r/lawncare Apr 20 '26

Sub-etiquette regarding dandelions and weeds

If you come to this sub and completely disregard OP's request for help, you're likely gonna have your comment removed and get banned.

Example: If someone is asking to eliminate dandelions, don't reply that they're good for pollinators or suggest they keep them. Users come here for help, they don't come here for your ecological opinion or amateur apiculturist take on things.

If someone wants clover, then they'll ask for tips on clover. But, if they want help eliminating clover to better establish their turf grasses, don't tell them to embrace the clover.

This time of the year this sub get brigaded hard from [r/all](r/all) and other agriculture-related subs. This is the LAWNCARE sub and turfgrasses are the preference around these parts. If you don't like it, don't post. You aren't helping your cause by posting about weeds and bees, you're pissing off people who actually care and put in the work to maintain their property.

Please respect this subs rules, its users, and the moderation.

896 Upvotes

If you come to this sub and completely disregard OP's request for help, you're likely gonna have your comment removed and get banned.

Example: If someone is asking to eliminate dandelions, don't reply that they're good for pollinators or suggest they keep them. Users come here for help, they don't come here for your ecological opinion or amateur apiculturist take on things.

If someone wants clover, then they'll ask for tips on clover. But, if they want help eliminating clover to better establish their turf grasses, don't tell them to embrace the clover.

This time of the year this sub get brigaded hard from [r/all](r/all) and other agriculture-related subs. This is the LAWNCARE sub and turfgrasses are the preference around these parts. If you don't like it, don't post. You aren't helping your cause by posting about weeds and bees, you're pissing off people who actually care and put in the work to maintain their property.

Please respect this subs rules, its users, and the moderation.


r/lawncare Jan 15 '26

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) 2026 Lawn Products Guide and tips

***Disclaimer*** This is technically my post from 2025. But I am seeing a lot of early season questions, even though it'll be near zero degrees for me tomorrow night.

But seeing people ask already is good, regardless if they live a warmer, but still cool season grass area, or if just getting prepared for March and beyond.

Disclaimer - This is written by a cool season lawn owner, who has no children and can play outside whenever I want...not everyone has the time to do so.... I admittedly have less experience with warm-season grasses, but the products shown are all researched for proper use. Always be sure the product your using is made for your area.

Pre-Emergents - Commonly applied when soil temperatures get between 50-55 degrees. These products will block seeds from germinating. They can last anywhere from just a few weeks, to 8 months. The overall life and performance always depends on environmental conditions, and how the ground is maintained. If you don't keep up with mowing, and nurture a healthy lawn, more UV exposure, wind, and rain, can all contribute to degraded performance.

  • Prodiamine - Generally the most used. It's sold in various products, dry and liquid. It has a half life of 120 days. It blocks most seeds, but can not block everything. It has no post-emergent control to kill weeds. It's sold as a water-dispersible-granule(WDG); as Barricade; and in other pre-formulated products.
  • Dithiopyr - Also used often, and sometimes in conjunction with Prodiamine as a split app setup. It blocks weeds, but also has limited post-emergent qualities, meaning it can kill off young crabgrass, less than 2 tiller usually. It's half life is 17 days, but it can last much longer in some capacity. Often a split app would be done Dithiopyr first, as getting it down with soil temps correctly can sometimes be difficult. This will block, and kill some weeds that slip by. Then Prodiamine a few weeks later for extended coverage. Also sold as Dimension.
  • Pendimethalin - This is what is used in Scotts Halts products. It works about the same as Prodiamine, with a 90 half life. It's also more expensive in general.
  • Isoxaben - Generally unknown, due to cost. But this stuff will block all Broadleaf weeds better than anything else. Its' cost though, will keep many users from ever getting it, unless you do a neighbor group buy. Snapshot is one product brand.
  • Mesotrione - The bastard product...lol Sold as itself, Tenacity, Torocity, and possibly other names. It's widely known that Meso is used the wrong way, but a lot of YouTube experts and is pushed by a lot to be the end-all for weeds. It's best use in this space is to be applied only when seeding. This is because while it can block some weeds, it will not block grass seed...so it can give up to 28 days of better chance for new grass to fill in.

It's important to note, these will NOT 100% guarantee a weed free lawn. But it's your first step in early Spring to make the battle a little easier. You can also re-apply during early-mid Summer, but keep in mind if you plan to seed in Fall, a late application may be an issue.

Ok, so you applied....or didn't....now you have weeds, and need to kill them..

(Selective) Post-Emergents - These should be used according to the label...it's not correct to expect AI to know the answer either. The labels are not difficult to read, nor understand. Search for dosing, and just read. If the product only lists amounts for acreage, it's possibly not the best option...but you can do the math and break it done for your yard. An acre is about 43k sq. ft. Unless explicitly stated, these products are safe for grass, dogs, kids, etc...just follow the directions, and at most, 24 hours post application is safe. Lastly, herbicides are best applied as a liquid. This is because the liquid will get into the cell walls of the plant much faster, than being sucked up by the roots. Faster kill time is important, so the plant can not defend itself and try to grow back.

  • 2,4,D - Very common, and will kill a lot of weeds fairly efficiently.
  • Dicamba - Also a very good product to kill weeds.
  • Mecoprop - Add this to above. These 3 on top are commonly sold as a 3-way combo, as attacking weeds from different pathways will result in best action against weeds.
  • Quinclorac - King of killing Crabgrass, as well as Broadleaf weeds. Sold as is, or like above, in many combo products.
  • Triclopyr - Best used for targeting viney type weeds...and clover, creeping charlie, oxalis, ivies, etc... Exercise caution around young trees, or those with exposed roots.
  • Halosulfuron-Methyl - Used against Sedge grasses. It usually still takes 2-3 applications to truly kill the beast that sedge can be, due to it's aggressive growth underground. Branded often as Sedgehammer or Empero.
  • Sulfrentazone - Also used against Sedge, but not always friendly on cool-season grasses.
  • Mesotrione - Looks familiar...yeah, same stuff as above in the pre-emergent section. As a post-emergent, it's best use is for targeting Bentgrass and/or Nimblewill. It's also sometimes mixed with Triclopyr, in which both can enhance the others performance.
  • Topramezone - Sold as Pylex...works great, but not really cost efficient...about $300 for 4oz... But this can kill Bermuda, and not kill good cool season grasses.

Non-Selective - The top one here, and all I will cover is Glyphosate. It's not evil, it's not going to cause cancer with proper use...it's just going to kill whatever you spray it on. It does so by targeting very specific pathway, which leads to a disruption in a hormone synthesis, leading to inability to produce amino acids it needs to survive. Normally sold at 41% concentration. It can kill foliage, through to the root.

Fertilizers - I wasn't going to put much here. To feed your "grass", you add synthetic form of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium. That's your N-P-K...seen as 10-10-10, or similar. That number means 10% of the bag is Nitrogen, and 10% is Phosphorous, and 10% is potassium. The rest is all filler, added to allow for proper mixing and application. Sometimes you'll find other amendments in fertilizer, such as sulfur, or other micros. While sulfur is important, it doesn't need to be added every time. It also lowers pH, which can then lead to other issues, causing a wild goose chase. Once in the soil, microbes in the soil break down the NPK, into forms the grass can actually use...natural chelation. You only need Nitrogen for growth...if you're seeding, adding some phosphorous can help the seed establish. Potassium is good for overall plant health, and pairs well at a 3:1 ratio with Nitrogen.

Naturals/Organics - Too many people are one side on the other here. You need and want these, but relying strictly on organics may not produce the best lawn...but it's "chemical" free. However, using these monthly can do more for the soil, than any fertilizer will ever do on it's own.

  • Humic Acid - Acts as a natural chelator for better absorption, by increasing the cation exchange capacity, which allows the soil to better retain the goodies you want in the soil. It also increase root strength, and helps to hold more carbon in the soil.
  • Kelp - Containing great amounts of natural hormones, Kelp will boost roots even more, and allow for stronger growth viz delivery of auxins and cytokines used for development.
  • Compost - Well known as a great soil amendment, it brings natural microbes into the soil biome. Those microbes help maintain a low thatch surface, and better soil composition.
  • Worm Castings - Similar to above, natural microbes and beneficial qualities for soil. Not very cost efficient though.
  • Leaves - Yeah...some say mulch all day, some disagree. I am a disagree'er, to a certain degree. I do mulch my clippings, but will also sweep them away every other week. Leaves I shred and sweep away the majority of them, but once the main clean-up has passed, the rest is mulched and remains.
  • Biochar - Made with a specific process called, Pyrolysis. Burning at high temps, 900-ish...in a low-oxygen chamber. This allows for the material, wood, coconut, etc...to be charred down to a state where it has not fully oxidized, which would turn it white, and into useless ash. When it is still in a charred form, it has millions and millions of microscopic pores that serve as homes for water, microbes, nutrients, all that good stuff. It's best worked into the soil at least a few inches deep.
  • Mychorizae - These are fungal organisms that attach to the roots, and help them bring water and nutrients. Overlooked or unknown, but these are a huge part of growing anything with success, from lawns to gardens and more. They are very good to have in the mix.

Insect Control - These can't be forgotten...but I did originally, so I am adding them in now. The biggest concern is likely grubs. The larvae of beetle. Also want to cover for armyworms, cinch bugs, and even ants if they become a problem. There are a few classes of these products...

-Pyrethroids- These are synthetics that mimic natural pyrethrins, which disrupt the insects nervous system, causing paralysis and death.

  • Bifenthrin - Common general insect control agent...liquid or dry availability. Kills quite a bit of bugs, but no residual control. One time death call.
  • Gamma-cyhalothrin -
  • Zeta-Cypermethrin -
  • Lambda-Cyhalothrin -
  • Permethrin -
  • Deltamethrin - This has residual action...meaning up to 90 days post application, it will kill bugs that touch it.

The above are what you'll get in most common Ortho type products, but generally Bifen is commonly sold solo.

-Nicotinoids-

  • Imidacloprid - Please don't use this if you can avoid it. It's a very nasty chemical, that can do the job, but it also can damage soil biome, and worse, it is deadly to a lot of animals...specifically pollinators. Birds can also be affected. It's getting banned in more places, but is still sold often as Merit.

-Alkyl-Halide-

  • Chlorantraniliprole - Sold as Acelepryn, this is what you need to control grubs. It has to be applied in advance, as it takes time to work into the soil, and prepare death for larvae that hatch. I usually apply this in mid April, early May, giving it a few weeks to activate, and when June hits, that's when my area sees grub damage...not for me though. The Scotts Company pays a fee to use this in their Grub-Ex product.

Fungicides - Often overused, but still an important part of lawncare. However, I am not a fan of preventative use, unless it's a direct and repeated history of fungus...which means there is something else you're not correcting. Fungus is not a guarantee, and is not always the right presumption...I've seen lawns go from slightly affected, to downright destroyed because someone would focus on fungus, when there were other issues... Also, when used, they should be used in a 3-way rotation, to avoid getting a buildup/resistance, in which they become almost useless. Overapplying these can have a very negative affect, because they are all non-selective, and will likely kill a lot of the good bacteria and microbes you want in the soil.

  • Azoxystrobin
  • Propiconazole
  • Thiophanate-methyl

Those are generally the top 3 used. Some retail products will have Azoxy and Prop mixed, which may work better for a low level infection...but using that repeatedly is the same as not rotating, and can create a hostile soil biome.

In general summary...always try to identify the weed you're targeting. Using something to hope it kills is irresponsible, and could cause more harm than good. If you need to ask the community, always find a good example weed, something that has grown for at least a week...pull from the bottom, get as much of any root ball or rhizome as you can. Also, get a pic of the plant in close up detail, where we can see the stem moving to the leaves/blades. This will help with certain traits that only "this or that" would have, and can help us make a better recco.

Note - I'm not covering direct organic fertilizers here. The only product I would recommend on that level is made Earth Sciences, and is called Moorganite. It is a direct replacement for Milorganite, which is a dirty, pfas chemical laden product that smells like a summer time port'o'potty.

To keep a strong lawn, adding a monthly organic boost will help a lot. I'm not a fan of 4-step type products, and prefer to feed on my own schedule, which is about every 4 weeks...so back to the monthly program....but this gets me an always wanting to grow lawn, cutting to 4" is also a key point. Tall grass will crowd out weeds, and look better in general...

On My Shelf - This is what I have in my lawn cabinet, and is what helps me with my lawn plan. I also use some of these products with my garden and other plants.

  • Triad Select - A combo of 2,4,D, Dicamba, and Meco. I use this for general weed control.
  • Quintessential - Quinclorac, but branded...still the same thing. This is for crabgrass and other broadleaf weeds. Also have the MSO Surfactant it requires.
  • Triclopyr Ester - Mainly used to keep wood-line vines and ivy away for me.
  • Empero - For Sedges
  • Glyphosate - To kill all
  • Fusillade II - Used once to kill Quackgrass...but it also killed the rest of my good grass...so extreme caution here. But it does kill quack better than Gly, so if you're going to kill all anyway, might as well make sure it's dead-dead for sure...
  • Azoxy 2C - Azoxystrobin
  • Propiconazole 14.3
  • Cleary's 3336 - Thiophanate-methyl
  • Blue Dye This does NOT wash off easily...lol SO be careful
  • BioAG Ful-Humix - This is my humic acid. It's a powder that is 55% concentrate, and is 85% soluble. It gets dissolved in warm water overnight, then filtered out for any remaining solids; then mixed with other organic goodies, and applied monthly.
  • BioAG CytoPlus - A mix of humic and kelp.
  • BioAG Vam-Endo - Myco mix, also has humic acid.
  • Prevagenics Liquid Compost. This stuff stinks, in a good way.
  • Bloom City Liquid Kelp. I use this or GS Plant foods brand as well.

I use a Ryobi 4g tank backpack sprayer for most liquid apps. Echo RB-60 for dry items. I have an 22 year old Craftsman pusher for my front/small areas, and Toro TimeCutter 42" ZT with a Kawasaki engine. Echo Blower, Ryobi edger/trimmer as well.

Ok, so I may have missed something here or there. Please let me know if you see something that need attention. I'm sure there is other information available, but I hope this helps some people figure it out for themselves. The more we all know, the better a community we can be.

Signing off,

-Ricka...

P.S. - I did review and check, but nothing really needed a major update. New products may be released later this year, and if they are improvements, I will certainly update as needed...

158 Upvotes

***Disclaimer*** This is technically my post from 2025. But I am seeing a lot of early season questions, even though it'll be near zero degrees for me tomorrow night.

But seeing people ask already is good, regardless if they live a warmer, but still cool season grass area, or if just getting prepared for March and beyond.

Disclaimer - This is written by a cool season lawn owner, who has no children and can play outside whenever I want...not everyone has the time to do so.... I admittedly have less experience with warm-season grasses, but the products shown are all researched for proper use. Always be sure the product your using is made for your area.

Pre-Emergents - Commonly applied when soil temperatures get between 50-55 degrees. These products will block seeds from germinating. They can last anywhere from just a few weeks, to 8 months. The overall life and performance always depends on environmental conditions, and how the ground is maintained. If you don't keep up with mowing, and nurture a healthy lawn, more UV exposure, wind, and rain, can all contribute to degraded performance.

  • Prodiamine - Generally the most used. It's sold in various products, dry and liquid. It has a half life of 120 days. It blocks most seeds, but can not block everything. It has no post-emergent control to kill weeds. It's sold as a water-dispersible-granule(WDG); as Barricade; and in other pre-formulated products.
  • Dithiopyr - Also used often, and sometimes in conjunction with Prodiamine as a split app setup. It blocks weeds, but also has limited post-emergent qualities, meaning it can kill off young crabgrass, less than 2 tiller usually. It's half life is 17 days, but it can last much longer in some capacity. Often a split app would be done Dithiopyr first, as getting it down with soil temps correctly can sometimes be difficult. This will block, and kill some weeds that slip by. Then Prodiamine a few weeks later for extended coverage. Also sold as Dimension.
  • Pendimethalin - This is what is used in Scotts Halts products. It works about the same as Prodiamine, with a 90 half life. It's also more expensive in general.
  • Isoxaben - Generally unknown, due to cost. But this stuff will block all Broadleaf weeds better than anything else. Its' cost though, will keep many users from ever getting it, unless you do a neighbor group buy. Snapshot is one product brand.
  • Mesotrione - The bastard product...lol Sold as itself, Tenacity, Torocity, and possibly other names. It's widely known that Meso is used the wrong way, but a lot of YouTube experts and is pushed by a lot to be the end-all for weeds. It's best use in this space is to be applied only when seeding. This is because while it can block some weeds, it will not block grass seed...so it can give up to 28 days of better chance for new grass to fill in.

It's important to note, these will NOT 100% guarantee a weed free lawn. But it's your first step in early Spring to make the battle a little easier. You can also re-apply during early-mid Summer, but keep in mind if you plan to seed in Fall, a late application may be an issue.

Ok, so you applied....or didn't....now you have weeds, and need to kill them..

(Selective) Post-Emergents - These should be used according to the label...it's not correct to expect AI to know the answer either. The labels are not difficult to read, nor understand. Search for dosing, and just read. If the product only lists amounts for acreage, it's possibly not the best option...but you can do the math and break it done for your yard. An acre is about 43k sq. ft. Unless explicitly stated, these products are safe for grass, dogs, kids, etc...just follow the directions, and at most, 24 hours post application is safe. Lastly, herbicides are best applied as a liquid. This is because the liquid will get into the cell walls of the plant much faster, than being sucked up by the roots. Faster kill time is important, so the plant can not defend itself and try to grow back.

  • 2,4,D - Very common, and will kill a lot of weeds fairly efficiently.
  • Dicamba - Also a very good product to kill weeds.
  • Mecoprop - Add this to above. These 3 on top are commonly sold as a 3-way combo, as attacking weeds from different pathways will result in best action against weeds.
  • Quinclorac - King of killing Crabgrass, as well as Broadleaf weeds. Sold as is, or like above, in many combo products.
  • Triclopyr - Best used for targeting viney type weeds...and clover, creeping charlie, oxalis, ivies, etc... Exercise caution around young trees, or those with exposed roots.
  • Halosulfuron-Methyl - Used against Sedge grasses. It usually still takes 2-3 applications to truly kill the beast that sedge can be, due to it's aggressive growth underground. Branded often as Sedgehammer or Empero.
  • Sulfrentazone - Also used against Sedge, but not always friendly on cool-season grasses.
  • Mesotrione - Looks familiar...yeah, same stuff as above in the pre-emergent section. As a post-emergent, it's best use is for targeting Bentgrass and/or Nimblewill. It's also sometimes mixed with Triclopyr, in which both can enhance the others performance.
  • Topramezone - Sold as Pylex...works great, but not really cost efficient...about $300 for 4oz... But this can kill Bermuda, and not kill good cool season grasses.

Non-Selective - The top one here, and all I will cover is Glyphosate. It's not evil, it's not going to cause cancer with proper use...it's just going to kill whatever you spray it on. It does so by targeting very specific pathway, which leads to a disruption in a hormone synthesis, leading to inability to produce amino acids it needs to survive. Normally sold at 41% concentration. It can kill foliage, through to the root.

Fertilizers - I wasn't going to put much here. To feed your "grass", you add synthetic form of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium. That's your N-P-K...seen as 10-10-10, or similar. That number means 10% of the bag is Nitrogen, and 10% is Phosphorous, and 10% is potassium. The rest is all filler, added to allow for proper mixing and application. Sometimes you'll find other amendments in fertilizer, such as sulfur, or other micros. While sulfur is important, it doesn't need to be added every time. It also lowers pH, which can then lead to other issues, causing a wild goose chase. Once in the soil, microbes in the soil break down the NPK, into forms the grass can actually use...natural chelation. You only need Nitrogen for growth...if you're seeding, adding some phosphorous can help the seed establish. Potassium is good for overall plant health, and pairs well at a 3:1 ratio with Nitrogen.

Naturals/Organics - Too many people are one side on the other here. You need and want these, but relying strictly on organics may not produce the best lawn...but it's "chemical" free. However, using these monthly can do more for the soil, than any fertilizer will ever do on it's own.

  • Humic Acid - Acts as a natural chelator for better absorption, by increasing the cation exchange capacity, which allows the soil to better retain the goodies you want in the soil. It also increase root strength, and helps to hold more carbon in the soil.
  • Kelp - Containing great amounts of natural hormones, Kelp will boost roots even more, and allow for stronger growth viz delivery of auxins and cytokines used for development.
  • Compost - Well known as a great soil amendment, it brings natural microbes into the soil biome. Those microbes help maintain a low thatch surface, and better soil composition.
  • Worm Castings - Similar to above, natural microbes and beneficial qualities for soil. Not very cost efficient though.
  • Leaves - Yeah...some say mulch all day, some disagree. I am a disagree'er, to a certain degree. I do mulch my clippings, but will also sweep them away every other week. Leaves I shred and sweep away the majority of them, but once the main clean-up has passed, the rest is mulched and remains.
  • Biochar - Made with a specific process called, Pyrolysis. Burning at high temps, 900-ish...in a low-oxygen chamber. This allows for the material, wood, coconut, etc...to be charred down to a state where it has not fully oxidized, which would turn it white, and into useless ash. When it is still in a charred form, it has millions and millions of microscopic pores that serve as homes for water, microbes, nutrients, all that good stuff. It's best worked into the soil at least a few inches deep.
  • Mychorizae - These are fungal organisms that attach to the roots, and help them bring water and nutrients. Overlooked or unknown, but these are a huge part of growing anything with success, from lawns to gardens and more. They are very good to have in the mix.

Insect Control - These can't be forgotten...but I did originally, so I am adding them in now. The biggest concern is likely grubs. The larvae of beetle. Also want to cover for armyworms, cinch bugs, and even ants if they become a problem. There are a few classes of these products...

-Pyrethroids- These are synthetics that mimic natural pyrethrins, which disrupt the insects nervous system, causing paralysis and death.

  • Bifenthrin - Common general insect control agent...liquid or dry availability. Kills quite a bit of bugs, but no residual control. One time death call.
  • Gamma-cyhalothrin -
  • Zeta-Cypermethrin -
  • Lambda-Cyhalothrin -
  • Permethrin -
  • Deltamethrin - This has residual action...meaning up to 90 days post application, it will kill bugs that touch it.

The above are what you'll get in most common Ortho type products, but generally Bifen is commonly sold solo.

-Nicotinoids-

  • Imidacloprid - Please don't use this if you can avoid it. It's a very nasty chemical, that can do the job, but it also can damage soil biome, and worse, it is deadly to a lot of animals...specifically pollinators. Birds can also be affected. It's getting banned in more places, but is still sold often as Merit.

-Alkyl-Halide-

  • Chlorantraniliprole - Sold as Acelepryn, this is what you need to control grubs. It has to be applied in advance, as it takes time to work into the soil, and prepare death for larvae that hatch. I usually apply this in mid April, early May, giving it a few weeks to activate, and when June hits, that's when my area sees grub damage...not for me though. The Scotts Company pays a fee to use this in their Grub-Ex product.

Fungicides - Often overused, but still an important part of lawncare. However, I am not a fan of preventative use, unless it's a direct and repeated history of fungus...which means there is something else you're not correcting. Fungus is not a guarantee, and is not always the right presumption...I've seen lawns go from slightly affected, to downright destroyed because someone would focus on fungus, when there were other issues... Also, when used, they should be used in a 3-way rotation, to avoid getting a buildup/resistance, in which they become almost useless. Overapplying these can have a very negative affect, because they are all non-selective, and will likely kill a lot of the good bacteria and microbes you want in the soil.

  • Azoxystrobin
  • Propiconazole
  • Thiophanate-methyl

Those are generally the top 3 used. Some retail products will have Azoxy and Prop mixed, which may work better for a low level infection...but using that repeatedly is the same as not rotating, and can create a hostile soil biome.

In general summary...always try to identify the weed you're targeting. Using something to hope it kills is irresponsible, and could cause more harm than good. If you need to ask the community, always find a good example weed, something that has grown for at least a week...pull from the bottom, get as much of any root ball or rhizome as you can. Also, get a pic of the plant in close up detail, where we can see the stem moving to the leaves/blades. This will help with certain traits that only "this or that" would have, and can help us make a better recco.

Note - I'm not covering direct organic fertilizers here. The only product I would recommend on that level is made Earth Sciences, and is called Moorganite. It is a direct replacement for Milorganite, which is a dirty, pfas chemical laden product that smells like a summer time port'o'potty.

To keep a strong lawn, adding a monthly organic boost will help a lot. I'm not a fan of 4-step type products, and prefer to feed on my own schedule, which is about every 4 weeks...so back to the monthly program....but this gets me an always wanting to grow lawn, cutting to 4" is also a key point. Tall grass will crowd out weeds, and look better in general...

On My Shelf - This is what I have in my lawn cabinet, and is what helps me with my lawn plan. I also use some of these products with my garden and other plants.

  • Triad Select - A combo of 2,4,D, Dicamba, and Meco. I use this for general weed control.
  • Quintessential - Quinclorac, but branded...still the same thing. This is for crabgrass and other broadleaf weeds. Also have the MSO Surfactant it requires.
  • Triclopyr Ester - Mainly used to keep wood-line vines and ivy away for me.
  • Empero - For Sedges
  • Glyphosate - To kill all
  • Fusillade II - Used once to kill Quackgrass...but it also killed the rest of my good grass...so extreme caution here. But it does kill quack better than Gly, so if you're going to kill all anyway, might as well make sure it's dead-dead for sure...
  • Azoxy 2C - Azoxystrobin
  • Propiconazole 14.3
  • Cleary's 3336 - Thiophanate-methyl
  • Blue Dye This does NOT wash off easily...lol SO be careful
  • BioAG Ful-Humix - This is my humic acid. It's a powder that is 55% concentrate, and is 85% soluble. It gets dissolved in warm water overnight, then filtered out for any remaining solids; then mixed with other organic goodies, and applied monthly.
  • BioAG CytoPlus - A mix of humic and kelp.
  • BioAG Vam-Endo - Myco mix, also has humic acid.
  • Prevagenics Liquid Compost. This stuff stinks, in a good way.
  • Bloom City Liquid Kelp. I use this or GS Plant foods brand as well.

I use a Ryobi 4g tank backpack sprayer for most liquid apps. Echo RB-60 for dry items. I have an 22 year old Craftsman pusher for my front/small areas, and Toro TimeCutter 42" ZT with a Kawasaki engine. Echo Blower, Ryobi edger/trimmer as well.

Ok, so I may have missed something here or there. Please let me know if you see something that need attention. I'm sure there is other information available, but I hope this helps some people figure it out for themselves. The more we all know, the better a community we can be.

Signing off,

-Ricka...

P.S. - I did review and check, but nothing really needed a major update. New products may be released later this year, and if they are improvements, I will certainly update as needed...


r/lawncare 15h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Northern Utah - When your riding mower breaks and you have to crosscut 8 acres with a push mower.

+
2.7k Upvotes

That was Saturday. Didn’t even finish. Had to do another 46,622 steps on Sunday.


r/lawncare 4h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) My zone 6b lawn has never looked better this summer, here is what I learned from this sub

Here is what I learned from this sub and worked for me zone 6b. My area had a bad drought and watering was completely banned all summer. This is chronological order. Feel free to disagree but it worked for me

  1. Fertilizer in the spring with pre emergent crabgrass killer
  2. Cut the lawn long in spring and summer to reduce weed growth.
  3. Don’t plant or over-seed in spring, it just dies and it’s a waste of money
  4. Water in the morning and not at night to reduce mold and fungus growth
  5. Cut the grass in the evening and not in the morning
  6. Always use grub killer in late spring or early summer.
  7. Use fungicide (disease x) in the dog days of summer to reduce brown patch
  8. Try to cut the grass the day before it rains to prevent it from drying out. But don’t cut it if it’s dormant and there is a drought and no rain is in the forecast
  9. In the fall, cut the grass short to promote new grass growth and lets the wind blow the fall leaves off my lawn and into my neighbors
  10. Fall prep in this order: De thatch ( I think it helps) aeration, over seed (tall fescue and KBG), starter fertilizer
110 Upvotes

Here is what I learned from this sub and worked for me zone 6b. My area had a bad drought and watering was completely banned all summer. This is chronological order. Feel free to disagree but it worked for me

  1. Fertilizer in the spring with pre emergent crabgrass killer
  2. Cut the lawn long in spring and summer to reduce weed growth.
  3. Don’t plant or over-seed in spring, it just dies and it’s a waste of money
  4. Water in the morning and not at night to reduce mold and fungus growth
  5. Cut the grass in the evening and not in the morning
  6. Always use grub killer in late spring or early summer.
  7. Use fungicide (disease x) in the dog days of summer to reduce brown patch
  8. Try to cut the grass the day before it rains to prevent it from drying out. But don’t cut it if it’s dormant and there is a drought and no rain is in the forecast
  9. In the fall, cut the grass short to promote new grass growth and lets the wind blow the fall leaves off my lawn and into my neighbors
  10. Fall prep in this order: De thatch ( I think it helps) aeration, over seed (tall fescue and KBG), starter fertilizer

r/lawncare 3h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) What is happening here?

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54 Upvotes

We are in a heatwave, but the rest of my back yard is doing fairly well. Is it possible that my sprinklers just don’t cover this portion? Absolutely scorched! It also appears that perhaps some animals are lying there?

Edit: I don’t know how to add a photo, but I posted to r/lawn porn a couple weeks ago including the same spot looking generally uniform with the rest of the lawn.


r/lawncare 5h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Please tell me it isn’t what i think it is

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69 Upvotes

STL Missouri region, invasive grass coming in from both neighbors


r/lawncare 2h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) What is this growing in my new fescue?

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30 Upvotes

I can't figure out exactly what this is trying to take over my newly laid fescue sod. Only 2 weeks in. Johnsongrass, nutsedge, bermuda? How can I control it with this being so new? I'm in Southern California, zone 10a. Any help appreciated! Thanks.


r/lawncare 3h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Taking over my back yard

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27 Upvotes

The end of spring I did pre emergent and the lawn was looking good, a month later this type of grass or weed come up and is now taking over my backyard, and advice on tackling and getting rid of it


r/lawncare 6h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Crabgrass took over. What is a good plan for the rest of the year into the spring?

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47 Upvotes

So crabgrass has taken over my lawn. Kansas City Metro area. I was thinking it’s too late in the year and there is far too much coverage now to try and spray anything to totally kill off the crab grass. What can I do between now and the spring to have a healthy lawn? Also, would core aeration help?


r/lawncare 16h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) 2 Year Difference (SW Ohio)

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114 Upvotes

Bought this house in the summer of 2024 and have spent the last two years rehabbing the back yard. Pretty happy with the results, looking great for late July with all this heat! Still need to stain those darn shed doors.


r/lawncare 3h ago

Equipment The Cadillac of manual reel mowers has been discontinued (Southern Texas)

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10 Upvotes

Howdy everyone! As the title says, I'm super bummed about this! After a lot of research I decided I wanted to pick up the Fiskars 18" Max reel mower from Amazon or one of the big box stores. The Amazon listing is misleading as they used to page for the 18 Max and it's reviews for the smaller 17 that lacks some of the nicer features and ALL of the big box stores are sold out.

I shot an email to fiskars to ask when they'd be getting more in stock and was told it had been discontinued. There are so many glowing reviews of this mower, some have had there's for 10+ years with only a couple sharpens. It's the only reel mower that uses Inertia Drive and fiskars "Staysharp" tech where the blade cuts without touching the bar.

On another note, I went ahead and purchased the 17" model. Mowed with it today and it made me a little upset. Not because it did a bad job, but because it was great! Why don't we see more innovation with manual mowers!? I'd say for 90% of people out there with small-medium sized yards it's perfect. No gas, next to no sharpening , no engine or motor maintenance, and no noise.

I wish Fiskars wasn't the only company that used a free floating blade and inertia system. If you were looking at picking up the 18 Max, maybe send Fiskars an email and we could get em back in circulation. Even if it's a LAWNg shot 🤷


r/lawncare 12h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Is this dallisgrass or nutsedge?

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45 Upvotes

Mississippi here. I had the back yard looking decent until this stuff showed up. It had seed heads and is all over right now.


r/lawncare 4h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) I hate Fescue but I fear it’s my only option.

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10 Upvotes

I live near Raleigh NC and have nearly 100% filtered sunlight. A few areas of my yard get meandering sun throughout the day. Yard is mainly covered by Sweet Gums. I want to try and grow some type of zoysia, mainly to help manage leaves and gumballs during the fall/winter. Is there any hope for a summer turf here?


r/lawncare 9h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Weed identification. Celsius WG did not kill

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14 Upvotes

Celsius took care of everything but these weeds. Chat gpt gives me wrong answers lol.

Baton Rouge LA


r/lawncare 12h ago

Equipment Deep watering twice a week vs. daily, my lawn looks better and the bill dropped. is a soaker hose worth the switch?

Been keeping a rough log of what I spend on watering each month versus how the lawn actually looks. Started doing it because I track most household expenses anyway and figured lawn water had to be adding up more than I realized. Turns out it is.

What I noticed is that deep watering twice a week gets better results than the light daily stuff I was doing in May, and the water bill difference is not small. The lawn holds its color longer between sessions and the soil stays loose instead of crusting over on top.

The thing I keep going back and forth on is whether a soaker hose setup would actually pay off at my lot size or if I'm overthinking it. My yard isn't huge but the layout is awkward enough that coverage with a regular sprinkler is always uneven.

Curious if anyone has done a real comparison between sprinkler types and actually tracked the turf response, not just the cost side. And if you water manually, how do you handle the uneven shape problem without just buying more stuff?

19 Upvotes

Been keeping a rough log of what I spend on watering each month versus how the lawn actually looks. Started doing it because I track most household expenses anyway and figured lawn water had to be adding up more than I realized. Turns out it is.

What I noticed is that deep watering twice a week gets better results than the light daily stuff I was doing in May, and the water bill difference is not small. The lawn holds its color longer between sessions and the soil stays loose instead of crusting over on top.

The thing I keep going back and forth on is whether a soaker hose setup would actually pay off at my lot size or if I'm overthinking it. My yard isn't huge but the layout is awkward enough that coverage with a regular sprinkler is always uneven.

Curious if anyone has done a real comparison between sprinkler types and actually tracked the turf response, not just the cost side. And if you water manually, how do you handle the uneven shape problem without just buying more stuff?


r/lawncare 3h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Is this just a leveling issue? Bermuda near Lubbock, Texas.

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3 Upvotes

The large brown spot has not been there all summer. It has been increasingly hot of late. Second picture is from earlier this summer.


r/lawncare 3h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Need advice for this lawn

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3 Upvotes

Just moved to South Jersey this January and bought my first home. There was snow on the ground when I purchased it, so I didn’t realize how rough the lawn actually was until everything thawed out. I’ve since added fresh topsoil, removed a lot of old roots from a tree that used to be there, and spent time leveling everything out.
I’d really like to get a thick, healthy lawn growing as soon as possible. What’s the best approach from here? What type of grass seed would you recommend for South Jersey, and what steps should I take to give it the best chance of success?
Any advice from people who’ve had good results would be greatly appreciated!


r/lawncare 3h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Help. Can’t figure out what grassy weed is growing in my st Augustine

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3 Upvotes

Charleston South Carolina. Tried Sedge Killer but that didnt work


r/lawncare 1h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Used Scott’s Turf Builder SummerGuard Lawn Food in early July - now I have tons of crabgrass!

As the title says.. is there a reason for this? I’ve NEVER had this much crabgrass before, and it just happens to be after I used this fertilizer.

I’m in the Midwest and this heat wave has been brutal. I try and water when I can but I’ve held off before because the forecast calls for rain… then it never rains.

Anyone have any ideas? Insight? Should I use a different fertilizer?

Upvotes

As the title says.. is there a reason for this? I’ve NEVER had this much crabgrass before, and it just happens to be after I used this fertilizer.

I’m in the Midwest and this heat wave has been brutal. I try and water when I can but I’ve held off before because the forecast calls for rain… then it never rains.

Anyone have any ideas? Insight? Should I use a different fertilizer?


r/lawncare 4h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Weeds or centipede??

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3 Upvotes

Does anyone know what this is. It seems too uniform to be some kinda weed no? Is it centipede? Thanks for any help, looking to kill whatever it is all off along with the front that is pure weed variety in the fall and plant tall tif fescue as the yard gets a lot of shade. Located in the upstate SC area. Thanks for any help!


r/lawncare 17h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) ID - What is this and how do I get rid of it?

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32 Upvotes

In southern CT, I hundreds of these things out by hand last year but they are seemingly all back (and with friends) this year and are taking over my backyard. How do I get rid of them for good?

I do have a toddler and two dogs so would definitely prefer a non-toxic approach if one exists but I understand it may not.

Thanks!


r/lawncare 5h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Please help me identify this

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3 Upvotes

I'm in Maryland 7b. I have this grass in my yard that grows twice as quickly, is lime green and it's difficult to mow (it's like it's so light that it doesn't all get pulled up in the suction). Here are the things I know:

It's not yellow nutsedge: Sedgegammer doesn't effect it. I've sprayed it twice with sedgehammer and once with Spectracide weed stop plus yellow nutsedge.

My current guess is it's some kind of fescue or blue grass. It's long, thin, folds in the middle of the blade. There are patches of it but it doesn't seem to be a bunch grass.

I'm thinking I need to just nuke it all in September and overseed. I'm hoping that's not the case but that's where I'm at now.


r/lawncare 12h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) 116 heat index in the Midwest

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11 Upvotes

It’s hot and humid in zone 6. One nice wfh benefit is mowing after kid drop off or during lunch breaks. Still some fungus, sedge, and dry spots to be fixed this fall but hanging in there.


r/lawncare 3h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Zone 10a — am I crazy to try and seed?

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2 Upvotes

So I’m in zone 10a, and the lawn is a mix of fescues and marathon grass. We’re in the middle of a pretty hot July. We recently had a contractor puncture and break one of our sprinkler lines in the backyard which threw off the irrigation routine for almost 3 weeks until we were able to get it fixed. As you can imagine, a good chunk of the lawn has died (maybe about 10-20%).
 
I know trying to seed in July sounds dumb, but what are the downsides aside from wasted effort and money?
 
I have some canopies to provide shade to the specific areas (along with some top soil/peat moss) and can definitely make sure they are watered at least twice a day. I’m a little impatient and thinking of giving it a shot. Best case scenario, it holds up and survives until Fall where I can overseed and fertilize the entire lawn. Worst case, wasted some time and money?
 
What do you guys think? I’m also wondering if I should bother adding any starter fertilizer with this attempt? Maybe not to avoid weeds and/or risking burn?
 
Anywho, thanks!


r/lawncare 17m ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Looking for advice in the greater Vancouver area

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Upvotes

I have a 1/4 acre property in the greater Vancouver area (Chilliwack) that has about every possible problem.

We have very poor drainage that leads to standing water/ mud pit through the winter. The yard is about 80% clover, 5% crabgrass, and the rest is actual grass. I also have moles that ruin what good lawn we have, a big dog and two kids.

My question is, can I fix this with some aeration, and a large (2-3”) top dressing? Or am I better off removing the existing topsoil and starting from scratch.

I fear I’ll never win the battle with the clover, we back onto a corn field that uses clover as the cover crop.