Pre Emergent Herbicide

[joedw00]

I have always used RoundUp for spot treatment in the flower beds, but it seems like the past couple of years it is watered down and does not do as good of a job as it used to.

[Ed in Tampa]

I have always used RoundUp for spot treatment in the flower beds, but it seems like the past couple of years it is watered down and does not do as good of a job as it used to.

Roundup is sold in about 20 different concentration strengths. Most consumer is very low concentration (3.5% or less) so it works very poorly.

I buy herbicide from Tractor Supply which sells a product with the same chemical makeup of Roundup but it about 50% product. The most I have ever seen Roundup even for commerical apps is 44% product.

I'm a real alchemist when it comes to wood finishes and herbicides.

Back when the ex son in law was my son in law he would get me all kinds of herbicides. I some times wonder why my yard doesn't glow a little at night.

Back then a 2.5 gallon jug of commercial grade roundup cost about $80 bucks and made enough to spray half the world. I think they now sell that size jug for around $300 or more.

[derekdarling]

Hi there, ever considered a non-chemical treatment? It sounds like you want to stop all vegetation from growing through a gravel bed (driveway, maybe?). How about lining your excavation with geo-fabric (don't know what you call it south of the 49th), it stops all vegetation from growing through. Then pour in your gravel. No harmful chemicals, no danger to kids and pets. I'm just sayin'

Derek

[stevespix]

Pre-emergent herbicides depend on climate and soil conditions a 70% coverage would be outstanding performance with the best of them. Rain and watering conditions will affect how the product works. Once the barrier (pre-emeregent) is in the soil any disruption ie: tractor, gophers etc weeds will come back. As for Round-up there are many generics out there now. To inhance the effictiveness of round-up a good surfactant added to it will help. Remember that chemicals are only effective under perfect conditions, when weather is applied to the equation as in all agricultural applications nothing is 100% effective, some times you have to pick the weeds!

[Gene Howe]

Hi there, ever considered a non-chemical treatment? It sounds like you want to stop all vegetation from growing through a gravel bed (driveway, maybe?). How about lining your excavation with geo-fabric (don't know what you call it south of the 49th), it stops all vegetation from growing through. Then pour in your gravel. No harmful chemicals, no danger to kids and pets. I'm just sayin'

Derek

Thanks Derek.
We considered that, but with close to a mile of gravel and cinder driveways, the cost is prohibitive.
We live in an area that, until 15 years ago, was open range. The "goat heads"/"bull heads"/"puncture vine" and tumble weeds are more than mere nuisances. Tires are punctured, paws become infected, they even go through tennis shoe soles. And the tumble weeds are definite fire hazards.
Both of these noxious weed seeds are blown across the property and lodge most often in the drive areas, among the rocks and/or cinders.
We have planted trees and flower garden areas on 3 sides of the house. Some of the drives wend around through that area. So, I do have concerns about seepage and tree roots that may have migrated. But, there are larger areas of driveways not near any plantings.
Up till now, we've been using glysophate from ZEP, Roundup, and etc. for post emergent control. I've used a granular non-selective pre emergent with great success along fence rows, and over the leech fields to prevent root formation. I've not noticed any bleeding or migration to a broader area than where applied. But, that's all been on level ground. Plus, our annual rain fall is around 6". Not much opportunity for the herbicide to leech further. However, a lot of our drive ways are on high ground with close by plantings on slightly lower ground, and we irrigate those planted areas.

[beeg]

To inhance the effictiveness of round-up a good surfactant added to it will help.

For that I add a bit of dish soap.

Gene have ya tried spreading rock salt on the gravel?

[Ed in Tampa]

Hi there, ever considered a non-chemical treatment? It sounds like you want to stop all vegetation from growing through a gravel bed (driveway, maybe?). How about lining your excavation with geo-fabric (don't know what you call it south of the 49th), it stops all vegetation from growing through. Then pour in your gravel. No harmful chemicals, no danger to kids and pets. I'm just sayin'

Derek

Derek
I tried that method and what happened was with the sand, wind and rain here in Florida a nutrient rich soil environment developed in between the gravel. Before long the gravel had to be replaced or would be buried under rich growing soil.

The first seed that fell there grew almost as if planted in potting soil. I also used mulch (pine bark and cypress bark) and geo fabric, in those areas the geo fabric is now nearly 6 inches below some of the richest potting like soil you have ever seen.

When we edge our sidewalks the lawn seems to increase, I have seen places where there is nearly a 6 inch step down to the sidewalk level that started out level. Ground (or what they call ground here in Florida) magically multiplies.

Florida is also the only place I have ever been where you can cut down a tree throw it in a compose pile and go back 6 months later and have nursery size trees to plant. I have one palm tree that I cut down and threw in the back yard. Over the years now I have gotten at least 100 nursery size palm trees to plant around or give away. And I did nothing but throw the trunk of the tree on the ground. In fact it was on a layer of pine straw (pine needles to you yanks ) I go back about once every 6 months and roll the trunk just to keep the roots of the baby trees from getting too deep.

[greitz]

A listing of recommended roadside herbicide mixtures in Pennsylvania:

http://vm.cas.psu.edu/Publications/FS_8 ... stions.pdf

(You'd have to check whether these are registered for use in AZ.)

Gary

[judaspre1982]

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[fjimp]

Roundup is sold in about 20 different concentration strengths. Most consumer is very low concentration (3.5% or less) so it works very poorly.

I buy herbicide from Tractor Supply which sells a product with the same chemical makeup of Roundup but it about 50% product. The most I have ever seen Roundup even for commerical apps is 44% product.

I'm a real alchemist when it comes to wood finishes and herbicides.

Back when the ex son in law was my son in law he would get me all kinds of herbicides. I some times wonder why my yard doesn't glow a little at night.

Back then a 2.5 gallon jug of commercial grade roundup cost about $80 bucks and made enough to spray half the world. I think they now sell that size jug for around $300 or more.

We use the strongest formula of Roundup we can find. This old house has the weed issues from h - - - -. This summer my wife went after the toughest of the weeds and when finished washed out the container prior to walking across the lawn to put the stuff away. I asked her if the dribble following her path contained roundup. She assured me it did not. To this day her path thru the lawn is as dead as one can imagine. Fjimp