or cut it short - prep properly & install seed, sod, etc... With neighbors with weeds they will blow into your yard, not including whats there, the better your lawn is established the less weeds you will have. The ones you get - you can go with weed killer or just pull em. No matter what you have a fight in front of you.

If you go with the hand seeding / over seeding system - I always added about a 1/4 of black mulch over it to keep water in, & add nutrients to the soil as it degraded

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Certified Energy Efficiency Audits, Ratings, Modeling, Verifications, & Consulting
Residential, Commercial, & Industrial Infrared Thermography Scans

Sparky Joe

Thanks SLS for that good post, so now I know what to be expecting and won't think I must've done something wrong.

-joe

ampman

hire a union weed killer

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