I need advice to kill wild strawberry growing in my lawn

[uglyboywith11fingers]

Uglyboy- those look like mock strawberries to me: Mock strawberry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

well, no.
what I have has white flowers and the fruit is similar to cultivated strawberries, except smaller. I've eaten the little berries, taste OK, but don't get much bigger than 3/8 inch.

Pete

 

[tcreeley]

I find that frequent mowing and low set blades get rid of most everything that wants to bloom. That's too bad your wife can't enjoy the lawn.

 

[Pilot]

Yes, yes, yes on the surfactant, but commercial surfactants made for herbicides do a far better job.

I'm not a fan of Weed B Gone, it doesn't work well for me, although I didn't use it with a surfactant.. Maybe they have improved it since I stopped using it 25 years ago. However, Weedmaster is a real killer for most broad leaf weeds.

 

[IXLR8]

Yes, yes, yes on the surfactant, but commercial surfactants made for herbicides do a far better job.

I'm not a fan of Weed B Gone, it doesn't work well for me, although I didn't use it with a surfactant.. Maybe they have improved it since I stopped using it 25 years ago. However, Weedmaster is a real killer for most broad leaf weeds.

Weed B Gone seems to have reduced it's active ingredients over the last 5 years, just like all the rest. So I suspect it is even less effective than when you last tried it. I will have to see if I can find some Weedmaster, never heard of it before.

 

[gwdixon]

Weed B Gone seems to have reduced it's active ingredients over the last 5 years, just like all the rest. So I suspect it is even less effective than when you last tried it. I will have to see if I can find some Weedmaster, never heard of it before.

Just bought some Weedmaster from (with free shipping):

Range Star Weedmaster Pasture Herbicide-2.5Gal

They also have 2,4D at a "reasonable" price.

2,4-D Amine 4 Broadleaf Weed Killer Herbicide - 2.5 Gals

 

[Pilot]

BTW, Weedmaster is 2,4-D plus Dicamba.

Shop around--one online source lists Weedmaster for about $93 for 2.5 gallons; the source above is $130. At about 2 ounces per gallon mixed, it goes far. Again, use surfactant. With surfactant, it even kills clover in my lawn.

 

[IXLR8]

BTW, Weedmaster is 2,4-D plus Dicamba.

Shop around--one online source lists Weedmaster for about $93 for 2.5 gallons; the source above is $130. At about 2 ounces per gallon mixed, it goes far. Again, use surfactant. With surfactant, it even kills clover in my lawn.

I did a little shopping around and didn't find Weedmaster any cheaper than the above $130/2.5 gallons. I will keep shopping. Good to know it will take care of clover as well, as I have plenty of that too.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

He's definitely got wild strawberries. I have them in my lawn too, and they and the bees don't bother me at all. If multiple broadleaf herbicides don't work; it's time to kick it up. Reapply the weedkiller, and then rototill the yard 2 weeks later. Water, spray, wait two more weeks, and then till again. Now smooth and reseed.

 

[the old grind]

If grass isn't growing well enough to crowd out those wild strawberries, you might see that your soil is acidic & infertile. Not to suggest you go broke fighting this, but some lawn lime and fertilizer would surely help you to build better turf out there to compete. Wild strawberries will grow on a sand dune, and are prominent on the less travelled gravel roads & ranges on my ten.

Remember also that plants won't absorb 2-4,D or others well unless 'actively growing' as in after a period of rain. A wee bit of liquid fertilizer will stimulate absorption, but now might be the worst time of year to expect good results. Too strong a mix can burn grasses when drought-stressed so know when to say when, and do your work efficiently in months with an 'R' in them. (like when we're transplanting)

Weed-B-Gon may have backed off on the 2,4-D when they added Dicamba. IIRC it wasn't there years ago, but Spectracide has given Ortho serious competition in the last '20'.

Oh, btw, I'd never mow 'short' for any reason. There's just no decent Northern turf grass that will grow at mowing heights so short that there's no weed that WON'T. Does that make sense? Dandelion, plantain, clover, medic, spurge, purslane, cinqefoil, oxalis, yarrow, red sorrel, clover, creeping charlie .. will all thrive even if you mow to 1 1/2". Most fescues, ryes, and bluegrass do best at 3-4". (Go measure that thick green stuff in front of the bank. The color results from irrigation and nitrogen, but density & choking out weeds depends on the right cutting height for a particular lawn specie.

 

[IXLR8]

I am cutting the grass at 3-1/2". My lawn is a bit dried out/cooked at the moment from no measurable precipitation in 3 weeks, so I won't be spraying anything until the grass recovers. I haven't fertilized the lawn in the 9 years I have owned the property. There are weeks that I need to mow twice a week the grass grows so fast.. I can't imagine what it would be like if I put down any fertilizer. My soil does have a high clay content.