Weeds and grass in gravel drive

[starjj]

I have to admitt I HATE to have weeds and grass growing in my gravel drive. I know it is a petty thing it just bothers me. I have spent my last dollar I am willing to spend on weed killer. Is there a cheap way to kill them? Salt water? vinegar? Anyone have a solution? (besides blacktop or concrete) lol.

[ryanthomas]

Torch.

[OH Boy]

Roundup is cheap. Buy it in the big jug at TSC, get their store brand. Then just spray it as needed. About once a month should keep them at bay.

[starjj]

Originally Posted by OH Boy

Roundup is cheap. Buy it in the big jug at TSC, get their store brand. Then just spray it as needed. About once a month should keep them at bay.

Roundup is not that cheap especially when you have a long long gravel drive and gravel area in front of the barn and garage. I have found that the cheaper weed killers don't last as long. You get more weed killer but like you say you have to redo every month or more often.

[farmerDale]

Roundup should be in the 2-5 dollar an acre range. That is cheap! What about a soil sterilant? Also, if they are perennial grasses/weeds, that keep coming back, a shot of roundup in fall a few weeks before dormancy will be a long term solution. Otherwise, keep at it and over time the weed seed bank will be exhausted.

I also don't care much for weeds in our driveway and gravel areas, you are normal!!!

[wwubben]

You can buy a torch that screws onto a 20lb lp tank.Just burn the growth off every once in a while.Generic roundup is cheap if you buy a 2 1/2 gallon jug and are not against using chems.Buy the roundup at an elevator not a farm store.

[farmerDale]

Yeah, my mother bought roundup once in a hardware store. Ready to spray, about a litre for 20 bucks. I have sitting in my shed a couple of pallets of roundup at a cost of about 3 dollars a litre concentrated!!!

I also wondered about the flame thrower idea. I have a tiger torch that would work well for annual weeds. It shoots out a pretty wicked flame.

[Bearfootfarm]

I also wondered about the flame thrower idea. I have a tiger torch that would work well for annual weeds. It shoots out a pretty wicked flame.

They do a good job.

You don't have to "burn" them.
You just pass the flame over them slowly and it "cooks" them, causing the cell walls to burst and killing the plant

It's called "Flame Weeding":

http://www.flameengineering.com/Flame_Weeding.html

When flame weeding, the most effective method is to catch weeds early, from 1-4 inches. At this small stage, flaming is nearly 100% effective, whereas weeds over 4 inches are more difficult to kill without an extended dose of heat.

By destroying cell structure in the plant leaf, the weed will no longer put energy toward growth, so even on big weeds, you will see a stunting effect or even a kill, depending on how established the root system is and how long the plant was exposed to heat.

[Alice In TX/MO]

New research on RoundUp is *really* bad. It doesn't 'go away' in the soil as always claimed. It's bad for YEARS, it's bad for the existing plants, and it's bad for humans.

No more RoundUp, folks.

Vinegar, torch. Something else, please.

[used2bcool13]

Starjj,

This wouldn't probably work for a long driveway but boiling water will kill weeds.

Put out a request for weed killer on Freecycle.org in your area, someone may have some that is leftover etc...

I have a gravel drive and don't like the weeds, keep your eye/ear out for free gravel, here people advertise on craiglist to get rid of extra gravel

Good luck

[Haven]

I buy cheap bags of rock salt and dump tons of it on the drive. Kills them all in a few days. Now is probably a good time to find it on sale.

[MO_cows]

Rock salt should work, but watch where it runs off. It might kill more than you intend. We have a "dead zone" where we got runoff from a salt block for the critters.

[farmerDale]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

New research on RoundUp is *really* bad. It doesn't 'go away' in the soil as always claimed. It's bad for YEARS, it's bad for the existing plants, and it's bad for humans.

No more RoundUp, folks.

Vinegar, torch. Something else, please.

Roundup is fine. But this just in. The latest research shows that too much vinegar can kill living organisms!!!:smiley-laughing013:



Seriously though, There is land with glyphosate used for 30 plus years with no adverse affects.

[PyroDon]

a neighbor had an old car they drove daily one of those ya fill the oil can check the gas on . their drive looked like it had been black topped from all the leaked oil but it didnt grow weeds or grass. Dont think the EPA would be very happy though

[shawnlee]

It`s not going to make me very popular....but diesel fuel and used oil works pretty good.....in a hudson sprayer.


You do not have to use very much at all, a very fine mist quickly applied.


I would venture to say between the tractors and cars, more gets spilled or leaks than the hudson sprayer uses...once again it takes very very little.
you only need to use it once a year...a small hudson worth will last years.

If you have more than a few weeds here and there , you need another coat of gravel...if 50 percent of the rock is grass do not use the sprayer...get more gravel.

The amount I am talking about using is very minimal..........a gallon sprayer full has lasted 4 years soo far and still has alot left.

[Tricky Grama]

10% vinegar works. Do in in bright sun.
Roundup changes in the groundwater to a carcinogen.

[mekasmom]

Originally Posted by PyroDon

a neighbor had an old car they drove daily one of those ya fill the oil can check the gas on . their drive looked like it had been black topped from all the leaked oil but it didnt grow weeds or grass. Dont think the EPA would be very happy though

I was going to mention that diesel will kill them, just spray each one.

[geo in mi]

Box blade behind the tractor.
geo

[Alice In TX/MO]

That's not right about RoundUp. It doesn't just "go away" like they thought. There are a number of problems being associated with RoundUp. They are finding that land that has been treated with RoundUp has soil lower in micro-organisms. The plants that are RoundUp Ready have difficulty metabolizing minerals that the plants (and consumers of plants) need. It is also being linked to birth defects.

I used to be a HEAVY RoundUp user. After reading the new info, I am no longer an advocate.

http://www.biofortified.org/wp-conte...011/02/257.pdf

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.p...t=va&aid=21251

http://www.organicconsumers.org/Mons...undup92502.cfm

http://www.biofortified.org/wp-conte...1/02/huber.pdf

[7thswan]

Salt
Vinagar
ashes from the woodstoves
Triox