Any lawn care experts here? My front lawn is a mess :(

alexemmersonuk

Hi all! I can't tell you how useful this forum is for me at the moment. I am sorry if i don't always reply, I have 4 kids self isolating at home and work from home too. Gardening is the only thing that's keeping me vaguely sane. I think it's about time that I sorted out my front lawn. It appears to have been taken over by whatever this is and it feels like an absolutel neverending thankless job. Where do I even start? Picture to follow ------->

alexemmersonuk

Here is the issue. Yes, it needs a good mow, and my 5-year-old is always in the way, but as you can see something seems to have taken over the front lawn, it looks awful..... 

Fire

It looks like grass with white clover in it.

alexemmersonuk

Whatever it is, it's annoying and it keeps coming back! Haha! Looking for a more permanent solution than just "keep weeding it out", if there is one?

AnniD

I agree, it's clover. It is a magnet for bees so in many ways is a good thing, although if your children are running around on it in bare feet there may be a risk of them getting stung on the bottom of their feet.
If you run the mower over it, that will get rid of the flowers and straight away it will appear greener. If there is a drought you will find the clover is the only green left while the grass turns straw coloured.
You can apply weedkiller if you really want to, although with children around you'll need to keep them off the lawn for at least 24 hours.
To be honest, with everything else you've got going on, l would just put the mower over it and it will instantly look better.
Unless you're aiming for bowling green standard l wouldn't stress about it too much (just don't tell my husband l said that) 
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=357

alexemmersonuk

Hahaha I hear you! I am a busy girl for sure. I know it's not a massive priority or a big problem, but I do feel like I want a "little" project that can distract me from everything else I need to do for everyone else. I do love working in the garden so it would be nice to at least know what to do if I did want it to look like a bowling green standard, and then I could do it as my little distraction..... So if you do have any more specific tips, I'll give them a go

Nanny Beach

If you weedkill the 'lawn" there will be nothing left. If you mow it,the tops will vanish.how about mow the edges,leave the middle section, circle maybe

alexemmersonuk

@Nanny Beach really? I thought there were weed killers that specifically targeted weeds without harming the lawn itself? Is that all a bunch of marketing??? 

Raboon

There are selective weedkillers.
Something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Resolva-Killer-Extra-Ready-Litre/dp/B00PLYYR8G

Sprayed on a muggy, still day should start to put a dent in things.

I guess the issue is if the clover is so well established, you kill it and end up with bare patches and need to re turf or reseed!

Perki

Selective lawn weedkiller is required. It will say on the bottle lawn weedkiller. Clover can be quite stubborn to get rid off, apply one application and another if required in 6week time

Nanny Beach

What I meant was there is so much clover,if that is gone,there won't be any "green". Me, personally, I don't believe any hype,my old man will spill something with oil on his clothes,(, food wise,) salad cream butter,I have a kitten,tell him to scrub it off Immediately,he seriously thinks that it will come off in a quick,warm cycle in the washing machine. Don't tell anyone on the forum,he has used every weed control known to man on our drive,NOTHING works! I even bought him a heat wand