Creeping Buttercups

JaneF

I have half an acre of garden. Vegetable beds, polytunnel, fenced-off area for a few chickens. The rest is supposed to be grass, which is supposed to be kept down by mowing weekly. When I examine the "grass" I find it is mainly creeping buttercups, clover, chickweed, with the odd dandelion, daisy, and plantain. It seems much worse after the extremely wet weather we've had in the SW for the last 2 years. The buttercups just seem to have taken over and are smothering everything else.
I don't want to apply weedkiller over this large area because I have a dog and I don't want her to be running on mud for months while the vegetation dies off.
Does anyone have any ideas for discouraging the buttercups? Would application of limestone help? I'm not looking for a velvet lawn, just a mixture that's at least 50% grass, that will stand up to dogs and kids frolics.

looksee

If the soil is moist its not the hardest thing to pull up, tends to come up in swathes once you start. I have had flowerbeds infested with it, but you can clear it really fast!

JaneF

:mad:It's almost half an acre!
I do pull it up whenever I have time but it makes zero impression - because it grows faster than I can pull!

Northumbria

Creeping buttercups are lovely, I'd have few wildflowers in my lawn if it wasn't for them.
If you want to get rid, I'd cut the grass, then cover it and leave it to die. Then uncover, leave a week or two and see what weeds come up. Pull out the weeds by the roots and then spread a light layer of compost or topsoil and sow grass seed (break up the underlying soil with a fork beforehand though).

corco2000

as far as I know creeping buttercups hate lime, so maybe lime this spring?

Northumbria

corco2000 wrote: »

as far as I know creeping buttercups hate lime, so maybe lime this spring?

Be careful though, as most northern european plants hate alkaline conditions. I limed my garden too much last year and it made the grass grow badly (nutrient deficiency). I've hopefully corrected it with sulphur now though.

JaneF

Thanks, Corco2000 and Northumbria. Do you have any idea of quantity of lime per sq. metre? I have 50 kg of Crushed Natural Limestone. probably not enough for half acre?

tommy2bad

Do a soil test to determine the acidity or alkalinity of your soil and add lime to bring it to neutral from acid. If it already alkaline then leave it alone time will remove most of the excess but never enough to grow acid loving plants.
Half an acre could take up to a tonne to bring it back to nutral, more than that will cause another set of problems. If it needs more apply it in split applications over two years.

JaneF

Thanks Tommy2bad for that clear advice. Soil test is next then.

tommy2bad

Yep, soil test, you can get one in a garden center that will give you a good indication of the state of the soil or go and pay around 60 euro for one from the farm people. That will contain everything except nitrogen levels and give recommendations on fert and trace elements specific to the crop you want to grow. Grass or veg or spuds, whatever.
TBH if you want a green lawn like a football field, reseed the area, expensive but it will do the job in 3 months to a finished level bowling green if thats what you want. Ither way start with a soil test.
BTW the garden center ones will do 5 or 6 tests so do test around the area, not just one spot.

JaneF

Thanks Tommy2bad. I have a little gadget that I use in the tunnel and veg patch. Only tests ph but I'll try that in lots of spots in the so-called grass areas and then I can look up somewhere how to calculate the lime. No, I'm not looking for football pitch or bowling green, just more grass and less buttercups. The endless wet weather and sodden ground seem to encourage the creeping buttercups which then smother and kill the grass, so that one medium size dog running around converts large patches to mud, which then ends up on my kitchen floor.
Thanks for help.

Chunkycw

hi.. i would recommend "Doff lawnweed killer" it conatins 24D and MCPA. it's safe for animals once dry but it's too early to be putting it on now. you would have to wait til March when hopefully it will warm up a bit. you may have to reseed the bald patches, but that would just involve scratching up the top soil with a rake and then seed. i have never heard of the lime suggestion... you learn something new everyday :-)