Lawn guys, help with weed control!

[Wizard]

Alright guys, it's that time of year... I'm a dummy when it comes to weed control, and my yard is in serious need of help. I have clovers like crazy, bunches of dandelions, and a bunch of other weed breeds. I dropped Lesco Dimension early this week, but want to do some spot treatment to knock down the weeds some. The lesco guy sold me a gallon of 3-way to use in my backpack sprayer. The problem is, 3-way is labeled as a broadcast treatment, not a spot treatment, so I have no idea how potent to mix it. What ratio of 3-way to water should I use for spot treating? Also, is there any truth to the dish soap mixed in theory? Not trying to have a prize winning lawn here, just want to get rid of the weed problem... :help

[Mike Fronczak]

In a backpack for spot spray I belive it used to be 1/2 oz per gallon. I know it was the same amount as per thousand ft. I haven't used three-way (our any of Lesco stuff) in a while. With the clover you will need to do repeated applications two weeks apart. FYI tractor supply has the same stuff alot cheaper, same with Roundup ($ 150@ Lesco, $ 50 @ TSC there-about on prices). Check the labels, same stuff.

[BDB]

My ATV has a sprayer on it.....If you want to do the whole yard. Well Tuesday it will. That is when I'm going to put it on. Monday I'm going to pick up some more chemical. Dang weeds came early and fast this year it seems!:mad:

[snowjoker]

Go to Tracror supply or an ag supply and get 2-4-D that is a broadleaf herbacide and will not kill grass you can prolly go between 4-6 ounces per gallon to be effective. We mixed it with generic Roundup at about 5-6 oz each per gallon and that makes a nice powerful weed killer when I worked on the farm.:D

[AL Inc]

Walt,three-Way has 2,4 D in it, it is a combination of three broadleaf herbicides, hence three-way. We use one ounce per gallon in the backpack sprayers. I think 4-6 ounces per gallon would be too strong to spray over a lawn.
Wizard, the most effective time to kill weeds is in the fall, we usually do a spot treatment on our lawns in September when the weather has cooled off. In spring, they just don't come back:grinz

[Cornerstone]

Off the top of my head, we mix 1.5/2 ounces per gallon of Triplet for spot treatment and that seems to take care of things around my yard. My company isnt licenced to apply chemicals for hire yet, so I just make a phone call to my sub and things happen if its a customers property.

[Wizard]

Guys, thanks for the replies. Think I'll go with the 1oz per gallon to start and add more in a couple weeks if needed to do the clovers again. Seems to me the stuff was really potent when I used it a few years ago when I worked for the lawn company (of what little I actually remember); even says "not for sale to or use by homeowners" on the label! :greenange The clovers are absolutely out of control. I want them gone so I can start overseeding to start thickening things up. Part of my problem is the gay couple behind me (yes I'm still fighting the city for an 8' privacy fence) LIKES creeping charlie so the dont have to mow the lawn as much. :mad: Same people that have an unmaintained (read: mosquito breeding grounds) pond in their yard... :mad: Brian, are you offering. C'mon over, you remember how to get here right... With the amount of clovers I need to spray, I'll be out there for a while with the backpack sprayer... You're right on the early and fast part, I was amazed how many have popped up just in the last few days... Wasn't nearly as many when I put the fertilizer down last monday...

[Mark Oomkes]

If you have a clover problem, you need to fertilize more. 9 times out of 10, clover is a sign of an undernourished lawn. Clover creates its own nitrogen, which is why it is out of control.

And yes, you will need at least 2 applications to get rid of the clover. Do that and fertilize the snot out of it and you shouldn't have to overseed.

[Mike Fronczak]

Be glad your smart enough to do it yourself. I was thinking of getting out of Fert bus. Selling my equip. (ride on Speader-sprayer, aerator, etc), got a quote for my finshed lawn area (47,000 ft) from Scotts, made me reconsider getting rid of the equipment, basic was $1200/year, the deluxe which include grub, aeration & overseed $ 3000. These $ didn't include in front of shop (another 25,000) which is finished lawn. I'll keep me equipment, I think I can find better things for that $ 3000.

[BWhite]

What the best way to deal with wild onion growing in the lawn ?

[Wizard]

Be glad your smart enough to do it yourself. I was thinking of getting out of Fert bus. Selling my equip. (ride on Speader-sprayer, aerator, etc), got a quote for my finshed lawn area (47,000 ft) from Scotts, made me reconsider getting rid of the equipment, basic was $1200/year, the deluxe which include grub, aeration & overseed $ 3000. These $ didn't include in front of shop (another 25,000) which is finished lawn. I'll keep me equipment, I think I can find better things for that $ 3000.
With that size yard, might as well... I'm only dealing with 6500 square feet... I just cant bring myself to pay someone else to do something I can do myself... Just didn't know how potent to mix it, thanks for the input! My thumb is definitely white, not green... :D

[Mark Oomkes]

What the best way to deal with wild onion growing in the lawn ?

Eat 'em.... :popcorn2

Can't remember, let me check.

[4evergreenlawns]

Not sure what you used but I offer what six year experience is with weed control.

Liquid Momentum FX2. This is a Lesco product and has the highest controll rate on Clover. This is what I have been using since day one. Well there was a re-fourmulation last season. Check local regs on 2-4-D, not everyone can use it anywhere. Although a Selective Weed Control is designed not to affect turf over treatment of any product will leave you with other then the intented result.

A strong fert plan behind any weed control is a must. 32-3-8 40% Slow Release is what I mostly commonly use as a turf builder three times a season. This is for Treatments 2,3,4 as part of a 5 treatment program so you are droping fert about evey 5-6 weeks.

Also remember weeds run a season ahead so you can plan on more of what you see now if not properly treated. I am most aggressive with Weed Control in the Fall as most weed complaints will come in the Spring. When people see weeds in the fall they figure the season is almost over so why bother, and this leads to a high population of weed in the following Spring when they think you can just show up and make ALL the weed go away in a coupleof days. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. Multiple Treatments in the fall also leads to high chance of thining out turf for that season.

Get a high control in the fall, next spring you can get a higher control rate over a decrease population and by fall of the follwing season you should be able to obtain 100% control.

[Wizard]

Ron, thanks for the constructive reply! The Lesco 3-way worked good, and the lawn looked great end of spring, before the drought hit. Lack of water has resulted in a mostly crispy lawn. There's a few starting to pop up again obviously because weeds seem to like it dry and warm. Thanks for the advise on the fall apps, I usually fertilize in the fall as well, but before I do, I'll definitely hit the weeds hard too.

[John DiMartino]

Brenden, im glad you got it under control,in the future if local laws allow consider using any product with clopyralid in it for clover.It smokes clover at very low(safe) rates,and usually clover will not come back for at least a season,even at rates as low as 1/5 oz 1000 sq ft.Here in NY I use it on the golf course for clover control and its very safe ,even for bentgrass.We cannot however use it here on residential lawns,as its residual is so strong that anyone bagging clippings may have desireables killed the following season when composting or recycling the clippings.Make sure you read the label ,it might not be usable there either on residential lawns.

http://www.dowagro.com/turf/prod/lontrel.htm

[Mark Oomkes]

The funny\stupid thing about chlorpyralid is that it wasn't the applicators that were not following the label which caused it to be pulled from residential use but the composters. It stated right on the label that if the clippings were to be used for compost, that they needed to be composted for at least 1 year for the chemical to break down. But hey, why bother paying attention to that, so as soon as some people's tomato plants started dying, blame the chemical right away.

[John DiMartino]

The funny\stupid thing about chlorpyralid is that it wasn't the applicators that were not following the label which caused it to be pulled from residential use but the composters. It stated right on the label that if the clippings were to be used for compost, that they needed to be composted for at least 1 year for the chemical to break down. But hey, why bother paying attention to that, so as soon as some people's tomato plants started dying, blame the chemical right away.

Mark, I know exactly what you mean.My chemical guy and I were talking about that as its one of my favorite herbicides at the golf course,esp with low cut turf.