Does anyone here have a "cabbage lawn"?

[catwalker90]

My uncle refers to my lawn as a "Cabbage Lawn", which basically means there are lots of weeds and dandelions and stuff. I'm wary about using weed killer because there are so many weeds my lawn would look really patchy afterwards. I've tried putting down more grass seed to try and stop the weed from growing. I just want to know if there's a way to kill the weeds slowly, to give the grass enough time to grow, so there aren't huge patched.

 

[blueiris]

I have an area like this on my property and am interested in this question, as well. Normally, we just mow it all, but the weeds seem to be more numerous each year. Maybe, they are crowding out the grass? I don't know a lot about lawn care. I wish I had asked my dad about these things as I recall we had nice, weed free lawns back then! Looking forward to input from some experts.

 

[limcid]

What I do is spray weed killer on the lawn after it's been cut. Wait a few days to see the effects of the weed killer, and sprinkle grass seed over the lawn and water the lawn. I think this is the best way because you're seeding the lawn when the weeds are dead or dying, giving the new grass a chance to take root.

 

[happyflowerlady]

We have dandelions and other weeds in our lawn also. Since it is kind of a meadow, I do not really worry if it has some weeds in it, and if you keep it mowed , then the weeds can not get a good start, or go to seed. Gradually, if you keep the lawn mowed, the grass will keep spreading, and take over. If you also spray weed killer, or even hit them with the weedeater and get rid of the leaves and stems, then the grass can grow even faster.

In Idaho, I had a trailer back in the woods, where it had been a landing for a logging operation, so there was no grass, just thistles and ferns and other weeds. By keeping the weeds mowed, and planting grass, it eventually became a lush green lawn.
Here is how the back yard/meadow is looking out here on Alabama, with the warm weather and rain making it grow like crazy the last few weeks.

 

[Rzashida]

Don't use weed killer it harms the environment. Try aerating the area before you plant the seeds. The grass seeds would get washed away if they are planted on top of compacted soil.

 

[claudine]

I have a "cabbage lawn", lol, and I'm proud of it! There are so many dandelions, daisies and other little weeds, that you barely see the grass. I appreciate weeds. They're plants too and they can look really pretty. My lawn maybe isn't the tidiest lawn in the entire world but it looks very romantic and a little wild - in a good way

 

[Shrubby]

I had great success this spring with that issue by:

1. Using a spray weedkiller specifically designed for use on lawns to take out individual areas of weed patches.
2. Weed and feed fertilizer, put down right before the growing burst in spring.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

When I moved into my house, the back yard had areas of solid crabgrass, and a few years ago the crabgrass and clover started taking over my front lawn. It seems to take several years to really get rid of this stuff, but the best thing I've found is putting down a pre-emergent weed killer. This seems to be the *only* thing that controls crabgrass, and you have to put it down early, before it starts growing. I put mine down in March when we're getting a mixture of rain and snow and the lawn is just starting to think about waking up.

I've also had good luck with Scott's weed&feed to tame the dandelions and clover. I've never had huge bare patches -- it seems like as the weeds die out, the grass crowds back in again.

If nothing else, when using weed killer, cut the dosage down so you don't kill all of them at once... Take it slowly, and expect the process to take a few seasons to completely rebuild your lawn.

 

[eackley]

You can also use Weed 'n Feed. Once in the spring, once in the fall. It is basically a high-nitrogen fertilizer that causes the weeds to outgrow their roots, and die. The grass gets nourished, and grows faster, so beware--you'll need more mowing.