Weed and Grass Killer

[Involute]

Do any of you know of any way to totally rid an area of any grass and weeds other than the stuff you can buy at Lowes or Home Depot? I've got a big area in the back yard that was set up for RV parking but never paved or covered with rocks. I'm getting tired of applying Roundup and the like because it never seems to keep the damn weeds gone. Not even for 1 season. Right now it's a damn jungle of weeds back there. What other products are out there that will demolish any form of life that tries to grow there? Eventually I'll have some gravel brought in but I don't think it will be this year. I'm open to all suggestions as long as the EPA won't throw me in jail :wink: . I live in a residential area so fire is out of the question.

[Redbird]

Triox- that's short for something, but I'm not sure what. Ask for it at any home improvement type place and they should know what you're talking about. get the stuff you're supposed to mix yourself and make it extra strong.

Gas works good, too :twisted:

BTW- putting down gravel ain't going to stop the weeds, if that's your ultimate plan. You'll need to continue treating the area unless you pave it.

[Involute]

Will rocks work if they are 4-6 inches deep and on top of the black plastic stuff?

Do you think Triox would mix well with gas :?: :?: :cool:

[Redbird]

If you put that matting down, yeah, you'd probably have better luck. I'm not an expert on this shit, but I did just have 60 tons of gravel layed down last fall, 4-6" deep, no matting, and the weeds are already coming through the shit.

At least there's no more mud, and that was the main point for me.

[Rider99XX]

There is a commercially available product that will sterilize the soil. NOTHING :shock: will EVER grow there again. I don't know the name of the stuff. Check at your local landscap places. My brother-in-law used it a few times to kill weeds and grass. Just becarefull where you put it and where the run off goes because once it touches the grass...BYE BYE :sad:

Black plastic, "weed barrier" and the like will work but only for a while. The plastic will eventually rot plus there is no way to keep small holes out of it when you lay your gravel on it. A weed WILL find each and every little hole in the plastic or "weed barrier". The ground sterilizer or a concrete slab is the ONLY way to keep weeds out. Burning doesn't work. Ever see where a forest fire burned everything to the ground? ^ weeks later the ground is as green as ever. :shock:

I hope this helps

[Involute]

I contacted the local farmers supply shop. They have soil sterilizer. I'm going to give it a go. They state the soil remains useless for 2-5 years and I should kill the weeds first. This sterilizer is supposed to leech out about 4 feet so I need to keep it that far from the stuff I want to keep. Thanks for the info.

[SwampNut]

I use some stuff from Home Depot and it keeps everything from growing in the area for about a year. I mix it about 50% stronger than recommended and apply with one of those spray tanks. The product says "All vegetation killer" on the front.

[EVLXX]

Well the sterilizer will work, but....

for the rest of you that don't want to risk killing everything in site...

Go buy yourself a couple bags of salt.

Plants can't stand salt. Depending on how much you put down and how much rain you get in a year, will determine how long it will last.

[mikefightsfire]

Go to your local LESCO or John Deere Landscapes store for the good stuff. Not sure abot your state but you may not be able to buy some products w/o a license. The landscape fabric/matting will not work well as the rock or mulch or whatever else you put on top of it is a good bed for the weeds to grow in. There is a product called Pramitol and when used with fuel oil will steralize the base soil for a peroid of time (this is what most pavers use) but it may not be available in your state. Try roundup-pro mixed with a 1/8 cup amnonia to 3gal (this is a source of nitrogen), mix the roundup first THEN add the amnonia.

Lets talk about how weed killers work. Most herbicides work by making the plant out grow the capacity of the root to sustain it. In order for a weed killer to work the plant must be actively growing so if you spray it when it is dormant (real hot or cold) or when it is stunted (too dry or too wet) it will not take up the weed killer and you will not get the results you want. Good luck!

[Involute]

Thanks for all the advice Lads. I'm gonna to get jiggy with it. :cool: