I have a stone circle driveway and I have weeds coming up in my stone I have tried some chemicals but. they are so expensive that I need something
cheep to mix to Kill them.
Is there a Recipie that I can Mix to save some money

Thanks Danny

 

Most chemicals work when the temperature is above 70 degrees F. Pre-emergent herbicide applied in the fall helps. I cannot think of anything effective now that the weather is cool.

 

Hi -

If it's a driveway, where you won't EVER be growing anything (for at least 10 - 20 years, anyways), try boiling salt water ... pour on weeds ... you may have to do it more than once but it works ... the salt makes the ground sterile so weeds tend to NOT come back. As for chemicals, I have no clue - don't use them myself!

NMPlantlady

 

Hello Danny

We have been using vinegar as a weed supressant in the municipality I work for during the past two years. The product is a concentrated (25%) acetic acid, which when diluted to recommended concentration (mix 3 parts water with 1 part concentrate to get a final concentration of 6%) will act on the young tender new growth of plants. It is not translocated into the roots and basically burns the top growth. If done consistently every week to 10 days during the vigorous growing season, it will eventually kill off the plants by starving the roots. Please note that this product is a supressant, not a weed killer

You should be able to achieve a 6% acetic acid concentration by mixing household (table) vinegar with concentrated lemon or lime juice 1:1. This home brew will act the same as the commercial product and is a lot less expensive, but as noted above will usually only supress the hardier perennial weeds. It may be effective on young annual plants and should help control perennials with multiple applications.

A quick note about restrictions and protocols: The concentrated product that we use is a registered pesticide and therefore requires posting and the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). The concentrate is capable of chemically burning skin and eyes. While a home brew is not nearly as concentrated, care should still be taken while preparing, decanting, mixing and applying it. At minimum, you should wear eye protection or a face shield. Rubber gloves, long sleaves and pants and rubber boots would also be advised. Do not apply on windy days or when rain is expected within a few hours to avoid drift and dilution; keep children, pets and bystanders clear and do not smoke, eat or drink while applying any pesticide. Clean the sprayer and label any unused mix, storing both safely out of the reach of curious hands.

You may also want to see a post at the top of the Lawns forum listing a number of home brews for various turf and horticultural problems: http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=138087

Hope this helps a bit

Howie

 

I just pour pure water on the weeds. Boiling water that is, from a canning pot, enough to cook deep down into the soil. It's non-toxic, economical, and so long as you dump enough water to cook the soil through the weeds die completely. The softened remains break down rapidly, and (the catch) provide fertiliser for the next round of weeds.

The only lasting solution is to poison the soil with a chemical (e.g. salt), something you may not be willing to do.