Lawn Renovation Using Alternatives to Glyphosate

Total lawn renovation (eradication/removal of existing vegetation) may be desirable or necessary when perennial weedy grasses have become the major component of a lawn, or when converting the lawn from one turf species to another. In most cases, the non-selective, systemic herbicide glyphosate is the herbicide of choice for lawn renovation. Because of a desire to use natural organic or non-synthetic products, there is increasing interest in finding alternatives to glyphosate for the renovation of lawns. Specifically, the use of both culinary (5% acetic acid) and horticultural (20%) vinegar are often touted as effective for lawn renovation, but there is nothing in the scientific literature to support or recommend their use for turf renovation. We compared the effectiveness of glyphosate and vinegar (5% and 20% concentrations) for the eradication of a mixed stand of cool-season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis L.; perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne L.) in preparation for conversion to turf-type tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). In 2014, only glyphosate (two applications at a 7-day interval) was effective for eradication of the cool-season grasses. In 2015 this experiment will be replicated, and another experiment examining different reapplication intervals of all products will be conducted. The cost of product and labor for a simulated lawn renovation will be presented, along with efficacy results.