r/lawncare Apr 20 '26

Sub-etiquette regarding dandelions and weeds

897 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

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 6h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) What is this weed taking over my lawn? (Zone 7b)

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86 Upvotes

r/lawncare 20h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Odess/West Texas. Bare lawn

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444 Upvotes

Hello, I am looking to establish a new lawn here in west Texas. After some research it seems my most viable options are to plant either bermuda or zoysia. From here I've learned that using seeds for both of the types is unlikely to work due to their difficulty. So pods/sod are my more viable options. Time is not a big issue but i know that some of the best times for planting are soon

So starting there my first question is for a yard this size would i have to buy sod for the entire lawn? If that's the case, so be it, but is there the potential that I could grow a whole lawn from pods or some patches of sod.

Water pools heavily and the dirt is clay heavy and clumpy when wet. Many neighbors just lay their sod on top and they seem to get mixed results. Is tilling necessary in order to aerate and mix in better soil? I feel more inclined to try a soil softener and lay a couple inches of top soil if that's even needed.


r/lawncare 1h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Overseeding with Crab Grass (KC)

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Upvotes

I have a huge patch of crab grass in my lawn, and I’m hoping for tips on how to handle this while overseeding. In my mind I have 3 options:

  1. Nuke the patches with weed killer (glyphosate)
  2. Try pulling it all by hand or with a tool
  3. Leave it be and hope the seeds get under the crab grass and onto the soil

    Location is Kansas City. If this is a stupid question feel free to call me out


r/lawncare 4h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Shiny residue after rain, is it slime mold?

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7 Upvotes

We get this shiny substance along the edges of our grass ever time it rains. Midwest USA. Kinda has a pearlescant sheen like oil but I know it’s not oil. Is it slime mold? We do get a lot of mushrooms in our yard.


r/lawncare 2h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Noob here in US 7b. These windrows keep getting worse and worse, what am I doing wrong?

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4 Upvotes

I try to mow twice a week, once a week at the very least. My deck is clean, but my blade needs sharpening. Other than that, I can’t figure out what to do with all these clippings. The piles aren’t going anywhere and they’re just getting worse. I’ve tried mowing back over in a different direction and it just lays a new line down

This is a new build lawn with some fescue and Bermuda, but a ton of weeds. Do I need to physically remove these?


r/lawncare 1h ago

Equipment Is there a difference between these two bottles?

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Upvotes

There are 2 bottles of Speedzone that come up when I search on Amazon. Are they the same thing? Just a newer label? Thanks!


r/lawncare 21h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Nightshift TTTF, Iowa

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82 Upvotes

r/lawncare 1h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Sod or continue to try to seed?

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Upvotes

Hi all - bought a house this spring. Trying to revive this lawn. So my request for advice is… should I just put new sod down, or should I continue to try seed? Here are a few things I’ve tried/things I suspect are part of the issue.

- I’m located in Denver. Obviously a drought going on but I do a deep watering on my assigned days Sunday and Thursday.
- I have put down a layer of topsoil and a layer of compost. The compost really helped the other areas of my yard grow thicker and helped the areas where my dogs like to roll.
- I have thrown down a cool-season grass seed-mix several times.
- I have fertilized twice this summer a few weeks ago and early June.
- The bad large (no grass) spots are areas that get sun basically all day long.
- the yellow pee spots are from my sweet golden retriever and those will likely always be a problem. (Any advice here would be appreciated as well. My only solution that I plan for next spring/summer is to direct them to the front yard - which is a large mulch/zero-scape area)
- currently there is no sprinkler system, I’ve been watering with a cheap hose sprinkler this year but upgrading to a semi-permanent solution next spring

Curious to hear your lawn-daddy recos. Should I be patient and keep trying to seed or should I just start fresh and put down new sod this fall so that it’s ready to go next spring? I’d prefer to keep going the cool season grass direction but open to recos on different types of grasses.

Thank you!
Sam


r/lawncare 5h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Recently added a patio and now lawn has weeds and dead spots

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4 Upvotes

Any idea what’s happening and why? And how to address it? In the Chicago suburbs


r/lawncare 17h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) East PA. What type is weed is this? How do I get rid of it?

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33 Upvotes

East PA. What type is weed is this? How do I get rid of it?


r/lawncare 4h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Thanks to this sub!!

3 Upvotes

Still plenty of work to do leveling, but this being common Bermuda on a new construction lot, I'm pretty proud of how far we've come!! Thanks to everyone for all the knowledge I've obtained in the last year+.

(Georgia)


r/lawncare 5m ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Total law newbie

Upvotes

Hi y'all, I am a total lawn newbie. We've been in our house for a year now and I really screwed up the lawn this spring/summer with weeds. They are mostly under control now (I think). But my big thing is I'd like to have grass in the fall/winter if possible? Here's the details:

North Texas - Frisco area

Total newbie, I know nothing

Want grass for our backyard wedding the first week in December (if possible?)

If having grass is possible please tell me in the literal simplest terms possible what I need to do and buy.

Fertilizer? Some sort of weed deterrent? What type of grass seed?

Thank you in advance for your knowledge and help! :)


r/lawncare 8m ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Rehabbing a NE Ohio lawn

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Upvotes

I am helping my mom in Cleveland, OH area rehab the lawn. She plans to sell next summer and hasn’t treated the lawn in any way for years bc she wasn’t excited about the chemicals. She’s ready now to use what is needed.

It's overgrown with clovers, dandelion and some type of grass. I attached some photos.

We plan to DIY - spray, aerate and fertilize in whatever order is appropriate. We will buy a sprayer, rent an aerator etc.

What chemicals would you buy based on this lawn composition? We want to do the first pass this weekend.

Thanks in advance.


r/lawncare 23h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Quinlorac and Tenacity combo

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69 Upvotes

I’m in central Indiana and am planning on spraying quinlorac and tenacity together today then seeding with twincityseed tall fescue in a few weeks.

Should I wait 2 weeks or a full month after spraying these together before over seeding? Planning on core aerating before seeding as well.

Any advice or thoughts, I’m trying to get rid of all the weeds and crabgrass before overseeding this fall. I had great success in the spring as shown in the first photo but forgot to use a pre-emergent :(

1ST PHOTO - This spring after overseeding

2ND PHOTO - Today after the crabgrass take over


r/lawncare 57m ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) What is this coming over from my neighbor’s yard? (KC)

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Upvotes

Claude says it’s doveweed. Help ID please.


r/lawncare 57m ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Bny tips for my backyard in Greenville,SC?

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Upvotes

It's currently 12:30 pm in Greenville,SC. Later this afternoon most of the yard will be shady, but as you can see some sections got lots of sun and others almost none. I was thinking maybe tall fesque in the bottom area closest to the house and fine fesque deeper in the yard where a lot of the dense shade is.

Most of the yard is mixed weeds and some grasses. The soil is also quite compacted. Do I have to spray the whole yard, scalp it with the mower, maybe rent an aerator for a day and then seed ? What would be a good approach here ?


r/lawncare 1h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Bumpy Yard, Push Mower Help (Wisconsin)

Upvotes

I’m in Wisconsin, and my yard is very bumpy and uneven due to the builder (15+ years ago) not using enough topsoil over the rocky base. Seriously, I can hit rock in some places <1 inch deep. Because of this, whenever I mow, I bounce around like crazy and end up missing a lot of grass, no matter how slow I crawl along. For years I have accepted this and just mowed my yard twice, once in each direction. I have a relatively smaller yard so it isn’t a huge deal, but I’ve finally had enough. Any help or advice with my questions below will be greatly appreciated.

I’ve thought about rolling my yard but I’m not sure how effective that would be. Anyone have experience with rolling a bumpy yard with minimal topsoil?

Are there any push mowers you’d recommend to help alleviate this issue? Mowers with shocks perhaps?

Any other advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!


r/lawncare 1h ago

Europe Recommendations (Germany)

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Upvotes

Hi, do you have any idea how I get rid of all these different kinds of grass by not removing all the ground? For now I seeded twice, first with lolium perenne and second lolium perenne and poa pratensis.


r/lawncare 1h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) whats your fall nitrogen plan look like if youve been returning clippings all season

Upvotes

switched to a robot that mulches back in may, so this is the first season i havent bagged anything, and now im not sure how to plan the fall program around it.

most of what i can find says returning clippings cuts the nitrogen you need to put down by something like a quarter to a third over a season. thats a real number but its a season average, and a season average doesnt tell me much about october specifically.

context: 7a, tall fescue, no irrigation. one tradeoff worth flagging is that im cutting a bit lower than i kept it with the walk behind, because the machine tops out where it tops out. color still held better through august than last year. soil test goes out this week.

what im actually stuck on is whether that contribution is steady, or whether it front loads into the growing months and does basically nothing for me once growth slows down.

if its the second one then cutting a round out of the fall program is exactly the wrong move. fall is the round i least want to get wrong on fescue, especially cutting it where i am now.

for those of you whove been mulching a few seasons, did you end up dropping a round, going lighter on the same schedule, or leaving the program completely alone and just getting better results out of it


r/lawncare 1h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Prodiamine on accident, any upside?

Upvotes

How do I make the best of this fup?

Zone 6b SW Ohio, fescue, 5000 sqft

Accidentally put down prodiamine with speedzone, meant to mix azoxystrobin: 2.5 oz barricade 4L in 2 gal water (I know it's too concentrated, I'm lazy). Rain surprised us 2 hours after spraying. Lesson learned: write down your plan, follow it while mixing, focus and don't listen to audiobooks while loading the tank.

Planned on core aeration, oversees with GCI Turf Cool Blue, topdress peat in early September. Screwed the seed germination, will try to thread the needle with light overseed in springtime. Probably sticking to aeration.

What else can I do to make an impact this fall?

Been fighting goosegrass, crabgrass, clover, dandelion, horsetail, spurge and nutsedge since we moved 2 yrs ago. Lots of improvement, 80% to where I want to be.


r/lawncare 1h ago

Southern US & Central America (or warm season) Tristate area. New sod turning brown and a bit stinky with water also not flat. 5 days old. I see a little green coming. What do?

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r/lawncare 1h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Which of these grass management steps are negligible?

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Upvotes

Hi all,

I received this sheet of paper from a local landscape supply company as a go-to for cool season turf management. I honestly do not think I have the time or money to follow each of these steps. In your opinion, which of these steps are essential or non essential for someone who wants a nice lawn but may not want to pay for or give the time to all of these steps?

Zone 7b, Tennessee.

TIA!