Weed Killer- the daddy?
Discussion
Salt has two effects on living things. One is osmotic pressure, the other is toxicity in high doses. As said it will also affect the soil, most likely by killing the microorganisms that make it fertile but probably chemically/nutritionally as well.
We have however moved on from such blunt objects. Herbicides - substances designed to kill plants rather more tactfully, aka weedkillers - can be either selective or total, and residual or non-residual. This gives us three main categories:
Total residual - aka 'path and drive' or 'hard surface' weedkiller. These kill all plants and remain active in the soil for a few months, thereby killing subsequent germinations.
Total non-residual - this is usually our friend glyphosate, the active ingredient for many products. Glufosinate-ammonium is similar.
Selective - these kill only certain types of plants and are usually lawn weedkillers. They kill broadleaved plants but not grasses (if the dose is correct). They are usually phenoxyacetics and work by mimicking/buggering up plant growth regulators.
Most such products, because they rely on biological activity, take 1-3 weeks to work. The exceptions are (or were, they're probably banned now) paraquat and diquat. One active ingredient the marketing people love is ferrous sulphate as it can start to blacken moss in minutes... punters like to see things happen fast and marketeers like to have starbursts on the packs.
Back to the plot - for your patio, get a patio (total residual) weedkiller. Try to get it down the cracks and not on the flat surface
For your raspberry and strawberry beds be careful for two reasons. This is 'edible crop' territory. First, don't apply anything that will damage the plants you want to keep, or creep across to them in the soil. Second, only use a weedkiller that has clearance for use among edible crops - this is for residue reasons. The ideal candidate for this is glyphosate as it's broken down on soil contact. And finally, be careful not to get weedkiller on the leaves of the fruit bushes - eg if spraying, make sure it's dead calm.
Another solution of course is simply physical - hoe/dig/pull the weeds out and then add a thick bark mulch to stop them coming back.
We have however moved on from such blunt objects. Herbicides - substances designed to kill plants rather more tactfully, aka weedkillers - can be either selective or total, and residual or non-residual. This gives us three main categories:
Total residual - aka 'path and drive' or 'hard surface' weedkiller. These kill all plants and remain active in the soil for a few months, thereby killing subsequent germinations.
Total non-residual - this is usually our friend glyphosate, the active ingredient for many products. Glufosinate-ammonium is similar.
Selective - these kill only certain types of plants and are usually lawn weedkillers. They kill broadleaved plants but not grasses (if the dose is correct). They are usually phenoxyacetics and work by mimicking/buggering up plant growth regulators.
Most such products, because they rely on biological activity, take 1-3 weeks to work. The exceptions are (or were, they're probably banned now) paraquat and diquat. One active ingredient the marketing people love is ferrous sulphate as it can start to blacken moss in minutes... punters like to see things happen fast and marketeers like to have starbursts on the packs.
Back to the plot - for your patio, get a patio (total residual) weedkiller. Try to get it down the cracks and not on the flat surface
For your raspberry and strawberry beds be careful for two reasons. This is 'edible crop' territory. First, don't apply anything that will damage the plants you want to keep, or creep across to them in the soil. Second, only use a weedkiller that has clearance for use among edible crops - this is for residue reasons. The ideal candidate for this is glyphosate as it's broken down on soil contact. And finally, be careful not to get weedkiller on the leaves of the fruit bushes - eg if spraying, make sure it's dead calm.
Another solution of course is simply physical - hoe/dig/pull the weeds out and then add a thick bark mulch to stop them coming back.
Simpo Two said:
eatontrifles said:
Considering it's got such waxy leaves, I figured that by spraying onto open wounds I'd have more chance of getting some into the plant.
Sound thinking and you might be right but glyphosate is a translocated weedkiller - ie it uses the plant's normal transport systems to get to the roots. Mash the plant up and those systems are compromised.That said ivy is a tough customer and would need several treatments.
I'm experiencing some mild success now with glyphosate. I'm still applying it fairly liberally around the garden, but it does seem to be killing off some of the smaller plants outright and damaging the bigger ones.
As soon as I've got the waste disposal paid for with the council, I'm going to get some shears and just start indiscriminately cutting back vegetation and washing the area down in heavily salted water.
As soon as I've got the waste disposal paid for with the council, I'm going to get some shears and just start indiscriminately cutting back vegetation and washing the area down in heavily salted water.
It seems the ammonium sulphamate link on page 1 is still on sale...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mistral-Ammonium-Sulphamat...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mistral-Ammonium-Sulphamat...
jon- said:
It seems the ammonium sulphamate link on page 1 is still on sale...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mistral-Ammonium-Sulphamat...
And is also available for less money on ebay.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mistral-Ammonium-Sulphamat...
squicky said:
jon- said:
It seems the ammonium sulphamate link on page 1 is still on sale...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mistral-Ammonium-Sulphamat...
And is also available for less money on ebay.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mistral-Ammonium-Sulphamat...
Might just go old school and mix them. What could possibly go wrong.
jon- said:
Did we conclude this was the better option than glyphosate based killers?
Might just go old school and mix them. What could possibly go wrong.
For reference, the seller on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/908g-ammonium-sulphamate... includes a historical dosage reference guide with the compost accelerator.Might just go old school and mix them. What could possibly go wrong.
I'll ask my advice here. I've got Ground Elder, which is an absolute b
d to get rid of. Grows Rhizomes so if you dont get it all, then it'll reappear. Its also wrapped itself within a few rootballs of some shrubs I have.
I've managed to get hold of some 360g/l Glyphosate from Wilkos. (its their own super concentrate). I plan on pasting it onto the leaves with a brush. Will this be any good? I was hoping a selective approach might save the shrubs which are still in there...
d to get rid of. Grows Rhizomes so if you dont get it all, then it'll reappear. Its also wrapped itself within a few rootballs of some shrubs I have. I've managed to get hold of some 360g/l Glyphosate from Wilkos. (its their own super concentrate). I plan on pasting it onto the leaves with a brush. Will this be any good? I was hoping a selective approach might save the shrubs which are still in there...
MrCheese said:
I had to remove ivy from a 50ft x 30ft wall. Find the roots and cut out sections. Leave everything above for a week or 2 to die off and then you can peel it off. Apply neat glyphosate to the roots - completely undiluted. If you are going to spray, leave the leaves alone and add some washing up liquid to the weedkiller. If you are efficient and persistent its not too bad to kill.
This. Then buy yourself a mattock and dig the roots out. Chicken Chaser said:
I've got Ground Elder... I've managed to get hold of some 360g/l Glyphosate from Wilkos. (its their own super concentrate). I plan on pasting it onto the leaves with a brush. Will this be any good? I was hoping a selective approach might save the shrubs which are still in there...
Yes, ideal. Be patient and vigilant and treat any new shoots that appear too.jon- said:
It seems the ammonium sulphamate link on page 1 is still on sale...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mistral-Ammonium-Sulphamat...
Cheaper here-http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mistral-Ammonium-Sulphamat...
http://www.pitchcare.com/shop/peat-compost-and-man...
I've put some down on my chipped area round the front and nothing seems to be growing any more. All I could find about dosage was 1kg per 5 litres but I didn't realise how quickly that disappears from a watering can.
Oops... My next door neighbour has just been spraying his block drive too kill the weeds. I asked him what he was using, and showed me a 5l bottle of glyphosate he's asked a farmer to get him, down to the last litre. He then said it doesn't go far, he didn't think 5l was enough.
I then suggested he read the instructions....
200ml weedkiller to 9,800ml water. He'd been using it neat!
I then suggested he read the instructions....
200ml weedkiller to 9,800ml water. He'd been using it neat!
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