Is this Sorrel?

[Black_Thumb]

Ok, sorry, I really didn't mean to upset you.... honest

Fair enough. I apologize if I misread your intent, but your reply did seem rather insulting, arrogant, and condescending. Let me start over. I moved into my house 17 months ago. Prior to that, I lived in the desert of southern California where it's next to impossible to have and maintain a nice lawn because of idiotic regulations and a brain-dead state government, not to mention 100+ degrees every day. So, my lawn was beautiful astroturf. Now that I have a nice big yard with REAL grass, I don't want it chock-full of weeds, but my knowledge of getting it that way is limited. The ladies and gentlemen of this forum have been invaluable in providing suggestions and help.

I don't like chemicals either, but sometimes they are necessary. Any farmer with a huge ranch will attest to that. They want edible crops; not weeds. So they use a lot of chemicals. I'm no farmer, but if they need to resort to that in order to get the desired result, I probably will have to as well; just on a much smaller scale. I tried making some of the organic, homemade weed killers. They work very fast, but they have zero longevity. They killed weeds that were visible, but never got to any roots.

So, be that as it may, I suspect it may take me a few seasons to get my yard looking wonderful, but it is rather frustrating that after having used pre-emergent last year, weed killer and fertilizer in the summer, post-emergent last fall, to suddenly have not only the same weeds as last year, but at least three more species I don't want. I checked yesterday and found what I do believe is called Creeping Charlie. I also have a whole bunch of what appear to be green onions (my entire yard smelled like green onions after mowing the other day), and the one in this post that seems to be Sorrel, or something of that sort.

That's my history here in a nutshell. I KNOW I can get this yard looking wonderful, but I need people who know how to do that to hold my hand along the way, so to speak. I don't know what I don't know, and that puts me at a disadvantage. As I said, the ladies and gentlemen here have been wonderful in providing suggestions, and I really, really appreciate that! I can't see your profile, and I don't know your level of expertise, but I'd love to add you to my list of people whom I trust for good advice.

Good day.

 

[Tetters]

I think your ''onions'' might possibly be wild garlic. It grows in our village and spreads like crazy. If it is indeed that plant it spreads like stink, and it's only saving grace as far as I know is that it can flavour food without making your breath bad. A bit like horseradish, it's a tad difficult to halt.
Having a few acres of grass to care for myself, I have found that just very regular cutting is enough to make it look good. I also have a tractor, and wouldn't be able to manage without it. I have a mulcher on the tractor, so that all the clippings are finely shredded and blown back onto the grass. This provides all the feed it needs. Very regular cutting seems to weaken the weeds that grow there, and apart from thistles - the really spiteful sort - I leave everything else to sort itself out.
We left it to grow for hay a couple of years ago and all kinds of wildflowers emerged, including a lovely orchid. The only other thing to get rid of is ragwort which is poison to horses and cattle and blows in on the wind.

Wild garlic

Incidentally, a long time ago I decided that I wouldn't use the word ''lawn'' For me it is better to refer to it as ''grass'' I like it far more than plastic grass and so do the birds and bees etc. It smells so wonderful when I cut it, as does the soil when I dig it. After rain it smells even better.
I started gardening with my grandad when knee high to a grasshopper, and have worked in propagation for many years as well as fruit and veg farms. In 18 months time I might make 80 years, and every day I can I will be out there in my garden. It keeps me going.

 

[Tetters]

Early days above......

I found this view of my grass, as you can see it has had some wear and tear as it was used for many years as a camping site. I dug out the beds during the pandemic fiasco.

 

[Black_Thumb]

View attachment 94605
Early days above......
View attachment 94606
I found this view of my grass, as you can see it has had some wear and tear as it was used for many years as a camping site. I dug out the beds during the pandemic fiasco.

It looks beautiful! I love your yard.