Weed/grass killer

[rockinmywaypa]

going back 20 yrs I would spray under the electric fences with round up, then after a few years I noticed that I was getting huge amounts of thistles and burdock growing from the bare ground so I would spray with 24-d to try and allow the grass to grow but kill the thistles before they went to seed. I also spent numerous trips out with a weed eater to trim down the grass and at this point I would like to finish a hydraulic driven weed eater that will fasten to the loader and I can sit in the seat to trim along the fences. My point is spraying creates other problems that I found to be worse than having the grass there to compete and prevent the weeds from growing. Every situation is different so maybe you won't get the weeds growing.

 

[Archer EV]

I use a glyphosate product. Mix it like Roundup in a 15 gallon sprayer. The sprayer is set on my 3 pt. carry-all. I strap a battery to the carry-all beside the sprayer and run the wand up to the operator area. I set the tractor speed to low range 2 and creep along while spraying as needed. One treatment per year does it for my place.

 

[Linda Albert]

I have great success killing grass and weeds with Spectracide. You can get it at Home Depot and Lowe's. I personally think it works better/quicker than Round Up and it is significantly cheaper.

 

[helianthusdd]

Is there any company who specialize in grass killer?

 

[thatguy]

Is there any company who specialize in grass killer?

Most grass killer's are also a weed killer.. (glyphosate ingredient = kills everything)

BUT not all weed killers will kill grass (2,4d as ingredient = weed killer)

Does that answer your question?

b

 

[Ga Downunder]

I work for a city parks department and have been doing "yard work" for about fifty years. I am also a licensed commercial pesticide applicator and have several other horticultural certifications.

First of all: Many herbicides can be taken up by the roots of other plants.
The root zone of most plants generally is three times as wide as the plant is tall. For instance, a ten foot tall shrub will have approx a thirty foot diameter root zone. Halved, that's fifteen feet around the shrub. I would err on an even greater distance near valuable plant material.

Glyposate kills what it gets on above ground. Its safety is that it is virtually inactive in the soil. It does not prevent future growth which is why you have to continually re-spray in situations like yours.

There are two selective grass herbicides. They are sethoxydim and fluazifop-p-butyl. Sethoxydim is the more generally available product. I have had good results with both. They are not residual, meaning that they will have to be reapplied on occasion. I use them mainly for ridding flower beds of bermuda grass and crabgrass. With glyphosate you cannot get it on the flowers. With sethoxydim, you can hose it all over the top of flowers and it will not hurt them, at least I have not had that happen yet.

Primatol (prometon) is a ground sterilant as mentioned in earlier posts. It will absorb through the roots of anything growing in the treated area. And, as also mentioned it will last for up to a year- certainly a growing season. It has not been my experience that it will wash away when properly applied. Not to say that if it were applied in excess on a slope that that could not happen. It is also likely, as I mentioned above, that desirable plants could be affected due to application over their root zone.

 

[RalphVa]

I'd only use glyphosate. Excess is complexed in clay soil; so, excess doesn't migrate anywhere.

We've had clients complain about using Primatol, e.g. killing adjacent trees, etc. Lots of other broad leaf weed killers are this way, too, plus they can migrate to water ways, etc.

Ralph

 

[Welshman]

I had a chance to "side-by-side product test" Roundup an Spectracide (I had a half gallon of each - both concentrate). The Spectracide killed the weeds down to the ground in just a couple of days where the Roundup took over a week, maybe closer to a week and a half. Since I was out, I then bought a gallon of Spectracide, as I was impressed with how quickly it worked.

After a three to four weeks, weeds started growing back in the Spectracide treated areas, but now 2 months later, there is hardly any regrowth in the Roundup areas. The Spectracide areas now need to be at least mowed.

For what it's worth....

 

[Mossy]

Thanks for all the information! I have learned a lot. I went ahead and bought a Femco 25 gal sprayer for my gator and sprayed all the fence lines today with Glyphosate. We'll see how it does. My next project is to spray around my pecan trees (6 acres worth). Based on what I've read I'm assuming I need to stay away from the 2-4D and Primatol because it could kill the trees. But some of them have some pretty heavy brush under them, will glyphosate take care of that?

 

[Ga Downunder]

Mossy,

I have no doubt that you will be glad you bought that Fimco sprayer. I used to think that a backpack was big league but, after going through four or five tanks in a day, I now use at least a 25 gal sprayer. I also have 60 and 100 gal units but those are for busy days. Aside from all the walking, my shoulder's "itis's" don't like the straps. And I don't have any problem with squeezing the handle and riding.

I have had the opportunity to side-by-side with almost every over the counter product out there. I have also used restricted products. Bought a bottle for nutgrass in zoysia that will also kill the rhizomes and nutlets. Six ounces was $123.00. Each has it's pros and cons.

Welshman, don't condemn glyphosate for taking longer than Spectracide; I never see results in less than a week. The process is somewhat like starving the plants to death and that takes time. If you want quick, get some Diquat. Spray it by lunch, you'll see wilting by supper. But you will get re -growth in a week or two. Personally, I like to spike the glyphosate with about 1/4 dose of Diquat. You see some yellowing and wilting in a couple of days but you get the gly' kill. I do that so I can see spots I may have missed or that a popup shower may have diluted. I have sprayed glyphosate on privet in the fall and not seen results for a couple of months. And FYI, employer is paying for the gly so I use all I want and mix it plenty strong. On the other hand, a weak spray seems like job security.:thumbsup:

So: glyphosate, diquat, 2,4-D, imaziquin, triclopyr, sethoxydim, fluazifop, etc. all have their uses. READ THE LABEL!

Good luck.