[unclejohncornbread]

I cleared a 1/2 lot in Rehoboth Beach DE we are building a new house on the lot. During this past summer the back half which was wooded and where we just dumped our leaves from the front yard for the past 19 years became loaded with Polk weed. Big Polk weed some where close to 5’ tall thick as all get out. I had it bush hogged in late October last year. What can we do to keep the Polk weed from coming back AND get grass to grow this spring.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“What can we do to keep the Polk weed from coming back AND get grass to grow this spring.”

I think with Polk Weed, you need to nuke it from space! ;)

Unless I misunderstood, getting grass to grow around trees/in shade is near impossible. Once you get the Polk Week out, (everyone hates Round Up, but this is probably a job for Round-Up) I’d either go for a ‘Shade Garden’ or plant some sort of ground cover that likes the shade.

More information would help me help you. Did you also clear the trees completely? What’s the sunlight going to be like where you want to grow grass? :)

[Albion Wilde]

I think it’s really called pokeweed. At least, the internet seems to think so.

Here is a search page about pokeweed links from the University of Delaware Agricultural Extension site:

https://www.udel.edu/udel-search/?cx=013351329533778082783:fdysbzypdiy&cof=FORID:10&ie=UTF-8&q=polk+weed&sa=Search

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Poke weed brings up potassium to the surface. If you garden and compost keep pulling it up and use it for the compost. Very high in Potassium. Its taken me several years to dig out all of my poke weed. It grows along fence lines because birds fly in and deposit the seeds in their droppings. (They do this with asparagus too, but you want that to happen!) Good luck!