Help me save my lawn from these weeds (with pics!)

Drift

Hi all,

I have the most mini-micro-lawn that the worst excesses of the Celtic Tiger could produce. It's the size of a stamp and bordered on all sides by 2m high walls! This time last year I dug it out, levelled it, de-stoned it and planted grass seed on it. I realise it wasn't the ideal time for planting but it seemed to take and I was happy enough with the lawn. However, when growing started again this year I seem to have gotten plagued by weeds. The picture below shows the type of weed:



Can anyone identify this and tell me what I need to do to stop it from taking over. It seems to be getting more widespread by the week. An overview in case it may be of help:



Thanks very much for any help you can provide.

P.S.: They seem to be more dominant in the shaded areas that get less sun and are spreading from there. Either these or some other weed in the same area grow a stalk with some white seeds on it. They grow fast and the seeds seem light and fluffy. I don't have a picture because I mowed the lawn on Tuesday.

magicbastarder

looks like creeping buttercup to me.

deandean

If your lawn really is that small you can just dig the weeds out, you can buy a special weed dig-out tool it has a sort of forked end.

Alternatively purchase a selective herbicide, this kills the weeds but not the grass, spray it on twice a year.

Well done with the lawn, it looks good. Pretty much every new lawn is going to have weeds. It is moss that causes problems. that'll come later, unfortunately.

bbam

Get to woodies etc and get a selective weed and feed. Cost effective for a small lawn.
It's creeping buttercup, pure nusience but can be killed.

It helps if you give a bit of a rake up before mowing to help more get cut. But that's only practical on small lawns

monkeynuz

+1 creeping buttercup.

Dig em out with a trowel and make sure you get as much of the little white roots out as possible.

or

Buy a selective herbicide - verdone - and apply with a watering can.

When they are dead, just scuff up the soil with a trowel and put some lawn seed down.

Thunderbird2

Any tips for getting rid of weeds in a garden with a pond ?

monkeynuz

Do you mean, killing weeds in lawn around a pond?

Thunderbird2

Yes dandelions

Drift

Thanks very much everyone. It is a small lawn but there's too much of the stuff to try digging up each bit individually by hand. It is plenty small enough to rake before mowing/after killing though so I might start doing that.

I'll try to pick up some selective weed killer at the weekend and give it a go. I presume it should only be used in dry weather?

Thanks again.