Originally Posted by
Jim Becker
The best thing I ever did for "weed control" in our lawn was to start cutting it much higher...3.5"-4". I've never used chemicals. Yes, there are still some "weeds" but new ones struggle to get a foothold because the taller, thriving grass blocks the sunlight and makes germination conditions less than ideal for "weeds". Most "weeds" thrive in poor soil where there is plenty of light available to them.
To get things stable as a baseline, you could indeed do a "wipe and replace", but you could also do things like core aeration followed by over seeding of a good grass seed (not inexpensive seed) that is suitable for your lawn's light conditions. As the new grass grows in and establishes a strong root system, it should spread and fill in between the aeration points. Using corn gluten meal very early in the subsequent season should help keep germination of new "weeds" (which are generally annuals) down to a minimum.