Killing Off the Weed Patch

[monkeyracing]

I'm looking to get a trail course going in my back yard. I've got an area of probably 10' x 35'. We call it the weed patch. It's very rocky clay/soil, filled with some pretty tough grass/weeds/plants from hell. I'm trying to figure out the best way to kill off the foliage and keep it killed off.

My wife's suggestion is roto tilling the whole mess and laying down weed mat. Just have to figure out what goes over that. It's be a tad expensive bringing in that much gravel.

I'm open to ideas.

[TheAxialNut]

Round Up if you wana go the DuPont route, or just lay down a tarp for about two weeks and everything will die from the heat! thats how i kill off my lawn lol....just sayin'!!

[Crawling Calvin]

Weed mat doesn't really work that well. I second the tarp and let it bake. If it is hot it will cook what is underneath. I would personally weed-whack the weeds and rake them out and dispose of them properly. Then lay the tarp down to cook what is underneath. When we were making a veggie garden we did that and it actually worked. That and keeping on top of the weeds helps

[vader2728]

An herbicide named Crossbow. Kills everything it touches except grass, even kudzu. All it needs is 4-5 hours to dry in the sun and your weeds will already start to wilt. Best stuff the lawncare outfit I worked part time for ever used....

[monkeyracing]

Yakking with my folks today. They told me to use white vinegar. Interesting.

[ROWDY RACING]

Napalm

[OTHGbronco82]

Originally Posted by ROWDY RACING

Napalm

x2 worked on trees in vietnam, no reason why it shouldn't work on weeds in your yard. Or, agent orange if you want to chance getting some bad joo-joo later on in life.

[monkeyracing]

Napalm! Actually, I'm not allowed to play with fire anymore. It has something to do with all the time I've spent in hospital over the past few years. Sheesh! I'm living in a nanny state.

[brianw]

funny - a buddy of mine talked about this topic this weekend. He suggested OFF Deepwoods or any bug spray with DEET. His wife was sitting in the yard and sprayed herself with OFF - couple hours later everything around where she was sitting was dying off. He said that's all he uses now - bug spray with DEET

[monkeyracing]

Well, after much research and reading the ingredients on herbicide bottles, it looks like vinegar wins. It works, is pet safe, bio-degrades easily...

Mix 1 gallon of plain white (5%) or pickling (10%) vinegar with 1 tablespoon of dish soap. Apply with one of those pump up garden sprayers. Repeat if necessary. It's a good idea to watch the forecast for a stretch of good weather. Rain will wash this away.

Should work.

[snail78]

Originally Posted by monkeyracing

Well, after much research and reading the ingredients on herbicide bottles, it looks like vinegar wins. It works, is pet safe, bio-degrades easily...

Mix 1 gallon of plain white (5%) or pickling (10%) vinegar with 1 tablespoon of dish soap. Apply with one of those pump up garden sprayers. Repeat if necessary. It's a good idea to watch the forecast for a stretch of good weather. Rain will wash this away.

Should work.

thats also a very cheap way too. let me know how it works because i need to do the same thing

[brianw]

ditto. Will that kill everything or only the weed plants (will it kill grass too)?

[monkeyracing]

Here's a YouTube video of a commercially available version of the same thing. (there are a load of vids about making your own) I used this because it's the only time lapse I could find.

I'll keep you filled in, though, on my specific situation. (crab grass and a shit load of dandelions)

jim

[SkaldidDog]

Do like Gen. Sherman did on his march through Atlanta to the sea...

Rock salt. Till it in, call it done for 100 years.

J

[792.5cj5]

goat

[Hunter711]

Isopropyl alcohol 90% solution, not diluted, use in pump sprayer. Non-toxic, biodegradable and safe to use around pets and humans. Will not contaminate soil. Kills vegetation with one application. Use periodicaly to maintain treated areas.

[crunky]

Go to TSC and get Pronto nondiscriminate herbicide and go Curtis LaMay on that shit.

Why do you want to kill it all ? I would only remove the vegetation that is where the trails will lay, that way it will add to the scenery when you snap pics or shoot video.

[gerr]

I have a half acre of dirt and use the vinegar and soap mix and it works well. Being pet/kid safe is a huge thing here in Norco since we are a horse town and if you get caught using the wrong stuff in animal areas you get a very unfriendly fine.

[monkeyracing]

Just for fun I bled all over the area yesterday. I was cutting up a couple of saplings to make a log pile and a bridge. The wood was green, the tree saw sharp and my hand in the way. Bled like a stuck pig, made a puddle, actually. Then my dog walked over to see what was going on and stood in the puddle, had a taste, too. Now she looks at me different: like food.

[OTHGbronco82]

that sucks. OM NOM NOM.