Question
QUESTION: I live in NW GA and have a 3 year old Bermuda lawn which is struggling. Over the winter it has developed a weed which is spreading thru it like wildfire. some have told me it is wild violets and some say henbit. I want to rid the grass of it and get it to become lush and green.
Would welcome any and all help!
ANSWER: Hi Bonny;
An organic program will get rid of all weeds, permanently.
I have been on an organic program for about 10 years, and haven't seen a weed grow in my yard in the last 8 years.
When I put the first application of sugar on my lawn in early spring, in about 2 weeks, about half the weeds had died out, in a few more mowings, they were all gone for the year.
The next spring, some weeds that had been seeded in by birds, wind and all the ways new weed seeds get seeded into our lawn. There were about half as many weeds as the year before, so the ones that were threr were new ones seeded in. The ones from the year before were killed out before they could set seeds.
That year, it took about 4 to 6 weeks, and the weeds were all gone for that year.
The next year, only a very few came up, and they died out right away. I haven't had weeds since.
The way it works.
The sugar does absolutely nothing buy nourish the beneficial microbes that enrich the soil.
The sugar doesn't kill any weeds, the rich soil does.
Weds wil not grow in rich soil. If they come up at al, the start to die out right away.
I had wild violets and henbit, both, as well as clover, crabgrass, johnson grass, dandelions, dollar weds,,,,,,,
We have a lot of weeds that love our north Texas climate.
I used chemical fertilizers and weed killers, and pesticides for over 40 years, spent a lot of time and labor, and a lot of money, and only had a mediocre lawn.
All chemical products kill all beneficial microbes, nematodes, and beneficial insects , and beneficial critters like toads, lizards and grass snakes.
*I have a good herd on those critters. They don't bother me ( I can't stand critters like that to touch me), and they eat ALL the harmful insects like grubs, slugs, aphids, ants etc.
Since I switched to organics, I spend very little money, time or labor, and have a gorgeous, weed free lawn and garden.
The first to go were the shallow rotted weeds like henbit, dollar weed and my wild violets( which I liked and really wanted to keep).
If it has been several months since you put down chemical fertilizer etc, your starting an organic program would get your lawn going right away, in a matter of weeks.
If there is enough chemicals still in the soil to kill those microbes, then it will take a little longer for them to build up much.
As your soil improves, which it does on an ongoing basis with organics, the microbes and beneficial nematodes will reproduce and multiply.
the more of them you get in your soil, the more it improves.
Earthworms tunnel through the soil, aerating it and their castings add nutrients to the soil.
An organic program works equally well in any part of the world.
I have answered a lot of questions on this subject, and you can read some of my past answers, or if you would like me to line out exactly what I do , you can arite me, and I will copy one of the answers that best lays it out for you, and paste it onto your next question.
If you don't want to start the organics, then the best chemical weed killer I found was WipeOut, by GreenLight.
It kills ALL broadleafed plants ( everything except grassy weeds like crabgrass).
If you get any of it on roses or other shrubs and flowers, it will kill them too.
All the crabgrass killers, even the ones that say they don't harm the grass, DOES kiull the grass also.I know, I tried them, and they killed both my St. augustine and my burmuda. Organics don't.
Charlotte

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QUESTION: Thanks Charlotte. Guess I should mention that I am new to lawn care also and need all the guidance you have to offer. Would you outline the program for the sugar and your organic program for me please. I'm not sure how much or what kind of sugar to apply. Also will this application help with the greening and thickening of the grass. I've just purchased some Sta Green Weed and Feed to apply in an effort to halt the spread of the weeds- now something with a small yellow flower is starting. Think the salesman at the store said it will last for 2 months. I'd like to start my organic program ASAP.  

Answer
Hi Bonny;
If you want to go organic, don't use that weed and feed.
If you use chemical products, it will cancel out your organics, because the purpose of organics is to get natural things working in your soil and lawn, and the chemicals kill all the beneficial micro-organisms that enrich and improve the soil, and the lawn critters like toads etc that eat all the harmful insects.
You have to provide a poison free enviornment for them.
I do use the cheapest the store has,because the microbes aren't gormets, but I only use Imperial sugar in my cooking.
I am going to copy ans paste an outline I wrote for another questioner. Any questions you have that are not covered there, write me anytime.
The sugar does NOTHING but nourish the microbes.
You will get lovely results with a lot less work and money spent.
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Answer:  Hi Lynn;
I have other suggestions.
You will constantly improve your soil if you go on a totally organic program, and don't use any chemicals at all.
I have beenm on such a program for the last 9 to 10 years, after breaking my back and ruining my body trying to maintain a decent lawn, with only mediocre results.
the organics has freed me from about 90% of the physical work, about that much of the expense, and the results are a think, beautiful yard with no weeds or harmful insects.
Man!!! Wish I had known all this 50 years ago !
The corn clutem meal is an organic product.
If you use organics, and then use chemicals, you will cancel out the organics.
Chemical fertilizers kill all the beneficial microbes, nematodes and other beneficial insects and critters that work around the clock improving your soil.
Beneficial microbes enrich the soil. Chemicls do NOT.
If you put a little too muchj chemical products on the lawn, it will burn your grass, and do a lot of other damage.
If you put too much organics on it, all you do is waste a little time and money.
Sugar does absolutely nothing but nourish the beneficial micrebes. THEY do the work.
Weeds will not grow in rich soil. If they cme up, they will start to die out right away.
The first time I use sugar was in the spring. I had not put any chemicals on the yard since the fall feeding, so they were all worn out of the soil.
I had a lawn about 50% full of dandelions, crabgrass, johnson grass, clover, dollar weed and some other shallow rooted weeds like chickweed etc.
a couple of weeks after I put down the sugar and watered it in, I had about half as many weeds. Nobody had pulled a weed or anything. My husband had just mowed.
I went nuts, like a school of sharks in a feeding frenzy, and ran out and bought more sugar, put it down and waterewd it in.
A couple more mowings, and there were so few weeds. In a few more werks they were all gone.
The next spring about half as many weeds as before came up, but in a few weeks they were gone.
All I had done was the sugar in the spring, and I did that again in the fall.
I used baking soda disolved in water for black spot on my roses and powdery mildew n my crepe mytrtles. That works much better then the chemical fungicides I had used before.
I started getting a nice herd of lizards, toads and grass snakes in my yard.
I had a BIG grub problem every year. I haven't had that since, nor do I have those nasty tent catapillars dropping on my head from the trees.
I see lizards running in the trees and along the fence. I never see the grass snakjes, which is fine with me. I seldon see a toad, but they are all there.
Sugar; I use 4 or 5 pounds per 1000 sq.ft. I just broadcast it by hand, and water it in well. If you spill a blob in one spot, no problem. No burning or other damage.

Watering; I always water to a depth of at least 6 inches. Deep watering like that encourages a deep root growth. That protects from heat, cold and drought damage, and prevents thatch. I water with soaker hoses, and run them till the water is close to the edge and is about to start running off the yard. then I turn it off and wait an hour or so for it to soak in, and turn it on again. I keep doing that until it is wet down to a depth of 6 inches at least. Even here in our Texas heat, I water only once a week, unless it stays well above 100 for a week or more, which it sometimes does. then I look at the grass, and if my St. Augustine is folded up, lengthwise, I know it needs water. It folds the blades up to reduce the area exposed to evaporation. Burmuda, when it gets thirsty, bends it's little blades a little, like it is bowing.
My earthworms and cock roaches etc tunnel through the soil, and that keeps it aerated. Their castings add nourishment. Cockroaches are beneficial. They normally live in the soil and feed on other harmful insects. We put down pesticides, and kill their food supply, so they come in our houses to get food and hide from the pesticides.
I use fresh rosemary to keep them out of my house.

Baking soda disolved in water, about 2 TABLESPOONS per gallon of water, sprayed on top and underneath all the leaves, prevent molds and fungus on plants. You can also use it for fungus in the soil, or you can apply agricultural corn meal and water that in. About 10 pounds per 1000 sq.ft.

Corn gluten meal is an organic fertilizer and weed killer.
It won't interfere with the sugar.
None of the organics calcel each other out.
Alfalfa meal is another good food to add. Just sprinkle it on in about the same thickness the sugar goes on, and water. It is full of nutrients. So is lava sand. Yopu can add it to the top of the soil, dig it into the soil, or add it when you are adding soil, or putting soil in a comntainer for a plant.
Alfalfa meal, as well as generally nourishing the soil, helps promote larger and more blooms in blooming plants and house plants.
You can also make a tea of it for foliar feeding or for watering house plants.
Put 1 cup alfalfa meal in 5 gallons of water and let steep overnight. Still and use to water plants, or strain it and put it in a garden sprayer for foliar feeding.  Be sure, if you strain it, to dump the dregs on the soil somewhere, it is still full of nutrients.
You probably won't need more fertilizert than that. I didn't use anything but sugar for about 8 or 9 years, and last spring, I leartned about the alfalfa meal and lava sand, so I use them.
If you have more questions, write to me.
I am very happy to share what I have learned, and am learning.
Charlotte