Getting rid of grass and weeds in a driveway

[CharlieS]

Yeah, roundup is always an option but needs spraying every 2 to 3 weeks and as pricy as roundup's getting that ends up being expensive over the course of a growing season, Not to mention the ugly brown stubble roundup leaves.

What i'm thinking is a tool i can mount behind the tractor (NH3430) that will cut 2 or 3 inches deep (You old timers, think in terms of a rod weeder in summer fallow) to really disturb the weed and grass roots and pull them to the surface so they will dry out and die. Then if necessary smooth it up with the loader and box blade.
Something along the lines of a subsoiler but with a wider cut to continually disturb the gravel loosening trash roots as mentioned without having to scrape and pile driveway gravel with the FEL and then blade to redistribute.

Any thoughts and ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Charlie

 

[Car Doc]

Buy a tiller it does exactly what you are wanting plus its as smooth a glass when its done.

Steve

 

[smstonypoint]

Yeah, roundup is always an option but needs spraying every 2 to 3 weeks and as pricy as roundup's getting that ends up being expensive over the course of a growing season

<snip>

Charlie

Just curious about your comment regarding Roundup being pricey. The last time I checked, 41% Glyphosate (generic Roundup) was less than $50 for 2.5 gallons. That's not too bad in my book.

 

[brin]

Yeah, roundup is always an option but needs spraying every 2 to 3 weeks and as pricy as roundup's getting that ends up being expensive over the course of a growing season, Not to mention the ugly brown stubble roundup leaves.

What i'm thinking is a tool i can mount behind the tractor (NH3430) that will cut 2 or 3 inches deep (You old timers, think in terms of a rod weeder in summer fallow) to really disturb the weed and grass roots and pull them to the surface so they will dry out and die. Then if necessary smooth it up with the loader and box blade.
Something along the lines of a subsoiler but with a wider cut to continually disturb the gravel loosening trash roots as mentioned without having to scrape and pile driveway gravel with the FEL and then blade to redistribute.

Any thoughts and ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Charlie

You can go to wal mart or a big box store and get Vegetation killer which is good for a whole year and I mean nothing grows back for at least one year, I have used it...just be sure to read the label...if you have trees too close to your driveway that may be a problem. The old timey way was to drop a little diesel fuel on the weeds...I'm just saying....that's how it was done.

 

[MMagis]

Disturbing the soil is going to cause MORE weeds to grow. If you spray glyphosate properly, the grass/weeds are dead. There should be no need to re-spray until new grass/weeds grow in. I've heard of gly prices as low as $12/gallon of concentrate, though I can't find it locally that cheap. I can mail order it for less than TSC has it.
I can't imagine how a tiller would be the proper tool here, not for a driveway. A box blade sounds more like what he wants, but I still think spraying is the best option.

 

[niemeyjt]

Possibly a weedkiller like Sodium Chlorate or Weedex (Simazine?) that prevents seeds germinating for a season - a pre-emergence herbicide?

J

 

[tjc1989]

If you have a disk, perhaps that would be the way to go. It doesn't cut real deep, it slices through the roots and spins it over. I agree that many things grow right back, but disk it once a week for several weeks, and I think you would see results. A tiller cuts deeper, and tends to leave the unwanted grass in a happy medium to start regrowing in. Plus its too slow, compared to a disk.

I agree about herbicides and pricey. I have to use Remedy, or generic equivalent, because of some very stubborn blackberries. Its about $90 to $100 bucks a gallon, plus tax ( The folks here won't give tax exempt status unless bought in bulk ) For me, one gallon mixes with about 110 gallons of water, and I get about 6 to 7 acres coverage, and even then, thats too thin, because the many blackberries come right back. If I double up on the stubborn areas, and go back over them a second time, perhape even one gear slower, I see the results later.

 

[CharlieS]

Roundup does kill them out, but doesnt last all that long, as i said 2 maybe 3 weeks max. and with a driveway about 100 ft long and 20 ft wide thats alot of hand spraying. The boom sprayer isnt really an option because its hard to control overspray into the lawn on the boom ends.
Box blade wont cut deep enough to get the weeds and using the rippers isnt really effective being about a foot apart.
If i can come up with something as mentioned in my first post, i dont mind having to do this chore a couple of times during the summer, and the driveway packs quickly and hard enough i'm comfortable stating excessive growth wont be a problem over a couple of month span.

@Brin soil sterilant is always an option but those i've used in the past have presented some leaching problems. Diesel isnt a Real option either.
I'd much prefer to come up with a tool thats effective even if i have to use it 2 or 3 times during the growing season

@tjc
Gravel driveway so a disk isnt going to be really effective either, possibly a rigid tooth harrow if one could get it in the ground, something more along the lines i'd mentioned in my origional post, similar to a subsoiler but with multiple or continuous tooth such as the old rod weeders would be ideal.

 

[Car Doc]

There is an add for glyphosate for $34 per 2.5 gal on the net easy to find it just search.

Catching the moisture in the driveway just right is the key to discing I think that will work also. I have used it to control weeds and grass on a property I own so I wouldnt have to mow it often and it worked just fine.


Steve

 

[jimmyj]

I use a flame device to scorch the leaves. It's only good though if there aren't tons of them to deal with. For lots and lots either give up or use roundup.