Killing Grass

DScott · Feb 12, 2009

I have a large graveled area around my barn/shop and I usually have to spray several times every summer to kill the weeds. Is there anything I can use on it that will prevent the grass from growing thru the gravel for a longer period of time. I don't want too use something that will create a EPA Superfund site or kill all or the grass in the surrounding yard but on the other hand I'm not a "tree hugger" either. In the past I have treated areas with Treflan and then Round Up, 24D or such.That worked OK for a short while and gets a little expensive. Any better ideas?

thurlow · Feb 12, 2009

Maybe a salt.......NaCl, CaCl, etc.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 12, 2009

I would say salt (we used to dump the saltwater from the icecream churn on unwanted weeds). If you're bored, burning them with a torch works after a couple of times (maybe not in gravel though).

Dave

BOBM25 · Feb 12, 2009

Tire fluid works good. Like mentioned by thurlow, its calcium chloride or CaCl. Some will gasp at even the thought of spraying something so "toxic" on the ground, but the county spreads 100's of tons of a similar substance on the roads in my area every winter.

DScott · Feb 12, 2009

I had wondered about salt. I remember people using it for that purpose when I was a kid but I wondered about it leaching out into the yard when it rained and killing that too. I guess I could use rock salt or water treatment salt since it's available and cheap.

thurlow · Feb 12, 2009

There are so many folks who visit this site whose age, experience, knowledge, etc. are unknown that's it's easy to give advice which might lead to harm.......of one kind or another. Having said that.......about 30 years ago, someone on the farm finished planting corn and started planting cotton, without cleaning out the spray tank(s). Don't remember the corn herbicide, but I do know that the cotton chemical was Cotoran. There was about 3 acres (until the chemical left in the tank was diluted) that NOTHING would grow on for about 4 years. Since I gather that you have some knowledge of the various chemicals, you might try a mixture of 2 not-normally-used-together herbicides. I'm not advising that you do this, but if you come up with the idea on your own................

g mccool · Feb 12, 2009

2-4-D will not work on grass. It is for brood leaf only. I would be concerned about salt runoff if you get a lot of rain. Just use Round Up. A teaspoon in a two gallon hudson sprayer is enough. Spray in the early spring & in a week it will all be dead.

Tim B from MA · Feb 12, 2009

Salt, being salt, is apt to wash out of the soil pretty quick so I am doubtful it will be much more effective than most herbicides.

If you do try it, and they are both considered as effective, use CaCl or MgCl as these are generally good for your soil (and ours) whereas Na destroys soils structure (granted, as said, our gov'mnt spreads millions of tons a year aroung our yards, but not necessarily in out yards).

I assume if you spray herbicides regularly, your new growth if fron seed. You might try something like crab-grass preventer. I believe it acts as a physical barrier to new grass sprouts.

youngin · Feb 12, 2009

Get some brine water out of a gass well.

Nancy Howell · Feb 12, 2009

We graveled an area for parking next to the drive. We should have put down several layers of plastic, then graveled, but we didn"t. Now we have the same problem.

I have used lots of table salt, but it didn"t seem to have much affect. I generally spray with Ru once or twice a year.

I found a product several years ago (sorry don"t remember what it was) that would sterilize the ground and nothing would grow there for at least two years. It cost its weight in gold, so I never bought any.

Rifle - D (a form of 2-4-D) is supposed to have some residual effect. We used it on the farm last year. We were not pleased with the results. Since it was the first time we used it, I could have mixed it wrong or under-applied. At any rate, we weren"t happy with it.

Nancy Howell · Feb 12, 2009

If you want to prevent seeds from sprouting, you need to spray early in the year with a pre-emergent.

Since we've never used one at the farm, I don't know any brand names.

Google pre-emergent and see what you get.

Nancy Howell · Feb 12, 2009

Always read your label. The mix rate will generally be in oz./gal or in % concentration for what you are trying to kill. The label will give you the measure to use per gallon to get the concentration rate you need.

Its my experience that one or two teaspoons of RU per gallon is not strong enough to kill the weeds. I have never used anything less than 3 oz/per gallon.

RU comes in different concentrations so you must read your label to get the mix rates correct.

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon. 2 tablespoons = 1 ounce.

RU has no residual effect, so it will not supress any weeds that sprout after you spray.

JBMac · Feb 12, 2009

Use a good preemergent herbicide in conjunction with Glyphosate. Some safer ones that are fairly safe around lawns and ornamentals that come to mind are pendamethalin, oryzalin, prodiamine. Some heavier duty ones approved for farmstead weed control and fenclines would be diuron, imazapyr, imazapic, and bromacil. Be sure to calibrate whatever your using so you apply the label rate and always read the label.

randallinMo · Feb 12, 2009

Try Pramitol. It is a non selective herbicide that essentially works as a soil sterilant. Be careful of runoff. Another option is Atrazine.

DScott · Feb 12, 2009

(quoted from post at 11:12:44 02/12/09) If you want to prevent seeds from sprouting, you need to spray early in the year with a pre-emergent.

Since we've never used one at the farm, I don't know any brand names.

Google pre-emergent and see what you get.

Treflan is a pre emergent and looking back I realize now that I didn't apply it early enough as it is vital to get it down before germination starts in the spring. I see that they recommended applying it no later than March 15 to be effective. I usually don't think about it until I see the grass in the gravel.

The area I am treating isn't huge and if once a year treatment is effective I could live with the cost of that. I think I will try that.

gitrib · Feb 12, 2009

Pramitol will work but I think it is outlawed. gitrib

DScott · Feb 12, 2009

(quoted from post at 11:35:45 02/12/09) Use a good preemergent herbicide in conjunction with Glyphosate. Some safer ones that are fairly safe around lawns and ornamentals that come to mind are pendamethalin, oryzalin, prodiamine. Some heavier duty ones approved for farmstead weed control and fenclines would be diuron, imazapyr, imazapic, and bromacil. Be sure to calibrate whatever your using so you apply the label rate and always read the label.

Are these liquid or granules?

omahagreg · Feb 12, 2009

Living in town, we see all sorts! Last September, a drunk lady hit the light pole in front of our house HARD. From that experience, it appears antifreeze is the BEST grass killer around! I know, the eagle protection agency does not allow, but, it appears to be very effective! Greg

LenND · Feb 12, 2009

Hi! That plastic will work for a year or two. After that there will be enough dirt blown, etc., in the gravel you still will have a weed problem plus out the cost of the plastic. BTDT I just spray mine twice a year and seems to keep it pretty clean. If you have a lot of rain every year then it will have to be sprayed more often.

kyplowboy · Feb 12, 2009

When I get done spraying tobacco patches in the spring if I have any left in the sparyer I put it in a four wheeler spot sprayer and go around the yard and fences there around the house. Command and Spartin mix has a good residule effect.

Good luck.

Dave

S2710 · Feb 12, 2009

If you can get some salt that the county uses to salt the roads just put a good coating on the area you want to controll the grass. Road salt works a lot better then store bought salt.
Bob

Bayou Dave in Ms · Feb 12, 2009

Ask for some Sahara. Not a restricted use label. Excellent for what you want to use it for.

JBMac · Feb 12, 2009

Sahara is a good product. It contains Imazapyr and Diuron. Download the label and you can make your own with generics. You will have to do the math on a.i. per acre. Be careful, Imazapyr is hard on trees (we use it to kill them on powerline r.o.w.) It's also really low use per acre, 12-32 oz. At enough rate diuron will kill anything. It tends not to move with water, especially if your soils have organic matter or clays.

guido · Feb 13, 2009

What you need to do is put fiber mash on top of the soil and under the gravel. The only weeds that may sprout on top of the gravel will be easly killed with regular weed killer.
Guido.

bc · Feb 13, 2009

(quoted from post at 12:02:31 02/12/09) I have a large graveled area around my barn/shop and I usually have to spray several times every summer to kill the weeds. Is there anything I can use on it that will prevent the grass from growing thru the gravel for a longer period of time. I don't want too use something that will create a EPA Superfund site or kill all or the grass in the surrounding yard but on the other hand I'm not a "tree hugger" either. In the past I have treated areas with Treflan and then Round Up, 24D or such.That worked OK for a short while and gets a little expensive. Any better ideas?

Hytran will kill the grass. Where I park or drive the tractor with a leak, it kills the grass. Drove it through the yard with a bad steering leak and it left a brown trail of dead grass.

Killing Grass

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads