Weed Prevention

[RobS]

Well, after another 15 gallons of roundup along the driveway I'm tired of the weeds. My sister mentioned that they use rock salt to prevent the weeds from growing. Anyone else do that? Other weed prevention methods for a gravel driveway?

 

[RalphVa]

Household vinegar, burning with torch.

Ralph

 

[jmfox]

Vinegar and torch? I use a torch but it seems that the weeds often come back at the center of the charred weed.

jmf

 

[Renob]

When the family had a cottage at the lake years ago, we had the oil truck come and spray the dirt road for dust and weed control.............



Can you still do that?????????????

 

[RobS]

When the family had a cottage at the lake years ago, we had the oil truck come and spray the dirt road for dust and weed control.............



Can you still do that?????????????

I don't think that's done much anymore and I have a similar concern about the rock salt idea. I don't want to destroy the area, just prevent weeds.

 

[charlz]

I don't know how much salt it actually takes. Supposedly people have been using some salt in asparagus beds for years to take out the weeds. Apparently the asparagus not only lives but thrives and no or very few weeds. I'd be a little leery of putting down a lot of salt as well, especially if rainwater etc may run off to an area you don't want salt build up on. Might be interesting to pick a little patch in the middle of your spray area and see what happens.

 

[Shmudda]

Well, after another 15 gallons of roundup along the driveway I'm tired of the weeds. My sister mentioned that they use rock salt to prevent the weeds from growing. Anyone else do that? Other weed prevention methods for a gravel driveway?

Rock Salt is the worst thing that you could ever spread on a gravel driveway! It produces very soft and soggy areas under the gravel, and lies and waits for a larger, heavier machine just to swallow it up!

Been there done that........it works for the weeds, but you will be throwing
2B limestone in the soft area until the cows come home! Very expensive lesson learned here......

Good way to hide an old car you really dont want anymore though......

Craig

 

[teg]

Well, after another 15 gallons of roundup along the driveway I'm tired of the weeds.

15 gallons? How long of a driveway? I'm still on my first 2.5 gal. container and I keep 3/4 of a mile clear for the last 3 years. What rate are you using to spray? or how long does 15 gallons last you?

 

[EddieWalker]

...after another 15 gallons of roundup along the driveway ...

I don't even want to think how much money that cost you!!!!

A few years ago there was a thread on round up and alternatives that was pretty good. Somebody suggested Razor Pro instead of Roundup for killing weekds. It's a total brush killer and is pretty much the same identical thing as Roundup, just allot cheaper.

I bought 5 gallons of it two or three years ago and still have about half of it left. I use it about every third month in a hand sprayer with excellent results. Within a week after spraying on a hot day, the plants are all dead.

I bought it on ebay and just looked to see if you can still get it. Here is the link.

RAZOR PRO WEED KILLER HERBICIDE 41% Glyphosate 5 gal. - eBay (item 360077711510 end time Aug-17-08 17:33:11 PDT)

Or you can do a search for it. The title is RAZOR PRO WEED KILLER HERBICIDE 41% Glyphosate 5 gal, and it sells for $189.95 for the five gallons.

This is the concentrate, so you don't need very much in a sprayer. I just dump some in without measuring it and then add water. I probably put too much in there when I do it, but I'm very happy with the results and think it's been very cheap for what I've gotten out of it. When I'm out, I'll buy another five gallons without a second thought.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[RobS]

15 gallons? How long of a driveway? I'm still on my first 2.5 gal. container and I keep 3/4 of a mile clear for the last 3 years. What rate are you using to spray? or how long does 15 gallons last you?

That's 15 gallons of mixed solution, not concentrate! My drive is only 750 feet long, so both sides plus some areas in the middle. There is also a circle in front of the house and some gravel lanes and parking areas behind. Am I putting it on too heavy? It does work, I just get tired of having to repeat it to keep it looking nice.

 

[teg]

My gut feeling is that you are. The label should tell you how far 1 gallon will cover. I put down a light mist, so I have to be careful if it's windy, but Roundup should not drip off the plant! If it does, you are wasting it and money. Your target is the leaves, Roundup will move to the roots within the plant.

 

[elkun1]

see if you can get some pramitol. it's a soil sterilent. Ron

 

[AD18]

Vinegar and torch? I use a torch but it seems that the weeds often come back at the center of the charred weed.

jmf

Ralph, could you elaborate on this? I have ove 1500' of road way and gravel parking in the Great north wet. Thanks

 

[J_J]

That's 15 gallons of mixed solution, not concentrate! My drive is only 750 feet long, so both sides plus some areas in the middle. There is also a circle in front of the house and some gravel lanes and parking areas behind. Am I putting it on too heavy? It does work, I just get tired of having to repeat it to keep it looking nice.

I have sprayed a lot of roundup. If you have the powder roundup, I believe the mixture is two caps per gal. If you have the liquid, I believe the mixture is 3 to 4 oz per gal. I used to add liquid soap to the mixture to make it stick to the weeds. The new stuff has sticker in it. Some of their stuff is quick acting. There are other chemicals that will help roundup do it's job.

Some orchards use a steamer to burn or sterilize the soil to prevent weeds from germinating. It is simply a steam generator about 4 ft wide and pulled through the orchard slowly, and it seems to work.

If you are driving your tractor on that road, you may be dropping weed seeds on the road as you come in from the field.

 

[Ford850]

Timing is everything on the weedy drive. I have weeds and grass in mine now, but we haven't had any rain in 5 or 6 weeks. I'd be wasting my time to spray now. After the first soaking rain, I will have a carpet of green seedlings starting from all the seed that has blown onto the gravel, so I will wait for that. If I sprayed today and we get a good rain in couple of days, the new weeds would be up before the old stuff dies. And with Round-up, the plants have to be actively growing to take the chemical to the roots. If they are semi dormant the plants won't die.

 

[gerard]

paving type companies around here used to spary a calcium choride solution down on gravel parking lots. It serves two purposes - the salt absorbs water from the air to keep the dust down and the cacl is toxic to plants so things won't grow. (Yes - this is the same stuff they load tires with, just a lighter solution). Ask anyone who had a loaded tire spill it's contents - nothing will grow there for quite ahwile. Should be an option for a gravel drive.

 

[ToadHill]

I used to use a product called Sieara on land around power stations. Those are the stations where power switch gear is located and they are generally surrounded with gravel. It is a granular product and it actually sterializes (sp) the soil and one treatment in the spring of the year will eliminate vegitation for a full year.

 

[RobS]

Good inputs, thanks everyone. Right now I have a lovely brown strip on each side of my driveway which pleases me. We had some rain before I sprayed so it did it's job quite well. Next time I'll pay more attention to the application rate. Also try some of these ideas for prevention.

 

[jjmarotz]

I use Cornerstone plus concentrate from my local ag/chem supply store. Comes in 2.5 gallon jugs for only 88.00. By FAR cheaper than Roundup in concentrate form. It produces the same kill, for a third the price. Mix at 4oz per gallon. Worth checking into.

 

[WarrenF]

I have a neighbor who mixes vinegar and water 50/50. He sprays his driveway and after about three times of spraying....it will sterilize the drive. He has no weeds PERIOD.

If you are mixing Roundup....the suggested rate is 1 oz per gallon of water. However you can buy the original roundup under several different names....I buy a name called HONCHO. It is the same thing as the original Roundup since the patent ended a couple three years ago. That is why there are so many other names for sprays that are the same as the original roundup. By the way 2.5 gallons of Honcho costs about $80 out here....as opposed to what ever 2.5 gallons of Roundup.

Also, if you have not done this....add about 1 oz of 2-4-D per gallon of water to your Round up mixture....That will give you a faster kill and a more complete kill. I know some of you will question that.....however out here in this country when you are killing everything....that is what is used.

Finally, as has been said here earlier, you don't need to make the plant look like you have sprayed it with a garden hose. I have about five acres that have ditches and right of ways I need to keep clean.....I can use about 6 gallons of mixed spray and cover most of it. Keep moving, and hit the plant with a light mist....but keep moving.