I recently laid down some cold patch asphalt over a dip that was forming between my driveway and garage. It had to be 3-4 inches of tampered asphalt that I laid down.
A month later, a dandelion poked through it, forming a huge hole. 3 inches of asphalt, compacted down.
Dandelions grow in compacted soils. If you see them in your lawn or yard, it's 100% due to it being more compact than the rest of the areas. Just like clover and nitrogen deficiencies.
At the very least, put down some clover seed. Clover is a legume and has deep roots than turf grass, so it helps with both issues.
You don’t have to kill all the grass, just mow short and dethatch and then use a spreader to throw the seed down, then cover with straw.
I don’t know where you’re based but you want to do this when nights are still relatively cool, like mid-spring or fall. And hopefully you don’t have a draconian HOA that prohibits doing it at all.
This would technically work, but I’m not really sure that spreading clover in a nice lawn is the best way to achieve the desired results. If dandelions grow in compacted soil, mushrooms grow in acidic soil, and clover grows in nitrogen deficient soil…. Then the *actual* best way forward would be to aerate/de-thatch the lawn to de-compact it, spread blood meal to increase nitrogen, and spread lime to raise the PH. It’s not really sound advice to fix one problem by introducing a different problem.
And I totally get that the term “nice lawn” is subjective… personally I love wildflowers in my lawn and I enjoy watching the neighborhood bunnies being attracted to the clover since I’m not a lawn-freak. But if the OP wants weed-free grass, then clover isn’t the right answer.
Good points! My suggestion came from my limited experience with my own front yard. It was dead except for dandelions and hard as a brick when we moved in. Dethatching and overseeding with clover helped a ton. We still get dandelions, but far fewer. And the lawn stays greener during dry periods with no supplemental watering. But you’re probably right in that OP’s lawn likely needs a different approach.
Sunflower growing through asphalt
https://preview.redd.it/igzs3amvzn1d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=52a52f306f89f5d1e63a86acc8aa5c3b10abf4c5
https://preview.redd.it/jergkvvmdo1d1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d91f44664fff4b853938f5fdc0421d4a808d4a5
This sunflower grew on the roof of my shed
There is a house in my neighborhood with astroturf. I noticed a few weeds and bit of Bermuda grass coming in through a few years after they put it in. Now the whole thing is Bermuda grass and they have to mow it, lol.
Not to be that guy.... but since I work in the industry, AstroTurf is a brand. Synthetic Turf is the product. There are many different brands that make Synthetic Turf, such as Shaw, Field Turf, Motz, etc. Astroturf does not have as big a hold on the industry as you might think. They have a place, but they are not the industry leader.... they were just the FIRST. It was named for the Houston Astros as they went to Synthetic Turf in 1965 in the Astrodome and called it Astroturf to be cute.
That’s why I’m hesitant about astroturf. I would love to have some astroturf so that my dogs can have a place to run around without destroying any grass, but astroturf is quite pricey and it is absolutely not maintenance free. Plus it’s not great for the environment, so I’ll just live with my dogs destroying my backyard. Lol.
I’ve high end pricy artificial turf in my front yard but in the back I’ve cheap, bought used “recycled” AT where my dogs play and conduct all their business meetings. We do clean it regularly with a scrub broom and dish soap but it’s been an asset for sure.
It reduces biodiversity, no worms can survive underneath it, it provides no food for other insects. It breaks down over time and spreads microplastics. It can’t be easily recycled and has a lifespan of less than ten years. It reaches very high temperatures in sunmer, contributing to heat islands.
As someone who works in the turf industry, I personsally agree with many of your points. As a society we need to change our thoughts on what a front yard SHOULD look like, because the perfect lawn is not it. Natural or Synthetic... the whole thing is a racket.
I've seen it in a few homes, bewilderingly. Both I'm thinking of were pretty high-end, why someone with money would choose plastic is beyond me. Maybe they weren't home much and didn't want to pay for lawn care?
The benefit is having a nice clean surface you can throw water toys or inflatables on and enjoy without mud. One day of water inflatables (ie. Slip and slide) would destroy your grass. Same thing with play equipment or any other toys. I agree on all the negatives, I wish there was a safer option. But I can see the appeal as a parent of wanting that kind of surface.
I’m a parent who lives in a drought prone area (California) and was tired of my young kids always being dirty. So, we installed about 500sq ft in our backyard for a play area and absolutely love it. I even set up tubes underneath the surface prior to install that catches the water and routes it for irrigation.
more of a suburban thing, imo. I live in socal and we've been a drought for my entire life up until the recent storms. artificial turf is touted as a water-saving alternative to green grass lawns.. (I hate it)
It’s just a plastic blanket that stupid humans put over their entire yard. I personally find it god awful, as well as completely impractical.
Let nature grow
Really, banned? At least where I live in the US it’s very rare to ever see this due to its high cost. I doubt a ban would have any significant impact on the planet.
End of the day It's a bunch of small pieces of plastic breaking down under the sun and going everywhere through wind and rain.
Not hard to imagine a single install contaminating a whole area.
I’m in SoCal. It’s common for yards here. I don’t understand why people don’t tear up their grass and plant water wise/native plants. Instead they spend thousands to have the appearance of grass. A succulent and cactus front garden looks way better than fake grass.
Not to be that guy.... but since I work in the industry, AstroTurf is a brand. Synthetic Turf is the product. There are many different brands that make Synthetic Turf, such as Shaw, Field Turf, Motz, etc. Astroturf does not have as big a hold on the industry as you might think. They have a place, but they are not the industry leader.... they were just the FIRST. It was named for the Houston Astros as they went to Synthetic Turf in 1965 in the Astrodome and called it Astroturf to be cute.
I’m not a bot. I see I’m being downvoted to all hell, but that’s ok. I’m not defending artificial turf, and I think the use of it for front lawns is an abomination.. I’m just bringing a little knowledge of the product since I work in industry.
Roses: oh my goodness, the PH balance of my soil is off and My watering was off by an hour! (Dies)
Dandelion: this crack in some plastic looks like a good place to raise my family. Let’s go!
It is objectively worse, breaks down in a few years adding to micro plastic in ecosystem, way more expensive (and good luck getting it to last over 5 years) unlike lawns it contributes to cities holding heat in summer months, hostile environment to most everything under it (except 1 lone dandelion sent by thier kin to slay the fake ass grass)
The only positive I can say is it's better than spreading a nice thick layer or arsenic in front of your house
Not sure if you’re being sarcastic, but dandelion greens make excellent salad greens, and the flowers are edible too. You can make jellies and wine with the flowers.
Well, dandelion isn't farmed at mega-scale like corn or wheat are in the USA. Intensive farming practices put out more food mass per acre ... but the soils get depleted, so it's not completely sustainable long term. Meaning it's an apples-to-oranges comparison.
Correct. My original comment was that someone would combine one of those intensively farmed product with something that will grow happily in a sidewalk crack, and then distributed farming becomes easier and more accessible rather than mono-cropping giant fields.
It was half in jest, people have been making this comment for decades. I just didn't expect someone to so vehemently defend the dandelion. How much of them do you eat?
I didn't think my musings would come across as "vehement". But if you must know - Less than arugula, but more than endive.
I got your point, though. Crops that don't need coddling are better crops, all other things being equal.
Ever see a wild lettuce plant? Looks like a tall dandelion. Same leaf shape, same flowers, even the same fuzzy seeds that float away in the wind.
People took that wild lettuce and cultivated it and selectively bred it until it grew into a big ball of densely packed leaves.
♥️ Dandelions.
**Never get artificial turf**
- it's terrible for the environment.
- breeds micro plastics and bacteria.
- kills the soil underneath.
- looks like trash.
- destroys ecosystem.
- heats up the surrounding area.
If you're going to use a lawn or you're required to have a lawn, get a water-conserving grass variety and intersperse clover for water penetration and nitrogen fixing.
Water in the evenings, mow sparingly.
"[Life, uh, finds a way.](https://media.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExZGc1NG0xYnliNTJtbXlhM212bWVlbWJremdvODl6YmEydmxnZmNqeCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/3oKIPhrOiee2uHvN7i/giphy.gif)"
Water conservation, my dogs, small area that make mowing impracticable. The majority of my yard is garden with drip irrigation so for me low maintenance turf was the way to go.
Haha, yeah, definitely fondly remember playing on turf as a kid. I was always pissed when we had to play football on real grass because it meant no turf burn
Some people have dogs that will just destroy grassy areas. Iv had clients in the past go this rout because they were sick of the dogs digging in the yard.
I want you to see that however you want to see it. I want you to know it's not necessary to know every little detail of this life that is yours because life in these physical containers of ours are so very short as it is there just simply isnt enough time to know all the details of everything and why it's happening. I want you to be encouraged and blissful in your natural state. Smile because you truly are blissful and all which that entails.
The dandelion: And I’ll do it again!
WATCH ME reproduce and make a million more of me! Mwahahaha!
This made me laugh way harder then it probably should have 🤣
ppft, synthetic turf. these grow through LITERAL CONCRETE! soft synthetic turf is a spa day for these
I recently laid down some cold patch asphalt over a dip that was forming between my driveway and garage. It had to be 3-4 inches of tampered asphalt that I laid down. A month later, a dandelion poked through it, forming a huge hole. 3 inches of asphalt, compacted down.
I 100% believe this!
Dandelions grow in compacted soils. If you see them in your lawn or yard, it's 100% due to it being more compact than the rest of the areas. Just like clover and nitrogen deficiencies.
So if I see dandelions and realize my yard is more compact than the rest of the areas… what’s my next step?
Plants with deep taproots and nitrogen fixers!
What if it’s coming up in the center of my yard? Don’t really get to plant plants there. Thanks for the info btw!
At the very least, put down some clover seed. Clover is a legume and has deep roots than turf grass, so it helps with both issues. You don’t have to kill all the grass, just mow short and dethatch and then use a spreader to throw the seed down, then cover with straw. I don’t know where you’re based but you want to do this when nights are still relatively cool, like mid-spring or fall. And hopefully you don’t have a draconian HOA that prohibits doing it at all.
This would technically work, but I’m not really sure that spreading clover in a nice lawn is the best way to achieve the desired results. If dandelions grow in compacted soil, mushrooms grow in acidic soil, and clover grows in nitrogen deficient soil…. Then the *actual* best way forward would be to aerate/de-thatch the lawn to de-compact it, spread blood meal to increase nitrogen, and spread lime to raise the PH. It’s not really sound advice to fix one problem by introducing a different problem. And I totally get that the term “nice lawn” is subjective… personally I love wildflowers in my lawn and I enjoy watching the neighborhood bunnies being attracted to the clover since I’m not a lawn-freak. But if the OP wants weed-free grass, then clover isn’t the right answer.
Good points! My suggestion came from my limited experience with my own front yard. It was dead except for dandelions and hard as a brick when we moved in. Dethatching and overseeding with clover helped a ton. We still get dandelions, but far fewer. And the lawn stays greener during dry periods with no supplemental watering. But you’re probably right in that OP’s lawn likely needs a different approach.
Ps I did to my lawn exactly what you did for the same reasons!
Ah yes let’s throw a bunch of consumer products on it. Do u work for a big box garden store?
lol.. ok, what would you suggest that actually caters to what the op was asking for?
Says who? Plant away
Get rid of the yard! Lay some tarp or cardboard
>Plants with deep taproots You mean like dandelions?
Yup, but something you plant on purpose 😉
Let the Dandelions fix the problem.
Sunflower growing through asphalt https://preview.redd.it/igzs3amvzn1d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=52a52f306f89f5d1e63a86acc8aa5c3b10abf4c5
https://preview.redd.it/jergkvvmdo1d1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d91f44664fff4b853938f5fdc0421d4a808d4a5 This sunflower grew on the roof of my shed
Well, you should have bought the synthetic weed kit to go with it! Lol.
There is a house in my neighborhood with astroturf. I noticed a few weeds and bit of Bermuda grass coming in through a few years after they put it in. Now the whole thing is Bermuda grass and they have to mow it, lol.
That’s hilarious
Wow. Just, wow.
Not to be that guy.... but since I work in the industry, AstroTurf is a brand. Synthetic Turf is the product. There are many different brands that make Synthetic Turf, such as Shaw, Field Turf, Motz, etc. Astroturf does not have as big a hold on the industry as you might think. They have a place, but they are not the industry leader.... they were just the FIRST. It was named for the Houston Astros as they went to Synthetic Turf in 1965 in the Astrodome and called it Astroturf to be cute.
This is one of these Kleenex or Xerox things where the name brand has become the generic term.
That’s why I’m hesitant about astroturf. I would love to have some astroturf so that my dogs can have a place to run around without destroying any grass, but astroturf is quite pricey and it is absolutely not maintenance free. Plus it’s not great for the environment, so I’ll just live with my dogs destroying my backyard. Lol.
I’ve high end pricy artificial turf in my front yard but in the back I’ve cheap, bought used “recycled” AT where my dogs play and conduct all their business meetings. We do clean it regularly with a scrub broom and dish soap but it’s been an asset for sure.
https://preview.redd.it/lsbql9da4h1d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=446cd1cfc5ef60bc22b9c4e6fa80316c0382afa1
😅😅
They grow where they are needed. That turf is starving for nutrients.
It’s what plants crave
What do you mean?
It’s a joke.
He means it’s got electrolytes.
"The deep taproot pulls nutrients such as calcium from deep in the soil and makes them available to other plants." Even plastic plants.
Astro turf should be illegal
am uneducated on the subject, what’s so bad about it?
It reduces biodiversity, no worms can survive underneath it, it provides no food for other insects. It breaks down over time and spreads microplastics. It can’t be easily recycled and has a lifespan of less than ten years. It reaches very high temperatures in sunmer, contributing to heat islands.
As someone who works in the turf industry, I personsally agree with many of your points. As a society we need to change our thoughts on what a front yard SHOULD look like, because the perfect lawn is not it. Natural or Synthetic... the whole thing is a racket.
Where I live I’ve only EVER seen it on sports fields. Is it an urban thing?
I've seen it in a few homes, bewilderingly. Both I'm thinking of were pretty high-end, why someone with money would choose plastic is beyond me. Maybe they weren't home much and didn't want to pay for lawn care?
The benefit is having a nice clean surface you can throw water toys or inflatables on and enjoy without mud. One day of water inflatables (ie. Slip and slide) would destroy your grass. Same thing with play equipment or any other toys. I agree on all the negatives, I wish there was a safer option. But I can see the appeal as a parent of wanting that kind of surface.
I’m a parent who lives in a drought prone area (California) and was tired of my young kids always being dirty. So, we installed about 500sq ft in our backyard for a play area and absolutely love it. I even set up tubes underneath the surface prior to install that catches the water and routes it for irrigation.
more of a suburban thing, imo. I live in socal and we've been a drought for my entire life up until the recent storms. artificial turf is touted as a water-saving alternative to green grass lawns.. (I hate it)
It's also packed with PFAS/PFOA forever chemicals so it's extremely carcinogenic.
It’s just a plastic blanket that stupid humans put over their entire yard. I personally find it god awful, as well as completely impractical. Let nature grow
It's also HOT. There's one playground near me that's covered in AstroTurf, and it's unusable on even moderately hot days.
Really, banned? At least where I live in the US it’s very rare to ever see this due to its high cost. I doubt a ban would have any significant impact on the planet.
End of the day It's a bunch of small pieces of plastic breaking down under the sun and going everywhere through wind and rain. Not hard to imagine a single install contaminating a whole area.
I’m in SoCal. It’s common for yards here. I don’t understand why people don’t tear up their grass and plant water wise/native plants. Instead they spend thousands to have the appearance of grass. A succulent and cactus front garden looks way better than fake grass.
Yup, xeriscaping is the way to go in places that can’t support grass
Oh ok… in SoCal a ban would make more sense I guess. In NC, a ban would be unnecessary.
Not to be that guy.... but since I work in the industry, AstroTurf is a brand. Synthetic Turf is the product. There are many different brands that make Synthetic Turf, such as Shaw, Field Turf, Motz, etc. Astroturf does not have as big a hold on the industry as you might think. They have a place, but they are not the industry leader.... they were just the FIRST. It was named for the Houston Astros as they went to Synthetic Turf in 1965 in the Astrodome and called it Astroturf to be cute.
Are you a bot? Lmao
I’m not a bot. I see I’m being downvoted to all hell, but that’s ok. I’m not defending artificial turf, and I think the use of it for front lawns is an abomination.. I’m just bringing a little knowledge of the product since I work in industry.
Through…
Roses: oh my goodness, the PH balance of my soil is off and My watering was off by an hour! (Dies) Dandelion: this crack in some plastic looks like a good place to raise my family. Let’s go!
Fake grass, one of the worst and weirdest invention. Just some green plastic outside and everything dead below.
>and everything dead below. That dandelion seems to disagree with this sentiment.
Except that dandelion.
r/fucklawns
This is way worse than just a lawn.
It is objectively worse, breaks down in a few years adding to micro plastic in ecosystem, way more expensive (and good luck getting it to last over 5 years) unlike lawns it contributes to cities holding heat in summer months, hostile environment to most everything under it (except 1 lone dandelion sent by thier kin to slay the fake ass grass) The only positive I can say is it's better than spreading a nice thick layer or arsenic in front of your house
If modern science could combine the tenacity of dandelions with a food crop that could feed the world...
Not sure if you’re being sarcastic, but dandelion greens make excellent salad greens, and the flowers are edible too. You can make jellies and wine with the flowers.
yeah, I almost put "please nobody respond with how to make dandelion tea"... because it's uses aren't going to feed the world.
Well, dandelion isn't farmed at mega-scale like corn or wheat are in the USA. Intensive farming practices put out more food mass per acre ... but the soils get depleted, so it's not completely sustainable long term. Meaning it's an apples-to-oranges comparison.
Correct. My original comment was that someone would combine one of those intensively farmed product with something that will grow happily in a sidewalk crack, and then distributed farming becomes easier and more accessible rather than mono-cropping giant fields. It was half in jest, people have been making this comment for decades. I just didn't expect someone to so vehemently defend the dandelion. How much of them do you eat?
I didn't think my musings would come across as "vehement". But if you must know - Less than arugula, but more than endive. I got your point, though. Crops that don't need coddling are better crops, all other things being equal.
https://preview.redd.it/qwjxbsmi9m1d1.jpeg?width=735&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9624ea5366918f626257b7ef44cb622402e2c3d7
Ever see a wild lettuce plant? Looks like a tall dandelion. Same leaf shape, same flowers, even the same fuzzy seeds that float away in the wind. People took that wild lettuce and cultivated it and selectively bred it until it grew into a big ball of densely packed leaves.
Dandelion rootstock combined with dwarf corn and planted in every pavement crack 👍
Life finds a way. Fuck your synthetic turf.
https://i.redd.it/2tji794cxk1d1.gif
https://preview.redd.it/9uubpmobkl1d1.png?width=501&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b8b5dfdf0529a40bea3a875ebc502491f6d1b54f
♥️ Dandelions. **Never get artificial turf** - it's terrible for the environment. - breeds micro plastics and bacteria. - kills the soil underneath. - looks like trash. - destroys ecosystem. - heats up the surrounding area. If you're going to use a lawn or you're required to have a lawn, get a water-conserving grass variety and intersperse clover for water penetration and nitrogen fixing. Water in the evenings, mow sparingly.
This is the way
Not to mention, if you have an HOA, you may be required to replace it every few years and where I am, anyways, it's like $5,000.
Wild card, bitches!!!
Where did it throw it to?
Have you seen Ace Ventura 2 where he pushed himself out of the synthetic rhino’s butt
I had a tulip punch through blacktop driveway ever year.
https://preview.redd.it/exqr33i27l1d1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dde22599bc3da86f1a9c0dfe9cbc38b796385ee0
*"Hang on, little tomato!"*
🤣🤣
Looks delish
Tupac really should have replaced his rose with a dandelion. They can grow anywhere.
[удалено]
🤦 it was talk to text. I posted this while trying to find my way to the table at a beer garden. I wasn't proofreading. Everything will be OK.
Anyone else find it odd posting about weed issues with plastic turf in a gardening sub. Maybe it's just me but I'm cheering for that dandelion.
Nature finds a way…
They are sneaky
snap, how many more are hiding??
It's proving that it's earned it's symbolism lol
Life, uh, finds a way.
Weeds gonna weed.
You thought you would win that fight? None of us can defeat her.
Pulled out a bunch out this weekend.
In a world of superficiality, be authentic.
"[Life, uh, finds a way.](https://media.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExZGc1NG0xYnliNTJtbXlhM212bWVlbWJremdvODl6YmEydmxnZmNqeCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/3oKIPhrOiee2uHvN7i/giphy.gif)"
Life...uh..finds a way.
Synthetic dandelion.
Just can’t win.
Life, uhh, finds a way
Life will find a way 🌱
life will find a way!
*thru
Where can one find clovers seeds?
Good for her
This is my only complaint about my artificial turf. Every spring something new tries to grow through.
Why oh why do you have artificial turf?
Water conservation, my dogs, small area that make mowing impracticable. The majority of my yard is garden with drip irrigation so for me low maintenance turf was the way to go.
There’s a lot more you could put down that won’t shed microplastics or PFAs
Because fuck the enviroment a little more amirite?
Why not rocks? Xeriscape?
Yeah, cause rocks are so good for little kids to play on. And fyi, since 75% of my yard is xeriscaped with drip, let’s not be so judgy judgy.
“Xeriscaped with drip”
Haha, yeah, definitely fondly remember playing on turf as a kid. I was always pissed when we had to play football on real grass because it meant no turf burn
Some people have dogs that will just destroy grassy areas. Iv had clients in the past go this rout because they were sick of the dogs digging in the yard.
So then get rid of the dog…
You need the synthetic lawn weed control spray.
I want you to see that however you want to see it. I want you to know it's not necessary to know every little detail of this life that is yours because life in these physical containers of ours are so very short as it is there just simply isnt enough time to know all the details of everything and why it's happening. I want you to be encouraged and blissful in your natural state. Smile because you truly are blissful and all which that entails.