Hi I am preparing a patch of my lawn for sowing new seeds, it is nearly all dug out and I am riddling the soil daily to get out as many big stones as possible, at the end of all this when it's ready for sowing I would like to put down a weed killer. A) It needs to be one that isn't going to affect the new seeds. B) I need it to kill any up and coming weeds before sowing and during. I know I'm asking alot lol, but is there one in the UK that could do the job, I know Tenacity would be up to the job but it's not available in the UK, any help appreciated,Thanks.
As far as I'm aware there is no such herbicide available in the UK. I would keep the patch cultivated with a hoe whch will help to break the dormancy of any existing weeds and those which germinate will dry off. The best time to sow grass seed is September when there is moisture in the soli and it's still warm enough to get the grass established, so if you leave it until the end of September and hoe twice per week until then you'll have a good start. Once it's germinated and growing away apply a normal selective lawn herbicide next spring.
Agree with all the above. I reinstated quite a bit of my garden with grass and raked everything out to a fine tilth, sowed and then left till the next year, so it was established. Then used 4 in 1 weed and feed once the grass stated to grow again in late spring. Tend to give another couple of applications at most during the summer at month intervals and now have just about no weeds at all. I perhaps go over it once a month and pull anything out that I notice, not much comes up. I like my grass cut to about 2 inches which helps crowd out the weeds. I am not obsessional about it, don't particularly like the manicured look, like the lush green look which you don't get with one cut down to the bone. If you use the above be careful you spread it evenly, difficult by hand, as whatever brand you use will scorch in patches if you overdo it, water heavily if no rain two days after application. Not a quick process to get a good lawn established but once it is, it's pretty easy to keep going with minimal intervention.
Hi that's when I was planning to sow, I'll try your advice with the hoe just need to get one lol, which hoes do you think works best traditional, or the round ones can't remember the name.
Thanks I have some 4 in one evergreen I think it comes with the applicator, only problem is my neighbour downstairs, dog eats the grass so if I put that down I would have to put down some kind of netting, to keep it away.
Thanks for all the tips I'll use them, my garden gets horse tail and that stuffs a bloody nightmare, and it's similar to grass, but you can tell the difference obviously.
Forgot to say I was thinking of maybe putting a tarpaulin down, just to take care of any blowing weeds, if I finish all my riddling and the soil is just laying unattended for a few weeks, as I get on with other stuff, good or bad idea or just overkill.
I prefer a draw hoe which you pull towards you rather than a dutch hoe or push hoe which you push away from you. I wouldn't bother with a tarpaulin.