Q. I’m trying to kill off my lawn and replace it with drought tolerant plants. Is there any weed killer available that won’t harm my pets?
A. There are a number of organic herbicides available today that kill the existing grass along with being safe to use around pets and kids. Bonide Burnout and Dr. Earth Final Stop are two. Burnout uses acetic acid, commonly known as Vinegar, Clove Oil and a lemon extract while Final Stop uses Citric Acid, Clove Oil and other essential oils. They do an excellent job in killing the grass and have a pleasant smell when applied. They’re both non-selective herbicides so don’t spray them on any desirable plants. They bind 
themselves to the leaf surface of weeds and grasses and rapidly begin destroying the cell structure through a ‘burn down’ process. There are no residue issues as they are one hundred percent biodegradable. Once in the soil, they become inert, so the roots of desirable and non-desirable plants are not affected. Shallow-rooted, cool-season grasses such as Fescue, Blue, and Rye grass are easily killed, but they aren’t recommended for killing Bermuda Grass, St. Augustine Grass, Zoysia Grass and other deep-rooted perennial grasses. With these varieties, you’ll need to use a harsher herbicide. Burnout and Final Stop are water soluble so don’t turn on the sprinklers shortly after application. It is best to wait until the foliage has dried. You might consider Sheet Mulching as an option. Sheet Mulching will kill the existing grass without using any chemicals, but you’ll need a good supply of cardboard or newspaper. You’d mow the grass as short as possible and then cover it with a thick layer of cardboard or newspaper which is then covered with a three-inch layer of mulch. Next, cut holes in the layer, plant and install drip irrigation by converting the existing sprinklers to drip. The grass dies because of the lack of sunlight so Photosynthesis can’t take place. You’ll find more information at
https://www.marinwater.org/158/Sheet-Mulching-Guide or google “sheet mulching.”
Note: If there are large mature shade trees around the area, they’ll now need to be watered as the lawn watering did it before. This point is usually overlooked in the conversion, causing them to suffer from water stress. They can be watered using a soaker hose, drip stakes, or deep root irrigator. They can’t go all summer without water.
Q. I sprayed Round Up along the cracks of the sidewalk to kill the weeds. It did a great job; however, the over spray killed the edges of the lawn. Is there anything I can do to correct this?
A. Unfortunately, it’s too late to do anything to save any of the damaged grass. Once it turns a yellow/brown color, the grass is dead, and there is nothing that will reverse the effect. In the future, you can prevent this problem from occurring by using a cardboard plant shield or barrier. It is simple to use and very effective. As you get close to the edge of the turf, you place the shield or barrier between the edge of the grass and the sidewalk or a driveway. Round Up can be sprayed right up to the barrier as it’s a leaf absorbed herbicide that kills only the leaf surface it contacts. It doesn’t feather or bleed out so you can spray in a straight line. If you spray half a leaf that half or portion is the only section that is killed. Round Up is never absorbed by the roots of plants; hence, it’s never sprayed on bare ground. You move the barrier along as you spray. The plant shield doesn’t have to be very long and just tall enough to prevent the spray from drifting. Also, it doesn’t have to be cardboard, as any solid material will do. What to do next to repair the damage is going to be a judgment call on your part. You could do nothing and let the grass fill in on its own. But, you’ll have to be very patient as it’s not going to repair itself this season. Reseeding the damaged area with Pennington One Step or Scott’s E-Z Seed is the option that I favor. These products include the seed, mulch, and fertilizer. All you’ll need to do is rake up the dead debris and apply the material and water. Watering is the key as you’ll need to sprinkle the area three to five times a day, depending on the temperatures until it germinates which is about two weeks. July is a tough month to re-seed so you may wish to wait until the fall. The damaged area is probably too small to re-sod.
Q. Is there a rule to follow as far as pruning back trees that hang over from a neighbor’s yard? Our neighbor’s tree stands over 2-1/2 stories tall, and it shades out some portions of our yard. Is it okay for me to cut the over-hanging branches?
A. The general rule of thumb is that you can prune any tree back to the property line, which is usually the fence. However, the pruning cannot increase the risk of the tree falling over by making it lopsided. I might have an arborist come on site to evaluate the tree and make a recommendation. The report then can serve as a valuable document in case there is an issue in the future.
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