How do I clear my yard?

I'm in a rental, and I want to clear out the back yard for my dog. Controlled burns are out of the question as I live in Arizona, and they don't burn unless they have to. For anyone who lives in theSW area, it's full of goathead plants. It's nothing but weeds and a big mesquite tree, which I can't get rid of. Any ideas would be great, because I plan on doing a dog run and rocking the rest.

How do I clear my yard?
Scott's has a great turf builder that you can use to convert those weeds into strong, healthy grass. Once you mow the lawn, try and spray the yard with some chemical agents that you can find at any local hardware store. If the sq. footage is too large for you to do it by foot, I would look into a local yard chemical company (Tru Green, etc...) that can spray reagents on your yard at a higer volume. Since this is a rental property I think the rentee would be pleased to see that you improved their yard. Since you can't do anything about the tree I would just apply a repelent in the yard that would stir off the bugs. The lawn company can assist with that depending on the sq footage of the yard.
Reply:Goatheads are nasty. The best control of them is to pull them from the root when they are young before the burrs are prodouced. I have found the use of "RoundUp" the best eradicator for weeds as it is systemic. Once you have rid yourself of them, you need to make a habit of walking the yard and pulling them by the root when you see them come up. Once they have matured and the thorns are present, it is not only a bloody job without gloves but you will spend hours removing them from your shoes or boots.


RoundUp is expensive but worth the price in the longrun.





On a side note...if they yard was free of the weed problem when you moved in...it is not your landlords responsiblity to eradicate them for you. These are invasive weeds. When you signed your rental agreement I am sure that you accepted it in the condition that you received it and agreed to mainenace and upkeep. If you have a reasonalbe landlord, they may aid in the cost of the ROundup if you ask or pay for it to keep you happy but is not legally required to do so.
Reply:You may want to consider a small grassy area for your dog, preferable in a shady area.
Reply:Tell your landlord to have it done, especially if it's a fire hazard. You could always ask the fire department if it's a fire hazard and if they write it up you send the notice to the landlord who would then have to take care of the issues :-) If the backyard is your responsibility, hire a gardener to do it section by section for a set fee each week. Good luck!

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