Lawn weedkiller isn't killing enough weeds

Hi,

I have around 220 sq metres of grass which I would like to call lawn. I am 67, retired, not able or willing to do heavy gardening, so I am more into garden control rather than gardening itself. I live in northern France, but the climate is much akin to SE England, although maybe drier in (normal) summers.

This spring I have spent £50 or more on 3 in 1 lawn treatments supposedly able to eliminate weeds, moss and promote green growth of grass. It went on via a spreader at mid April and a second treatment mid May. It wasn't necessary to water it in this spring!

It has reduced (but far from cleared) the moss, the violets, the celandines, the primroses and the broad leaf weeds like dandelions. It has also greened up the grass.
It has not touched the clover and the myriad of assorted creeping weeds, the catmint and the purple flowering weeds that look a bit like nettles.

Can anyone recommend a weed control product that really works? Please !

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

Not my department i'm afraid but Kris Lord may be along shortly to help

 

Hello and welcome to Gardeners Corner.

I can't really recommend a product because I've never really had a major problem with weeds in the lawn, but from past experience I do think that the 3 in 1 treatments are neither use nor ornament.

These days my approach to weed control in the lawn is just to keep the lawn fed by top dressing once a year at least, aerated by sticking a fork in it and a different top dressing once a year (this time just sand), and regular mowing.

If the grass is healthy, it will out-compete the weeds.

 

I think the 3-in-1 is only any use on a seriously weed infested lawn to get some initial control, otherwise you are coating the whole lawn in chemicals and not all the lawn will need it - therefore it works out expensive.

I put Lawn Sand on for moss - it turns it black overnight.

I alternative between Verdone Extra and Vitax Lawn Clear. I find that neither kills all the weeds, but between the two they leave the lawn much clearer than when I used to just use Verdone.

Then I put fertiliser on if the lawn needs it. I don't bother with that all that much, as I am not looking for a lush green bowling green, but if you are you'll need to apply a decent lawn fertiliser, otherwise you may just want to go for something cheap & cheerful to supply some Nitrogen, mainly, plus some of the other primary and secondary elements.

If you want a bowling green you'll need to also pay attention to scarifying, aerating the lawn and overseeding it.

 

I have had a clover problem for years - nothing would get rid of it - then last year I tried Resolva (for grass weeds) - this year - no clover

S

 

Nooooooo.

I love clover in the lawn. And daisies. We even have a few buttercups just starting to escape the wild area I planted. I'm waiting for the birdsfoot trefoil (out in the wild) to produce its seeds so I can see if any of that can be introduced.

 

3 in 1 is always a bit hit and miss with weeds. Think of it as a jack of all trades, master of none.
Clover will be sorted out with most lawn weedkillers. I'm not sure what specific products you can get hold of in France. If it's an old lawn look out for products containing mecoprop-p, if it's a new lawn then go for one containing fluroxypyr as it is a bit gentler on new grass.

 

I really appreciate these helpful answers. Thank you to all.