Implement advice?

[Bird]

Harv, I have a Beaver Blade for my DR trimmer/mower also. Fortunately, I don't have any rocks to contend with, but I found that steel t-posts and baling wire sure dull that chain in a hurry./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Otherwise it works great. The only thing that worries me is whether the remaining stubble might puncture a tractor tire. So far I haven't, but I try to avoid driving the tractor over the stubble as much as possible. And instead of spraying my perimeter fencing, I just use the DR with string instead of the blade.

Bird

 

[Harv]

Bird -

Not to beat this thing to death, but when you trim your fence line with the DR, doesn't a certain amount of it grow back? I'm not really arguing the point, but I notice that if I spray before the weeds go to seed, not only are they gone for the rest of the year, but the next year there is less new growth. Hmmmm... I guess if you whack them before they go to seed, that should do it, too.

I have so much to learn. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

- Harv

 

[geneP]

Harv, I only spray about 1800' of fence and I do it in increments of about 600'. Each section usually takes about 2 gallons of mixture. It's usually grown up with saplings and those waxy leafed thorns that are so hard to kill. I guess the cost of the product (usually determined by quantity bought) is the determining factor. I bought a quart at Wally-Mart for about $27. At 2.5 oz/gal, my math says it costs me about $12 for a cycle.

 

[Harv]

GeneP -

I think you hit the nail on the head! The quantity thing makes a HUGE difference. You paid $27 for a quart and I paid $120 for 2.5 gallons = $12 per quart.

Oh, oops! In my previos post I said it was a 5-gallon jug. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif Sorry 'bout that, Gerard! But that still puts my spraying at $6 an acre.

I talked to a friend tonight who said they saw the same 2.5 gallon container of Roundup at some farm supply place for $137. I guess prices never stay the same.

I hope this whole discussion winds up saving somebody some money somewhere down the line. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

Harv, of course it grows back. I trim under the barbed wire fence around the pasture about twice a year, and around the garden, yard, and barn fences about once a month. Round-Up would certainly keep it down better, but my luck has been that I still need to apply it a couple of times a year to keep it from coming right back.

Bird

 

[gerard]

Thanx for the info Harv, definitely going to save me some $$$! A. I was putting it on according to the label recommendations which turned out to be 6 oz/gal, and
B. I was buying it buy the quart for $19.99 on sale. I'll try a more dilute solution next time and will have to look around for the larger containers. The biggest I've seen around so far was a 1 gal jug at Home Depot and that was $99. (Will have to go meet the farmer down the road and see where he gets his from). I can't just weed whack under the fence as it's electric tape and when weeds hit it the effectiveness is reduced so I like to keep the weeds down and roundup twice a season is a LOT better than weed whacking every two weeks! Thanx for the info, I'll try it out next season as I think I'm about done for this year.

 

[JerryG]

You guys have got me to thinking now. I bought 2 jugs of Roundup at Wal-Mart a while back. Now I need to check and see what the concentration was. I know it said concentrate and I paid $40 for each. I also need to see if they are gallons. I think they are. If they were gallons and 41 percent, I got a good price on it.
JerryG

 

[W5FL]

Everything is not what it seems. With roundup there is concentrate and then there is concentrate (in industrial strength). Probably only Home Depot or a Farm store or Feed Store will have the industrial strength Roundup.

 

[roysallis]

Harv,
You might consider using a propane torch to get rid of the weeds if it will not be a fire hazard. Go to http://www.northerntool.com and search for Item# 17384, or http://www.harborfreight.com and search for Item# 36346-0VGA for additional info.

 

[Harv]

Roy -

Holy Moly!!! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Fight fire with fire, eh?

I guess it's a tried and proven approach to weed control, but I'm still shaking from the Oakland firestorm from 10 years ago. I live just 10 miles away.

Ironically, you may have just explained one of the mysteries of my inheritance from my father. It was actually his 42 acres that I am now maintaining, and along with the property came a whole slew of tools and gadgets, some of which I have yet to understand their purpose. Among those items is a good-size propane tank mounted on an off-road style hand truck. Attached to the tank is a flame-thrower kind of wand similar to the ones you referred me to. I never understood what the heck it was for -- until now. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Thanks a lot!