How long for Verdone to do its stuff?

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by hmallett, Jul 18, 2008.

  1. hmallett

    hmallett Gardener

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    Hi there,
    I ran out of patience with my lawns, so decided to get some Verdone to kill the weeds. I told my neighbour who said he'd get some sort of weed and feed on his side too (the front lawn is one single lawn in front of both properties). I applied the Verdone on Wednesday, following the instructions carefully, and spreading at the correct rate, using a watering can with a rose (I have since read that a sprayer is better).
    So far, my front lawn looks exactly the same, while my neighbours weeds are all nicely blackened.
    How long would you expect it to take for Verdone to start killing the weeds?
    My plan was to scarify then mow the lawn this weekend? Should I postpone that until I can see the weeds dying?
    Thanks,
    H
     
  2. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    I would expect butter cup to be looking shrivelled up within a couple of days. Some other things take longer. Clover may not due at all.

    Wait at least three days before mowing.

    Mowing may actually then help, the chemical will be in the roots and they won't have any leaves! (I find Verdone makes the weed leaves stand up a bit more, and then get mowed!)

    Yes, sprayer probably better as with a can more tends to run off, rather than cover the leaves.

    " my neighbours weeds are all nicely blackened."

    I think more likely that the moss is blackened, rather than the weeds. Verdone won't do anything for moss AFAIK

    I would delay scarifying, but that's only based on the thought of giving the chemical time to work, rather than any real knowledge.

    Check the instructions, but I think mowing after 3 days is fine; 4 to be on the safe side perhaps?

    Don't put the cuttings on the compost heap for a bit (leaving them on the lawn is OK)
     
  3. Pro Gard

    Pro Gard Gardener

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    Weeds should strart to die after a week and very visible efects after 2. I tend to make a second application after 2 weeks in order to knock off any tough rooted weeds quicker.

    Personnally I always spray either the same day or the day after mowin the reasoning is that you get best chemical contact as most turf weeds grow lower than the grass. ( the manufactures dont recomend spraying same day but you can get away with it)
     
  4. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    "I tend to make a second application after 2 weeks in order to knock off any tough rooted weeds quicker"

    Interesting, I've got a purple-flowered weed with slightly purple leaves (it tends to come up in "bad ground" here), and Verdone didn't seem to hit that very hard, I'll have another go.

    (The aeration and decent top dressing will happen a bit later, haven't got to that yet, so we are not talking Bowling Green ... yet!)
     
  5. Pro Gard

    Pro Gard Gardener

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    Kristen, From memory youve got a large lawn area, Instead of verdone Id sudgest one of the profeshional equivalents, these are better than verdone (although verdone is the best commonly sold domestic selective).

    If you buy from a frmers merchant ask for something based on 2-4-D/ Meco-propp and suited for use on turf.

    or Buy spearhead from als, This is the product I normally use.
     
  6. lollipop

    lollipop Gardener

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    Kristen, Good God!

    How could you do it after all we talked about today, (sob, mortification), you told me you only hated bindweed ( sob, blub), how could you do it Kristen.
     
  7. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    I said I hated ONLY bindweed? I hate lots of weeds!! In fact, its WAR ...
     
  8. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    Hadn't thought of trying a Trade product Pro Guard, but that's a great idea. Thanks.
     
  9. hmallett

    hmallett Gardener

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    Hey! This is supposed to be my thread! :D
    I had been warned beforehand that scarifying made your lawn look a mess, but having scarified and mowed, it looks alright in terms of length. Awfully thin, but then it doesn't appear to have most of the weeds filling in the gaps now!
    The co**** (as in not-fine, flippin' swear filter!) grasses are all dying now, so parts of the lawn look like a hayfield that has been mown!
    I plan to simply keep mowing regularly for a couple of weeks, then perhaps give it another scarify (as I'm sure more stuff will die off in the mean time), then start having a look at a more normal lawn-care schedule.

    PS, I found out it was lawn sand my neighbour used, which blackened buge patches of horrible stuf fin his side of the lawn within 48 hours.
     
  10. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    Regular mowing is the trick to getting finer grasses. If you have cut it back from a "hay field" then it will take the rest of this year before the grass starts to look smart, but you'll certainly notice it next year.

    After scarifying the grass will need feeding to help it fill the gaps ... and mounting a further attack on the weeds would be good too (particularly feeding, then waiting a couple of weeks until the weeds are growing well, too, and then applying SELECTIVE / Lawn weed killer). The weeds will take advatage of the freshly uncovered soil as much as the grass will, of course.

    " blackened buge patches of horrible stuf"

    That would be moss then. That's all that lawn sand kills.
     
  11. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    h: Off topic and maybe teaching granny to suck eggs but: Don't forget to 'quarantine' your watering can, now you've used it for weedkiller don't use it to water any sensitive plants like tomatoes, just the slightest whiff of weedkiller residue will finish them off no matter how much you wash out the can.
     
  12. hmallett

    hmallett Gardener

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    As a follow-up, I mowed the lawn today, and my side of the lawn still looks thin and pale, but only about 3 dandelions were starting to come through, so I weeded them out.
    My neighbours side has grass that looks a nice deep green... but it only covers about 50% of his lawn! It looks more like a dandelion farm (I'd guess about 50 dandelions). Also his buttercups are coming back with a vengeance.
    Looks like I'll be lending him some Verdone...
     
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