These things are destroying my lawn. I've been trying to get rid of them for a few years now, weeding them out each summer. It feels like an endless chore.

Does anyone know what they are called and possibly how to kill them? I've not been able to get to my local gardening center to ask.

Thank you

by DragonXRose

15 comments

  1. Those are called “plants” and “nature”.

    And no, they are not “destroying your lawn”. They are part of your lawn. You’re one of those people who complain that the trees are blocking your view of the forest.

    [https://tuincursus-online.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ONKRUID-HERKENNEN-VOOR-DUMMYS-20_1_2016-nl_sjabloon-155×235.pdf](https://tuincursus-online.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ONKRUID-HERKENNEN-VOOR-DUMMYS-20_1_2016-nl_sjabloon-155×235.pdf)

    The second one is *Smalle weegbree* (Plantago lanceolata) 

    Pro tip: whatever grows naturally (!!!!!) is an indicator of the quality of your soil. Use it as indicator, don’t fight it.

  2. The first picture might be ‘Gewone raket’ if it gets yellow flowers. Otherwise I wouldn’t have a clue.

    The second picture is going to be ‘Biggenkruid’. You can easily get rid of it by mowing regularly and fertilizing your lawn.

  3. Looks like a kind of sow thistle (melkdistel, *Sonchus*). Use ObsIdentify to be sure. If confirmed, the fresh leaves are edible, so you can get rid of them by stuffing them in your face.

    Since your problem is that they come back every year despite your efforts, seeds must make their way into your garden from local grasslands, or from neighbours who DGAF. In any case, yours is a perpetually uphill battle, and I wish enlightenment upon you.

  4. i don’t know the one in the middle of the first picture but the one throughout the grass looks like creeping buttercup

  5. Kruipende Boterbloem (top right yellow one in pic 1 and all over the place in both pics basically), Jacobskruiskruid (central pic 1) and Biggenkruid (central pic 2).

    If you really feel like spending even more chore time and money on fertilizer, lime, moss removal and whatnot then sure you can get something which looks like concrete painted green. Or you could ask yourself where this urge for having such lawn comes from, maybe figure out it’s not all that interesting for you, let alone biodiversity, and just leave it be.

  6. If the second one gets yellow flowers similar to paardenbloemen, then that’s what my mom calls Muizenoor.

  7. The first one is Jacobaea vulgaris  imho, although it’s hard to be sure from a photograph. You get rid of it by digging it out with a spade or a specialised removal tool, while wearing gloves, glasses and not touching your face, it’s toxic. If you throw it in the compost it will grow more roots and try to survive. It kills cows and horses. It’s a biennial so the first year it’s hard to notice but the next year it will bloom and release like 80.000 seeds. If you just mow it down it will grow extra roots and try to come back and bloom again. Nasty toxic bugger (edit; butterflies love to leave their eggs on it though so the larvae are toxic and the birds don’t eat the baby butterfly larvae and cocoons so leaving it or taking it out depends on the location. Near paddocks, take it out. Garden in the city, leave it, just don’t feed the grass clippings to animals). The rest doesn’t pop out at me like weeds just regular lawn plants I think? 

  8. Pesticides are the most effective. In my experience, it’s also better to double the prescribed dose. Use Roundup at least once a year for a pristine lawn !

  9. Je grond is arm
    Je gras is te oud

    1. Kalk gooien halve dosis (bij voorkeur niet bij te hete dagen – en in regenperiode zodat kalk wordt opgenomen in ondergrond)
    2. 1 à 2 weken later: verticuteren
    3) dan 1 week later ook opnieuw bemesten
    4) inzaaien nieuw gazon
    5) onkruid met wortel uitdoen !!

    Gras wordt 10 jaar oud. Als te oud = versleten
    Om de 2à3 jaar verticuteren en nieuw gras inzaaien

  10. Efficient way to get rid of them is with clopyralid (Bofix). It kills dicotyledons but not monocotyledons (grasses). But the sustainable solution is to just live with it in my opinion.

  14. Klassiek gazon is een erg kunstmatig iets dat intensief onderhoud nodig heeft terwijl het bovendien weinig waarde overhoud voor andere organismen. Op zich ben je zeker geen slechte buur door wilde planten en bloemen in je tuin toe te laten, je gazon ecologischer te beheren. Veel campagnes zoals maai-mei-niet of de Vlaamse campagne week van de bij roepen er zelfs actief voor op. Onze natuurlijke voedselketen en ecosysteem is aan het instorten o.a. al heel duidelijk in de insectenpopulaties, het minste dat we dan kunnen doen is ze ook in onze tuinen wat meer kans tot overleven bieden. Mogelijk weten je buren dat ook wel te appreciëren?

  15. Easy answer:
    More manure/food in the soil -> more grasses
    Less manure/food in the soil -> more flowers

    I would not recommend “gazon”, it has no value for wild insects and animals. The flower growing in the picture does.
    But i assume you dont Care

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