How do I get rid of weeds in my ugly yard?

Hi, Deborah,

Bayer, Ortho, etc. make a wide variety of weed killers that are applied early Spring. They are applied using granular form in a walk behind drop spreader, with a garden hose and adjustible spray pattern, with a hand held garden sprayer, or in ready to use packages that can be hand carried and used only where needed.

You'll need to know the weeds you wish to eradicate, (nutsedge, crabgrass, thistle, yellow sedge, chickweed, creeping charlie, dandelion, etc. ) because rarely does one product meet all needs, however, note that when treating for crabgrass, your window of time for application is very brief. Using "post emergents" on crabgrass is rarely as sucessful as using "pre-emergents".

See if these help you!

https://www.hgtv.com/design/outdoor-design/landscaping-and-hardscaping/how-to-reclaim-a-weedy-yard

http://www.yourepair.com/48/how-to-reclaiming-your-lawn-from-weeds.html

https://www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/restore-a-weedy-patchy-lawn/view-all/

I am in zone 9 and just applied a pre emergent to my front lawn.

Deborah, If your weeds count for your whole backyard, it would take some time to get rid of it. You'll have to pull it out by the root. I'd call a landscaper, an get an estimate. Aloha!

To be honest, do you really want to waste a ton of water and energy on a lawn? A better choice to use would be a ground cover plant that needs little attention and little water. Pigeon Pea is a good one. it only grows 6" high, uses little water and has really pretty yellow flowers. As for the weeds, ..if the current weeds are not removed at the roots..they will grow up thru whatever you plant. Doing it correctly from the start will save a lot of headaches.. or you could figure out what 'weeds' are there. it will determine what will grow best in your lawn. It will also be a good idea to do your own homework on whatever you plan to plant..We would have been better off had we done these things.. we stripped our yard of 'weeds' like scalping from the roots, laid beautiful sod..it was great for 2 years, then drought hit...we had no sprinkler system and now all we have are the weeds again... I refuse to use anything other that something that kills the fireants.. Roundup and the others cause health issues..

I hate the chemicals, especially Roundup, they go into the ground water and are poison. I had a similar problem, so I got my grass really strong by using Epsom salts. Most grass is depleted of minerals so the Epsom salts makes it stronger and greener..When the grass grows strong it chokes out the weeds, takes some time, a couple of years but no poisons on my pets feet. Or mine for that matter lol. I firmly believe grass is a weed as it seems to grow where you don't want it ;-). Usually while you are fussing with the lawn.

The most beautiful lawn I've ever seen was my elderly neighbor across from my very first house. He used Phillips 66 fertilizer, and Weed No More on his mix of Bermuda & St. Augustine grasses. He set the mower pretty high. You would sink to your ankles on that lawn.

Here's a tutorial that might help https://chascrazycreations.com/home-made-weed-killers/

Hi Deborah, Hope this helps, mix 1 cup of salt. 1 tablespoon of dish soap. 1 gallon of vinegar, pour into a spray bottle and spray weeds. Be careful not to spray plants that you love. Once you deal with the weeds you can ensure the soil is adequate for seeding grass or laying sod.

It is so simple but it can work a treat. Boil some tap water in a kettle and once ready pour it directly on the crown of your weeds. Larger weeds may take three or four applications in order to stop coming back but this is a low cost and hassle free solution worth giving a try. Just be sure to wear adequate protection clothing so that the scolding hot water doesn’t splash back onto your feet, legs and/or hands. Some people have actually seen this method work better than the vinegar method, give it a shot!

Pour boiling water on them, it kills to the root.

Here's a post that might help - https://chascrazycreations.com/home-made-weed-killers/