Dead Grass

[FUBAR]

Not being a gardener, I thought I'd tackle the weeds in the lawn back in early Spring. Went to the garden centre and purchased a bottle of weed-killer, ensuring it was the type for 'lawns' (eg on the bottle says it will only kill the broad-leaved weeds and NOT the grass)

Guess what? I now have about 30 brown patches of dead grass and a very unhappy wife (may have given it an couple of extra squirts to make sure I got the weeds good 'n' proper)

Im guessing that the weed-killer will have contaminated the soil and therefore I cant just dig out the dead stuff and sprinkle down some seed? Is my only option to cut out the patches and put in some turf (in patches, not whole rolls of the stuff)

I knew we should have paved over the bloody lot!

On the upside, we now don't have any weeds

[Flintstone]

Depends on to weedkiller, different stuff does different things. Something like Pathclear is designed along the lines of scorched earth but lawn treatment shouldn't do that. If your lawn's anything like mine the brown patches are probably dead moss.

[RonJohnson]

Bit of green spray paint to 'touch up' the bits of grass that are struggling. Job done. Retire indoors for beer.

[Simpo Two]

FUBAR said:

Not being a gardener, I thought I'd tackle the weeds in the lawn back in early Spring. Went to the garden centre and purchased a bottle of weed-killer, ensuring it was the type for 'lawns' (eg on the bottle says it will only kill the broad-leaved weeds and NOT the grass)

Guess what? I now have about 30 brown patches of dead grass and a very unhappy wife (may have given it an couple of extra squirts to make sure I got the weeds good 'n' proper)

Im guessing that the weed-killer will have contaminated the soil and therefore I cant just dig out the dead stuff and sprinkle down some seed? Is my only option to cut out the patches and put in some turf (in patches, not whole rolls of the stuff)

Well the good news is that you bought a lawn (ie selective) weedkiller, designed to kill broadleaved plants (ie weeds) in grass as you say. However like all things they have a dose - a dose that is carefully and painstakingly worked out like wot I used to do for a living - and confirmed by HM Govt. You have to put X amount over Y square metres, and do so evenly. That's the first thing. But then you also have to be careful not to apply in the middle of a drought or very hot spell, because then the grass is under water stress and therefore more susceptibele to the active ingredients...

Sooo - I'm guessing that you overdosed it (we always used to say that people eiether used half the dose or double the dose ) and possibly hot/dry weather did the rest.

The good news - it's probable that the roots underneath are still alive and wil regrow. The weedkiller will not contaminate the soil - lawn weedkillers use phenoxyacetics which mimic plant growth hormones and only work when sprayed onto leaves. So leave it for a bit and see of it grows back. Next time, follow the instructions

[TEKNOPUG]

I was expecting this to be mafia related

[FUBAR]

Simpo Two said:

Well the good news is that you bought a lawn (ie selective) weedkiller, designed to kill broadleaved plants (ie weeds) in grass as you say. However like all things they have a dose - a dose that is carefully and painstakingly worked out like wot I used to do for a living - and confirmed by HM Govt. You have to put X amount over Y square metres, and do so evenly. That's the first thing. But then you also have to be careful not to apply in the middle of a drought or very hot spell, because then the grass is under water stress and therefore more susceptibele to the active ingredients...

Sooo - I'm guessing that you overdosed it (we always used to say that people eiether used half the dose or double the dose ) and possibly hot/dry weather did the rest.

The good news - it's probable that the roots underneath are still alive and wil regrow. The weedkiller will not contaminate the soil - lawn weedkillers use phenoxyacetics which mimic plant growth hormones and only work when sprayed onto leaves. So leave it for a bit and see of it grows back. Next time, follow the instructions

Cheers. Yes I'd guess at overdosing (WAY over probably). I have actually been watering the brown patches every night when I water the plants, telling Mrs Fubes "it'll be all right" (whilst crossing fingers).

Lets see how it goes. Another plus of course is I don't have to mow these bits. Win Win?

[f13ldy]

Aerate brown patches and water a fair bit.

[drgav2005]

I used a combined 'lawn feed and moss/weed-killer' on our grass just before putting the house up for sale. Estate agent reckoned we should get the house on the market ASAP, so a week later when all the viewings started the grass looked like it had been napalmed!!! If nothing else it was a good talking point when showing round the prospective buyers!!!

I scarified (raked like hell) the grass, removing all the dead 'thatch' and all the dead moss and weeds by which point I thought all was lost… Next I aerated the area (you can buy a tool for this or just use a garden fork) and then overseeded with a mixture of compost / kiln dried sand / grass seed and watered it well for several nights, when the Scottish summer wasn't obliging

A couple of weeks later the grass had sprouted back to life and the lawn was probably the best it had been in the 9 years we lived there…. and then we moved

[FUBAR]

Well well. Seems it wasnt me!

Resolva Lawn Weed Killer has had a product recall http://www.hilliergardencentres.co.uk/links.php

So they will give me back my £5 for the bloody stuff but nothing for the earache I got off Mrs Fubes for ruining her/our lawn (or the cost of putting it right)

Oh well

To compound things, we've now got fackin' moles! Maybe I should just pave over the damn garden

[danyeates]

A lot of my front lawn died after putting down some lawn weed and feed (sprinkle powder jobby). Used the correct dose. It killed all the weeds but a lot of the grass died too. Also found 4 dead sparrow chicks on the lawn a few days later too. They had been nesting in the clematis near my lawn Not sure if it was anthing to do with the weed killer but seemed too much of a coincidence.

I'm also tempted to dig half of it up and turn it into a drive! Never use the front garden for anything and it's pretty big.

[FUBAR]

Hard standing for your RiB

[danyeates]

FUBAR said:

Hard standing for your RiB

Definately not! The neighbours are jealous enough of my car and "how often we go on holiday!" I think they'd all gang up on us if we brought the boat home!

[spikeyhead]

drgav2005 said:

...a mixture of compost / kiln dried sand / grass seed and watered it well for several nights ...

WTF is the point of using kiln dried sand and then adding water?

[Munter]

spikeyhead said:

drgav2005 said:

...a mixture of compost / kiln dried sand / grass seed and watered it well for several nights ...

WTF is the point of using kiln dried sand and then adding water?

needs to be dry for when you mix the lot up otherwise you'd get clumps of sand I presume.