We have a steep hill which cannot be mowed. It is planted with creeping junipers, and until they fill out, clover ground cover. Lately crabgrass has taken over. Since it cannot be mowed, it has the potential to overgrow the junipers and kill them by shading, besides making the whole yard look horrible.
We purchased some crabgrass killer, that Ortho said would not harm clover. Fortunately we did a test with it, and it kills clover despite what Ortho said. Does anyone know of a herbicide which will kill grass, but not kill clover?
But if it goes to seed, we have the same problem next spring, but worse.
Paid a bunch of Mexicans a lot of money to do exactly that about 2 months ago, this is new since then..
Interesting idea. I am assuming that since clover is an annual, pre-emergents won't bother it. You are talking about a barrier, but the page I am looking at
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says that it is:
"Preemergent herbicides are chemicals that prevent the germinating weeds from establishing in the lawn. These herbicides control annual grass weeds by inhibiting cell division in the young root system. The failure of the root system to develop results in the death of the young seedling weed shortly after germination."
So I am still a little confused. Are there two types, a barrier, and a chemical that prevents germinating seeds from growing? And should either work if so?
You didn't say where you were located (and I'm too lazy right now to do a trace), but crabgrasses are annuals. By the time you get enough treatments down to be effective, it'll probably be dying anyway. If you want it gone now, yank it out. Next year, put down a pre-emergent, at the proper time, and don't disturb the soil in that area all season, or you'll break that barrier. There are millions of crabgrass seeds that will try and germinate. Most will be stopped by the barrier, but as each one pokes a tiny hole in it, eventually some will get through. But, if you keep applying the pre-emergent, each year, you'll gradually eliminate it.
The preemergent is the barrier. I agree with advice given. In addition, I believe crab grass killers are all arsenicals which I do not like putting on my lawn. Frank
Then, as I said, by the time you get enough treatments in, it'll be dying.
No, not if you put down a pre-emergent at the proper time.
No, *IF* the clover is an annual [1] (single growing season, from seed to seed), it *will* be blocked by the pre-emergent. You need to make a choice... weeds or no weeds. While clover is a useful plant (legume), it's considered, and treated as, a weed. There are plenty of more suitable ground covers. How large is the area? What species of Juniperus? It could be YEARS until they fill in (provided that insects or disease don't get them first).
As simply as I can put it:
You put down the pre-emergent in granular form. You water it in thoroughly, thus releasing the chemicals and allowing them to combine to form a sort of invisible "blanket", at the soil level. *Any* seeds that try and penetrate that "blanket" from below, will fail, but each one does minute damage to the "blanket". Eventually, a plant will break through. Yank that sucker. Don't allow any weeds to develop. Over the course of 2-5 years, the seeds below either will rot, die from other means, or the supply of seeds will become exhausted.
*Any* disturbance to the barrier (such as dragging a rake across the soil) will completely ruin that year's attempt. You can't just reapply it.
Is there a way for you to take a pic, post it to the web, and link to it here?
[1] You haven't stated which Trifolium you've planted. Not all clover are annuals, and there are about 300 species in the genus. If the clover in question is a perennial (such as T. repens), it shouldn't be affected by the pre-emergent.
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