Weedkillers

[manonthemoon2]

I'm stumped. We was thinking of using a pool product, hypercal as it says on the side dangerous to plants. We would not use it and let the animals out, but interested to see if this works

Officially - anything not approved for the particular use isn't allowed - ditto rhubarb leaf insecticide as I understand.

And that of course includes salt and vinegar - sends your weeds to a crisp.

Plus of course washing up liquid.

But I've tried Salt, & vinegar, the weeds tucked in with their giant gherkins (called walleys where I grew up), and it didn't work.

[manonthemoon2]

MOTM2
what are the weeds coming up in your drive?

There may be some more specific solutions - although I am surprised that salt and vinegar has not done the job.

I have no idea what the weeds are, I'll take a photo tomorrow and post

[ajm]

We brought some Resolva from B&Q back - that works a treat.

[Liz]

We have given up, on our gravel = castine in SW France - and the birds love the weeds. We strim some parts, and hand weed the rest.
Luckily this coincides with our retirement, and our one remaining 'client' where we store stuff and we are best friends takes the same view, and now only 'lets' to friends and family
I would hate now to be trying to get clean non weedy gravel areas, paths and pool terraces for expensive let holiday homes without the old RoundUp stuff.

[Bayleaf]

Totally with Liz.

I did try out some white vinegar on certain "weeds" in the animals' paddock (small burdock), but as mentioned above, it doesn't kill the roots, and extended use of any of these products are just bad for the soil/bugs/environment. I've taken to either pulling up the bigger weeds (just after it's rained, and they're putting all their energy into the top of the plant), or slicing across at ground level just to stop them going to seed. The front area outside our house is nearly back to green now, and it just gets mowed occasionally to keep it looking tidy. It's supposed to be the front driveway, of sorts (about 300 years old, as it was the original track past the house when the workers came past to toil at the forge by the river). But we like the greenish, with short wild flowers (it's mostly clover now), look - and the birds are often out there picking at stuff.

We don't weedspray for anyone anymore - that can be on their conscience. Regardless of spraying - more seeds are going to fall and it's just a vicious circle. I've seen courtyards where no expense has been spared, as the client has paid for top-of-the-range membrane and then pebbles, to be told that it will remain weedfree by the contracter doing the work. That's utter rubbish! Seeds fall from anywhere, and it seems to actually create the perfect conditions for things to grow! We're never going to beat the "weeds" - just have to find a way to live with them.

[Spectrum]

The answer may be to buy some "Verdone Extra" its a lawn weedkiller so will kill most broad leafed weeds, but of course not grass like, the active ingredient is "Flurxpyr and Clopyralid and MCPA" Available from the river shop.

[hughnique]

Makes a bit of a mockery out of it when farmers are allowed to treat acres of ground and Joe public is forbidden to spray a few square metres of weeds, for me it's Gallup, works all the time, and it is still available I believe.

[exile]

@Bayleaf
For Burdock it may be worth trying cutting off at or near ground level and then treating the cut surface with salt. It will probably take several applications but it will weaken and then kill the plant.

[exile]

@hughnique
Gallup is a glyphosate based herbicide. As such you should be very careful with its use.
I know the comment above about farmers spreading it willy-nilly while we are prohibited but they should be kitted out for chemical warfare in a way that the home gardener is not. I also know that many farmers are not so kitted out. More fool them.

[Leyla]

"What are you trying to kill and where - for example dandelions in the drive."
Exile -
Mainly weeds on the gravel - cannot specify. There are sedums which I don't mind but there's switch grass (?) which creeps along the surface from the lawn. I've got all the kit for the salt/vinegar spray but if it won't kill the roots then this will be an on-going job. I'm not concerned about the weeds in the lawn as they react well to a "selective" killer but I don't bother much as long as the lawn is green.

For those who have mentioned Resolva and Gallup - are these systemic please?