Weed control

Introduction

In My 30 years  of  horticulture  I have  learnt that  there  are  several ways  to  control   weeds.    I said control because there is no way of  eliminating them.          You may think that by  putting a  mulch  down  will  solve  the  problem, I tell  all  My  clients  that the  mulch  will  only  stop  weeds  breaking  through  the  soil  if  the  layer  is  an  inch  thick  but that  wont  stop seeds that’s either   dropped  by  birds and  wind  settling  on  top  of  your  mulch .And  germinating

Not  longer  ago when  I  was  working for  Lambeth, We  used  to apply  a  weed  killer  called  Casron G. This  was  a  residual  weed  killer  that  stopped weed germinating ( a pre emergence ) in  there  tracks  but  unfortunately due  to  health  and  safety  this is  no  available  along with  it  Domestic  Counter part  Cover shield.

However there  is a  professional product  on  the  market  called  Kerb  which  does  the  samething  but  has  a  different  chemical.But  unfortunately  it  only  sold  to  professionals  and  not  to  the  general  public.

So I’m  going  to  take  you  through  the  ways  of  tackling  weeds .

Cultural  Method

Hoeing

When  hoeing  I’ll prefer  the  use  of  the  a  good  dutch  hoe  that  can  slice  through  the  weeds  with  ease.                                                                                                          Yes I  said  slicing  what  you  want  to  do  is  cut  bellow  the crown and  chop  off  any  vegetation.This  will  make  take  away  all  the  nutriment  from  the  plant  and  after several  retries (if you  keep on  top  of  it  the  roots  will  swivel  up  and  die  ) .Make  sure  that  if  you  hoed  up  the  young  seedlings  to  clear  the  surface  as  they   might  be  able  to  re-root  again.

when  hoeing  make  sure  that  its  in  dry  hot  weather  as  this  can  dry  up  any  roots  that  are  left  on  top  of  the  soil and  prevent  them  from re-rooting.

Propane  weed  gun 

Using a propane weed killer on a bed

This does  the  same  thing  as  hoeing  ie   removing  or  burning  the  foliage,which  is  then  brushed  away  and  disposed  of.

Pros

• The  flame  can  reach  onto  the  weeds  with  out doing  permanent  damage to  the  barks  stem.
• the  lighter  version available  make  it  easier  to  carry  and  direct  the  flame.

Cons

• even  if  you  choose  the  lighter   version  of  it   the  propane  cylinder  might  not  last  long
• it  is  not  all  that  cost  effective
• storage  if  you   choose  to  buy  the  bigger  version   then  you  got  the  problem  of  storage
• health  and  safety  rules  should  be  applied  as  these  canister  are  like  ticking  time  bombs  if  they  aren’t  stored  right
• they  can  be  very  heavy  to  use  esp  the  bigger  ones   and  will  need  to  moved around  on  a  troley

Hand  weeding

Pros

• The  finished  look  can  be  very  appeasing
• Its  cheap  cause  there  no  equipment   to  be  used

Cons

• when  you  pull  out  the  root   you  are  more  than  likely  to  leave  the  tap  roots  in  the  soil  to  re-root  again  although  the  vegetation has  been  removed  esp  with  the  cases  of  the  dandelions   and  burdocks   roots
• it  can  be  time  consuming  and  laborious  esp  if  you  have  a  large  area to  cover
• some  weeds  are  impossible  to  remove  esp.  if  there  are  in the  patio  and  growing  in  concrete  are  tarmac

Mulching

For  a  mulch  to  be  effective  it  most  be at  least  1″  thick   and  not  leave  any  gaps where the  weds  can  grow  through .

The best  way  to  apply  a  mulch  is  to :-

• weed  and  clear  the  site  first
• water  the  surrounding  area  well  before applying
• leave  a  small  gap  around  the    stem  of  the  plant   so  you  can  water it

• DO NOT  USE  fresh  matter  ie  manure  or  wood  chipping   as  the  manure  will  rot  the  roots  of  the  plant   and  wood  chipping  have  toxins  that  kill  any  young  growth

Material

• If  you  got  a   site  right  at  the  bottom  of  the  garden that  you  don’t  look  at  or  allotment  site  which  needs  to  cleared   one   cheap  way  is  to  use  a  old  rug  or  carpet will  do
• convert  it  upside  this  will  suppress  any  weeds  from    growing  up  cause  they  can’t  get  any  light  and  these  will  eventually  die
•   an  black  membrane  is  ideal  as  temporary  mulch    esp  when  laying  a  slabs  or  turfs  in  a  small  garden .  The  sheets  are  made  to  allow  water  to  go  through  the  soil  and  stop    plants  from  growing
• Also  You  can  use  it on   small  beds  by  covering    the  sheets  with  fresh new  soil
• Manures  (well  rotten)
• Compost –  tip  make  sure  the  peat  based  compost  is  well  wet. This will  bind  the  particles  together   and  act  like  a  thick  sheet
• straw
• decomposed  bark
• stones with  Sheets or  carpets
• basically  anything   that  can  block  out  the  light

But  as  I  mentioned  before    this  doesn’t stop  other  weed  growing  esp.  in  the  case  of   manures  and  compost  where  weed  seeds   are  dropped  by  birds and  wind

Chemical  Method

As  a  professional  gardener  I am  often  asked  to  weed   patio  and  drives   & like  I  said  before  weeding  by  hand  can  be  laborious. Therefore  I  would  apply  a  chemical  weedkiller  to  do  job  very  effectively   and  quickly.

However  with  the  growing  concern  for  the  environment  I’m  looking  into   other  ways  to  control  weeds using  the organic   approach

There  are  three  different  types  of  chemical  weed  killer  on  the  market  at  the present  and  its  important  to  know  what  to  choose  for  a  particular  job

• A  contact  herbicide  like  diquat   where  the  plant  tissue  is   burnt  to  a  crisp  or  frazzled  up  is  ideal  for  annual  weeds  as  per annual weeds   have a  long  tap  root  that  needs  to   killed

However   a  constant  application  of  the  chemical  should  slow  the  plant  down  until it  dies  away .

• Systemic:

  Systemic or translocated weedkillers are absorbed by

  plants and carried around the whole plant, including the roots.

  They are suitable for the control of both annual and perennial

  weeds but they do rely upon weeds being in active growth. They

  will thus be less effective and slow-acting if they are applied in

  periods of slow growth such as cold or drought.

Resolva weed killer

• Selective:
  Some weedkillers contain active ingredients which will selectively control weeds with a certain type of growth habit without harming plants with a different growth habit. Lawn weedkillers will selectively control broad leaved weeds without damaging the grass. Selective weedkillers may be either contact or systemic in their mode of action. Most weedkillers currently available are non-selective – ie they will cause damage to cultivated plants, as well as weeds, so care must be taken when the weed killers are being applied.
• Non residual These  weedkiller  are  ideal  if  you  intend  to  plant  in  the  same  spot as  the  chemical  leaves  permanent  traces  in the  soil these  are  often  known as  biodegradable

Kerb
professional granule herbicide

• Residual
  A residual weed killer remains active in the soil for several months or longer, depending on the product and climatic factors. While it continues to be active weed growth is prevented. Most residual weedkillers are used primarily in Combination Products (see later) for long term total weed control. These products should not be used near established plants or if the treated area is required for planting purposes in the short to medium term (check product label).
  There are residual weedkillers which can be used prior to planting and/or around gr
  owing plants. They are generally suitable for use around shrubs and woody plants and can be very useful for customers wishing to have a low maintenance garden or area, provided they are happy to grow only woody plants such as shrubs or roses.
  Combination Products:
  Several active ingredients with different modes of action are formulated together into one product.
  For instance a contact acting ingredient will control existing growth while a residual ingredient in the same product kills any germinating seedlings for several months. Examples are the path weedkillers

path clear

Non organic

My  choice  and  many  others  is  mix   of  diquat  and  glyphoshate   weed  killer     d1quat  when  applied  as  single  solution  acts  like  the  propane   weed  killer  above  and  burns  the  leaves  to  a  crisp  whilst  glyphoshate  works  by  being  aborbed  through  the  leaves  and  then  killing  the  roots  making  sure  that  there  is  no  chance  of  the  weed  coming  back .

Although  it  takes  time  for  it  to  take  effect  there  is  some  serious  draw backs  in some  cases  lately it  has  been  reported  that  glyphosate  no  longer  kills  broad  leaf  weed .  whether  this  is  true  or  not  is  hard  to  say  as  i  havent  seen  anything  yet  that  tell  me  otherwise.

But What  I  do  know  is  that  after  several  yrs  or  months  the  weeds  are  back  on  the  drive .  So  that  why  Im  on  the  look  out  for  a  more  effective  way  of  controlling  weeds

However  if  you  still  wont  the   chemical  approach    here  are  list  of several   that have  the  mixture  mixed  up  all ready  for  you

• 24hr weedaway
• Resolva  products   path  and  patio  concentrate

Organic  weed  killers

Home brew  (not  yet  tested )

On My  research  for  a  better  weedkiller I  have  come  across  some  very  strange  remedies  :-

1. Vinegar

Vinegar  is suppose to  burn  the  leaves  like  d1quat and  the  torch depleting  the  plant  of  its  sugar  to  promote  growth.

As I  said before  I  haven’t  yet  tried  this  out  So  I  can’t  really  give  judgement  on  it  but  what  I  gathered  from  the  forums that  it  only  draw  back is  that  it  has  to  be applied  during  hot  weather to  be  effective.

My  main  concern as  with  all  other  chemicals  man made  or  organic   is  what  effect  it has  the  soil .though  acetic acid  is  manufactured  ny  some  weed  killer  firms

Acetic acid herbicide

Although  the  instructions  claim  say  it  safe  i would  advise  all  the  safety  precautions  i  mentioned  in  my  blog  about  chemical  management  be  used  as  clearly  the  MSDS  document  on  acetic  acid  says  it  not                        Acetic acid  MSDS

Boiled water

This has  the  same  effect  as  above  if  you  ever  suffered  scalding  hot  water   on  your  skin  you  can  imagine  what  effect  it  will  have  on the  weeds. So  it  just  might work.

My  only  worry  is  :-

1. Health  and  safety  of  it  you  have  to  extra  careful  not  spill  any  of  it  your  self  and  also  carrying  it  out  to  the  path  or  patio
2. some  suggest  using  left  over  vegetable  water –  my  only  problem  with  that  is  that  salinity  of  it  might  too  much  for  the  soil  and  then  nothing  will  grow  cause  of  the  increase  of  salt  level .                And  then  there  the  run  off  into  our  drains .Although  most  of  the  waste  from  the  sink  goes  the  same  route

SALT

From  My  experience  and  knowledge    salt  kills  everything  by  osmosis  ie  the  concentartion  of  minerals  draws  the  less  minerals  from  the  plant  like  a  sponge thus killing  the  plant  with in  days.

This you  to   might  be  ideal  cause  its  safe  to  use  cheap  but  by  overdosing   every  time  you  see  a  weed  is  only  increasing  the salinity  in  the  soil  and  then  nothing  will  live  there  and  the  earth  will  become  sterile

Applications

For  best  results  it  best  to  water  the  weeds  first   in  dry  hot  weather  as  this  will  make  the  plants  more  acceptable  to  weed  killer

systemic weed killers based on glyphosate need between 4-6 hours without rainfall in order to be absorbed properly by weeds. If it rains in the interim, it may be necessary to give a further application. It is also a good idea to know what to expect in terms of weed control – systemic weed killers take longer to show the effects of control than contact weed killers and users often don’t realise this, so they may think the weedkiller isn’t workin

Related articles

• Mulch Buying Guide (lowes.com)
• Killer Vinegar (swanmama89.wordpress.com)
• Dear Modern Farmer: The “Better Know Your Hoes” Edition (modernfarmer.com)
• To mulch or not to mulch – definitely to mulch (kslifeonthefarm.wordpress.com)
• Ecological Pest Control II: Soil Biodiversity (shonufforganics.com)
• Alternatives to Glyphosate (Round Up) (heritagebreedsfarm.com)
• Weed Control Facts – Winning the Battle of the Weeds (organicrecipesforyourskin.com)