We just bought a new house on a 1/2 acre and it is over run with weeds. Lots of sticker type weeds also. In the front of the house I wanted to do a big lawn.
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I am hardly an expert - but I would think that by tilling over the lawn without removing the weeds first, you only succeeded in re-seeding them! They are usually hearty.
the part of the yard we did till the weeds had dried out because of summer,but the weeds that were left we did pull out before tilling the yard.
Hi, I come from Australia. For weeds all I do is pour boiling water on them and < b i n g o > no more weeds. Also the water won't kill the grass. Good luck.
First, the time to seed any yard is the fall. Why? The time that weeds naturally want to take over is in the spring. So, use the spring and summer to kill weeds and then put down seeds for new grass in early fall. Make sure you water it plenty and you should have a better experience. Also, we have only had to so small sections of our yard. Our neighbor did his whole yard at one time. He killed everything with round up (some weeds can not be killed with vinegar or even the selective killers that claim to kill the weeds but not the grass) Then he waited the appropriate amount of time as listed on the round up bottle and then tilled the yard, smoothed it with a rake, and put down new seed.
You can get free advice at your local home and garden center. I'm dealing with the same weeds here in central Washington. I have had great help for free also from the Master Gardeners at the local Cooperative Extension office (your tax dollars at work!) I would just keep at it, keep tilting conditions in favor of the lawn and away from the weeds. Till it all, then rake smooth and level a little below the level of the sidewalk, then apply new sod and keep it watered. You will have a nice lawn right away (don't mow until it's 5 inches tall the first time so the leaves can gather food for the building of a good root system).
It sounds to me like your lawn is too big to use boiling water, vinegar, or pulling by hand methods of weed control. By tilling, what you have done, is germinate all the weed seeds that have been dormant for years along with all the ones that were growing in the yard when you tilled. Head over to this web site: www.douggreensgarden.com/gardening-newsletter.html.
Look online for information written by a man named Jerry Baker. He has many good ideas for problems such as yours.
Be sure to keep your mower blade set on the "high" setting. Dont cut the grass too short. When the grass is taller, it shades weed seeds and prevents them from sprouting. also, grass thats cut too short is only stalk and no leaf to the plant.
Best of luck,
i covered my area with black plastic, that killed all the weeds and seeds. then i put the seeds in.
By ALL means, contact your local or state Agricultural Extension Center for the absolute best and latest advice about this problem which must be dreadfully frustrating. I'd prepare to do a small amount at a time, using natural plants for the area, lot's of grasses of all varieties and heights in mass plantings. It won't matter too much if the weeds try to grow the grasses will likely overtake and shade them out.
Round-up is way too expensive for a large area, but there are some sorts of weeds that NOTHING will kill my mother learned the hard way at one of her properties. Your agricultural center for the state should know exactly what is best. Good luck and God bless and help you. : )
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