Safest way to kill grass/weeds re: backyard crawler course

[Natedog]

I use the same as above, 2 cups Epson salt, one gallon of vinegar and 4 table spoons of Dawn. I use a normal pump sprayer. unlike round up, you have to cover the plant pretty good when spraying. Works great! "thumbsup"
Ernie

Yep, we've been using this mix for several years, RoundUp and other chemicals like that are terrible for us and the Earth. Just sprayed some weeds the other day and tried a bit different and seems to work as well or better.
1 gallone white vinegar (Costco)
1 cup Dawn liquid dish soap
2 cups table salt (Costco 25lb bag)

Made the change from Epsom salt to salt, since most plants grow better with a little Epsom salt in the soil.

I agree with fire. Home Depot sells a torch that uses the usual plumber sized blue propane tanks with a long shaft so that you don't have to crawl around on your knees. I thought of buying one for my Dad as he used to always (or have me) pull the weeds by hand when I was a kid / lived at home - but i think he is getting old for crawling on his knees, and my Mom has rarely bothered.

That works too.

Use a flat shovel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28HOmM7VeWw

Yep.

We also use cardboard (can get it free at Costco and many other stores, lay it down over top of the weeds/grass and it will kill everything, works better than the 'weedblock' rolls they sell at the store and is biodegradeble.

 

[GCi in ATX]

If you've never used a weed burner, you're not trying to burn them off. You are basically heating them just to the point they wilt. Takes a second or so for most grass/weeds so it's basically just a sweep of the flame. If they're actually lighting off your going too slow. It goes pretty quick and works quite well.

If you are looking for ground cover, if you can get ahold of them cheap (ask nicely and most places will let you get them for free), used asphalt shingles are the best thing out there. Make sure you have adequate runoff and drainage before you start! A single layer of shingles will keep 95% of the water that hits them off the ground, so make sure it's got a place to go. Lay them out with just a bit of overlap (just on the edges, don't worry about actually setting them like on a roof), and they do an excellent job of preventing any growth. As a bonus, set them granaul side up, and they make for a heck of a grippy driving surface.

 

[Jenesis]

Homemade weed killer recipes often make use of common household ingredients like vinegar and Epsom salt. These natural substances can be an effective and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical herbicides.

Vinegar, specifically white distilled vinegar with a high acetic acid concentration, acts as a desiccant, drying out the leaves and stems of weeds. When mixed with Epsom salt, which contains magnesium and sulfur, it can further enhance the weed-killing properties. Epsom salt disrupts the weed's cellular structure and inhibits its growth. I will find more details on https://www.nyrentownsell.com/blog/homemade-diy-weed-killer-recipes/ now.

To make a weed killer solution, combine one gallon of vinegar with two cups of Epsom salt and a small amount of dish soap to help the mixture adhere to the weeds. Mix well until the salt dissolves, then transfer the solution into a spray bottle. Apply the homemade weed killer directly onto the unwanted plants, avoiding nearby desirable vegetation.

It's important to note that vinegar-based weed killers can also affect other plants, so it's best to apply them carefully and selectively.

 

[TacoCrawler]

I've used Round Up all of my life. Because it works great.
And I'm not dead after 62 years... nor do I have cancer.
I think some folk are overly paranoid in anything used.
Something will kill me eventually... but I'm not paranoid.

 

[high plains drifter]

Move to Texas. Your grass will be dead within a week!

But yeah.. same as TacoCrawler... been using Roundup for decades... works well on all but the most stubborn larger roots where I'll bring in a drill, large bit, and some stump/ root killer.

 

[ScaleLifeNewbie]

I've used Round Up all of my life. Because it works great.

And I'm not dead after 62 years... nor do I have cancer.

I think some folk are overly paranoid in anything used.

Something will kill me eventually... but I'm not paranoid.

Move to Texas. Your grass will be dead within a week!

But yeah.. same as TacoCrawler... been using Roundup for decades... works well on all but the most stubborn larger roots where I'll bring in a drill, large bit, and some stump/ root killer.

Yup, all the natural crap never works. All it does is burn the weed but after a few days you’ll see the new green growth coming right back [emoji16] I like Maddog professional mix mixed with a little bit of additive that kills off certain weeds that Maddog or Roundup itself won’t.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[B-MOW71]

Move to Texas. Your grass will be dead within a week!

But yeah.. same as TacoCrawler... been using Roundup for decades... works well on all but the most stubborn larger roots where I'll bring in a drill, large bit, and some stump/ root killer.

Doesn't sound like a bad idea! As you know, the grass here in Ohio along with the weeds grows like wildfire! I do like heat, but not sure if I could handle the extreme heat you have there in Texas.


Back to killing weeds and grass. I use Ortho Ground Clear. I found that it works better for me than Round Up. Ortho states that it kills for a year and so far they haven't been wrong. Spray the weeds once a year and they are gone until the next year.

 

[2xDeadbolt]

You can use killsAll and it will kill grass and weeds.

 

[OutLore]

I use the vinigar/salt/dishsoap as well - except I use regular table salt, as much as I can dissolve into a gallon of vinigar/water.

Salting the earth can also prevent future growth as the salt draws moisture out of any plants roots. Not sure how often you would need to lay salt down though, maybe once a year or twice?

Just remember the run off next time it rains with any chemicals you're using, don't want to kill off your other half's flowers or vegetable garden

 

[high plains drifter]

...don't want to kill off your other half's flowers or vegetable garden

I think that my wife would put Roundup in my beverages if I ever killed her Hibiscus bushes.

 

[diceman42]

Salt, weedeater it down, a weed/root barrier from a place like home depot will get most grass/weeds away.

 

[hnoroian]

My schools are very limited and use the vinegar, salt and dish soap. It works well but needs to be reapplied somewhat often. I see it used as a preventative measure. As natural as I am there is nothing like commercial (enter the name) vegetation killer first.

 

[JimK]

I've always used roundup but I'm intrigued by the vinegar/salt mixture. Might have to give it a try in the spring.

 

[Gula]

Salt, lots of it. Using coleman lantern fluid was an old trick I learned from an old man. Spray/spread, but don't light, just let it evaporate.

Well i found out that pure vinegar will kill off all plant matter. I spilled about 1/4 gallon in my front yard, and it killed the grass and any weed within.

 

[Rptorman]

The simple home-brew plant killer recipe is vinegar, salt, and dish soap. Note, the mixture is corrosive, so it can damage your sprayer if it has metal components, and is not cleaned after use.

The higher concentration the better for the vinegar. There is the basic kind you put on your french fries, canning vinegar is a touch stronger, and cleaning vinegar is a little stronger yet. Some garden centres may sell an even stronger horticultural grade.

You put vinegar on your French fries?

 

[diezel666]

Yep, we've been using this mix for several years, RoundUp and other chemicals like that are terrible for us and the Earth. Just sprayed some weeds the other day and tried a bit different and seems to work as well or better.
1 gallone white vinegar (Costco)
1 cup Dawn liquid dish soap
2 cups table salt (Costco 25lb bag)

110% THIS. The wife and I have a veggie garden, and wanting to be safe we moved away from using round up anywhere too close to it.

What I've found that works:
I use a 2 gallon sprayer,
1 Gallon White Vinegar,
1/4-1/3 Cup of Dawn Ultra dish soap,
26 Ounces Morton's Iodized Salt,
1/2 gallon of water.

I find it easiest to dump in the vinegar and salt. Shake like heck to dissolve the salt, then add in the dish soap, extra water (I run my sprayer about 75% full hence the 1.5 gallons of liquid), shake like heck again, pump up the sprayer and go to town. As always, best to spray the weeds closest to the dirt line.

It usually works in 24-48 hours, and it works damn well!