Lots of weeds and stickers..

[cindy0721]

When we built our house we just put sod in the front.. now we are going to be closing in the back however our whole backyard is covered in stickers, weeds and sunflowers.... how do I get rid of them? Do I just put round up to the whole backyard or is there another way? Also what can I put to kill any bugs,critters and fleas and possible ticks that might be back there? FYI it is a regular sized lot so the backyard is not a 1/2 acre or anything like that..!!!

[Jenn218]

Hmmmm, I am not certain what will kill the weeds...sticker bushes are pretty invasive weeds! Maybe a lawn and garden expert can help you w/ that or even someone at Lowe's or HomeDepot, etc.

There are several good bug items out there. We always use a granule that kills fleas, ticks, grubs, ants, whatever else - there is a list on the package. Can't remember which kind we get...we by the big 20-40lb bags. There are tons of these products in all the stores, but we get ours from our local farmers co-op.

Good luck!

[stephluvsangel6]

we had the same problem and what we did was we tried to clean out our backyard and all we were doing was spreding the goathead seeds and so we went home depot and there was a produst they recommened us but i cant emebr the name and we sprayed it on and then we threw out some kind of weed killer and then we waited and then they said instead of raking it or trying to pick it up just to till it up or grind it up but our ground was so hard we had to till it up anyway but we sed one of those riding mowers but with the little tractor things inthe back that like chops up the ground we used that and we never have had more goat heads but we didnt spend as much time on the weeds and they came up through the sod, so ask one of the professionals at home depot or lowes or the they say osh is good the orchard supplu hardware but i dotn know if they have those around you

but ask them and take your time and kill them good

[cindy0721]

thanks... thats my project for the month my front and back yards... thanks guys!@!

[RowdysMom]

When your yard is in that shape, it is pretty difficult to get rid of those weeds. You can do it but it will take some work. I would urge you to not use chemicals such as Roundup - it goes into the watershed and is very toxic to birds, small animals and the like. Also, I would never use Roundup in an area where my Rexy and Rowdy would be walking - even weeks later. It is extremely toxic.

I don't know where you are in Texas or if you are able to consult an organic garden store, but if you can, they can help you. It will take some time to get control of the stickers, even if you use Roundup (and I hope you don't). The seeds for new plants are already in the ground from the stickers that have been shed off. You can start right now putting down corn gluten (get it at an organic garden store). It is a pre-emergent, meaning that you put it down and it prevents sticker seeds from emerging into new plants. I would advise you to get a device called a weed popper - it really pops up the weeds and they are then easily pulled out by hand. You will still need to use a pre-emergence (corn gluten) even if you pull up all the sticker plants and other weeds because they have already let off stickers (seeds).

The BEST way to have a weed free yard is to plant some sort of THICK grass - like St. Augustine - but I don't know how far north you live. If you live farther north than Austin, then it really gets too cold in the winter to use St. Augustine. If you get rid of the weeds and plant a thick grass, it will choke out the weeds on its own. I have St. Augustine and I have not used any weed killer in my yard in 20+ years. You fertilize in the fall and spring with a slow release organic fertilizer (that won't hurt your Yorkie kids). You spread some compost in the spring and aerate the yard if your soil is hard and compacted. Any organic garden store can tell you how to do all of this. It has been proven that using organic products on your yard will do much better than things like Scotts fertilizer and NEVER use a weed and feed in your yard, it will KILL your trees!!! The non-organic fertilizers actually deplete the soil of natural and beneficial components needed for a healthy soil and beautiful yard. The key to a great yard is a healthy soil.

Now for the fleas. Beneficial nematodes are the answer to flea control in your yard. Read more about them here http://www.marchbiological.com/L/ben...nematodes.html They are microscopic organisms that feed on a variety of soil insects and they will keep fleas, termites, fire ants, etc. out of your yard.

Of course, that does not mean that your baby won't get a flea when they go on a walk or that a flea might crawl over into your yard from the neighbors yard. But that can be controlled by bathing your babies in Dawn dishwashing soap or some other non-toxic method.

The nematodes will also keep the fire ants out of your yard and that is a great benefit to those of us who live in the south. I have used the nematodes for 6-7 years and have not had a flea or fire ant problem in all that time. I have outdoor dogs living on both sides of my yard too. The nematodes work great!

You can usually get them at any organic gardening store. They can also be ordered, but they must be kept cool during shipping or they will die, so if you order them, be sure the supplier plans to cool ship them. Also, follow the directions EXACTLY for putting them on the yard. You will have to water your yard in the summer when it is very dry, enough so that the nematodes do not dry up and die - maybe once a week or so, if it is not raining.

Also, I put diatamaceous earth (DE) around the perimeter of my yard to keep the fleas from crawling into my yard. It works great, but it must be reapplied after a heavy rain. It is also a non-toxic pest control substance. http://www.hydromall.com/happy_grower16.html I sprinkle it on my roses to control little pesky bugs who want to chew the leaves!!! You can also get DE at the organic garden store.

Your organic garden store personnel should become your new BEST friend!

Good luck!

[cindy0721]

well I live really low south past San Antonio , pass Corpus Chrisit 30 minutes away from South Padre Island in Harlingen Texas

[cindy0721]

thanks Rowdy's Mom!! Lots of good info will look into a orgainic store to see if we have one locally...

[RowdysMom]

Originally Posted by cindy0721

well I live really low south past San Antonio , pass Corpus Chrisit 30 minutes away from South Padre Island in Harlingen Texas

Well, you should jump on the St. Augustine (be sure to get the type that is best for your area) because if you take care of it, it will choke out any and all weeds, for sure!!!

Good luck!