OT: Weeding in landscaping

[nitanee123]

I purchased my money pit last year....a 20-year old brick colonial that will probably be the death of me. I blame my wife, but perhaps this was all part of her master plan as she is keenly aware that my life insurance is paid up. But I digress. (Please feel free to start a thread on marital woes and I'll gladly chime in.)

Anyway, the weeds in my landscaping have decided to take over. It takes all of my might to break through the industrial-grade plastic under the rocks using a shovel, but somehow these @#$%#$ weeds have managed to come out in full force. If there was a contest for best dandelion, I think I'd win first place. Now I do have several shrubs that line the drive way and the walkway to my front door. I've tried a vinegar/soap mixture in hopes of going "green". It certainly is green but not as I was hoping. I want to avoid ripping up and starting over. Any suggestions in dealing with this? Is RoundUp the way to go? Also, what are your thoughts on a low-lying ground plant in place of mulch? I've seen a few homes around town and it looks like very low maintenance.

 

[91Joe95]

I purchased my money pit last year....a 20-year old brick colonial that will probably be the death of me. I blame my wife, but perhaps this was all part of her master plan as she is keenly aware that my life insurance is paid up. But I digress. (Please feel free to start a thread on marital woes and I'll gladly chime in.)

Anyway, the weeds in my landscaping have decided to take over. It takes all of my might to break through the industrial-grade plastic under the rocks using a shovel, but somehow these @#$%#$ weeds have managed to come out in full force. If there was a contest for best dandelion, I think I'd win first place. Now I do have several shrubs that line the drive way and the walkway to my front door. I've tried a vinegar/soap mixture in hopes of going "green". It certainly is green but not as I was hoping. I want to avoid ripping up and starting over. Any suggestions in dealing with this? Is RoundUp the way to go? Also, what are your thoughts on a low-lying ground plant in place of mulch? I've seen a few homes around town and it looks like very low maintenance.

Roundup.

 

[Ralphie_]

Ortho Weed-B-Gone works if you want to be selective.

 

[83wuzme]

Supposedly, Roundup breaks down quickly if you have adequate temps, moisture and microbes. I have heard and seen videos of areas repeatedly treated with Roundup that allegedly become dead zones. I know guys who have beehives who won't use the stuff anywhere.
There is a company called Gardens Alive that sells a " safe " herbicide called Iron X. I tried the stuff last year and it actually worked, especially on dandelions. It works best if applied during drier weather. There are also preemergent products you can put down ( too late now ) that will inhibit weed seed germination ( along with grass seed germination ). Some of these are synthetic, some are plant derived from corn meal.
A bit of advice on mulched beds : don't bother with landscape fabric or black plastic under the mulch. The mulch on top of it eventually becomes enough like dirt that weeds will start growing on top of the fabric or plastic. It's a real pain removing the fabric from under the unsightly mess years later. A better idea is to put down several layers of newspaper and then throw the mulch on top of it. The newspaper will break down after a couple of seasons, then you just repeat the process.

 

[Cold Smoke]

I purchased my money pit last year....a 20-year old brick colonial that will probably be the death of me. I blame my wife, but perhaps this was all part of her master plan as she is keenly aware that my life insurance is paid up. But I digress. (Please feel free to start a thread on marital woes and I'll gladly chime in.)

Anyway, the weeds in my landscaping have decided to take over. It takes all of my might to break through the industrial-grade plastic under the rocks using a shovel, but somehow these @#$%#$ weeds have managed to come out in full force. If there was a contest for best dandelion, I think I'd win first place. Now I do have several shrubs that line the drive way and the walkway to my front door. I've tried a vinegar/soap mixture in hopes of going "green". It certainly is green but not as I was hoping. I want to avoid ripping up and starting over. Any suggestions in dealing with this? Is RoundUp the way to go? Also, what are your thoughts on a low-lying ground plant in place of mulch? I've seen a few homes around town and it looks like very low maintenance.

Use any 2-4D product. Save the Roundup for survivors later. May not need it at all. 2-4D has been around for decades and is totally safe after a couple days (keep the kids/pets/livestock out for this period). Follow the directions. PSU PhD chemical engineer oldtimer here, and I care about environmental damage.

 

[83wuzme]

Use any 2-4D product. Save the Roundup for survivors later. May not need it at all. 2-4D has been around for decades and is totally safe after a couple days (keep the kids/pets/livestock out for this period). Follow the directions. PSU PhD chemical engineer oldtimer here, and I care about environmental damage.

2 - 4 D isn't very toxic to people, but some trees can have problems with it, Redbuds in particular.

 

[nitanee123]

Thanks for the advice everybody. I think I'll try the 2-4D for starters.

Now that I am on my way to getting rid of the weeds, is there anything I can do about the wife?

 

[nitanee123]

2 - 4 D isn't very toxic to people, but some trees can have problems with it, Redbuds in particular.

83 - I was just about to ask about that. So if I spray near shrubs, is it safe to say they won't be affected?

 

[83wuzme]

83 - I was just about to ask about that. So if I spray near shrubs, is it safe to say they won't be affected?

I've talked to some people in the landscape business who claim 2 - 4 is a bigger issue for trees than advertised. I know there is evidence that Redbuds can have a problem with it.
I gave up on synthetics a couple of years ago, probably from talking to my beekeeper friends. The main thing I use is compost, which I can get cheap. I've learned you really can't make up for bad soil with sprays or bagged products. We had a drought at the end of last summer and my yard looked better than all the neighbors who used Chemlawn.

Mulch is your best bet around shrubs to control weeds and retain moisture.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

I never use Roundup. I've never encountered weeds that I couldn't beat without using something like Roundup.

Some things to read:

Philadelphia Inquirer article

You Bet Your Garden Weed Control 101

You Bet Your Garden Spray Away Weeds

You Bet Your Garden Using Corn Gluten in the Fall

You Bet Your Garden "Round Up" Your Weeds Without Nasty Chemicals

 

[Eurotrash1]

If anyone knows How to keep Thistle weed under control I would appreciate it. They just keep growing on my hillside. You kill them and they keep coming back. Thanks in advance.

 

[ejb25]

Don't use Round up unless you want dead spots all over. It kills everything include the grass. I use Round-up only for my mulch beds. I use Ortho for Clovers, Spectacle for everything else, and Sedge Hammer for Nutgrass. And then I also go around with a weeding tool that you step in the ground and pluck the weeds. After 3 spring/summers since I bought my house, the weeds are finally under control. It's been a constant battle of learning how to find my weeds. The first summer I used Ortho and had dead spots all over. I also had a really bad nut grass problem that I used to pluck out by hand. Bad idea.

 

[allthingslion]

I've talked to some people in the landscape business who claim 2 - 4 is a bigger issue for trees than advertised. I know there is evidence that Redbuds can have a problem with it.
I gave up on synthetics a couple of years ago, probably from talking to my beekeeper friends. The main thing I use is compost, which I can get cheap. I've learned you really can't make up for bad soil with sprays or bagged products. We had a drought at the end of last summer and my yard looked better than all the neighbors who used Chemlawn.

Mulch is your best bet around shrubs to control weeds and retain moisture.

Agree. 2-4D nearly killed my Japanese Red Maple tree. I'm still hoping for recovery, but it doesn't look good.

 

[Nitwit]

Thanks for the advice everybody. I think I'll try the 2-4D for starters.

Now that I am on my way to getting rid of the weeds, is there anything I can do about the wife?

I'd try a nice red wine on her, followed by a back massage, and a gift of lingerie. If this fails, try vacuuming the carpets for no reason.

 

[T J]

Wild Violet's in the lawn...

Suggestions?

 

[psuro]

I'd try a nice red wine on her, followed by a back massage, and a gift of lingerie. If this fails, try vacuuming the carpets for no reason.

Then she will think he has been cheating on her.

 

[Peetz Pool Boy]

Now that I am on my way to getting rid of the weeds, is there anything I can do about the wife?

Every time I now open this thread to read the new posts, I see "Wedding in Landscaping". For some strange reason, I think your "issues" sprouted long before weeds (jk).

 

[PSU1282]

Wild Violet's in the lawn...

Suggestions?

Weed B Gone Ortho

 

[palmettolion]

Seems to me weeds are becoming more resistant to Roundup.

Weeds aren't my problem, Bermuda is. For some reason the guy that owned the house I purchased thought spreading Bermuda into the dead spots of Centipede was a good idea. I've been digging it out with a trowel and my hands since March. Pretty sure the only other option is to re-sod the whole lawn.

It's a battle I'm slowly winning but damn Bermuda and it's tap roots.

 

[Nitt1300]

 

[Thorndike2012]

I do use Round Up this time of year because I have a massive infestation of both Sticky Willy (galium aparine) and Hairy Bittercress (cardamine hirsuta). Both are very aggressive while there's a lot of rain still. Particularly the Bittercress, the one that launches its seeds all over when you touch it; if you don't get ahead of that fast its everywhere.

 

[CentexLion]

Seems to me weeds are becoming more resistant to Roundup.

Weeds aren't my problem, Bermuda is. For some reason the guy that owned the house I purchased thought spreading Bermuda into the dead spots of Centipede was a good idea. I've been digging it out with a trowel and my hands since March. Pretty sure the only other option is to re-sod the whole lawn.

It's a battle I'm slowly winning but damn Bermuda and it's tap roots.

Love me Bermuda. I got fifty acres in coastal Bermuda and over sprigged with Tifton. Very drought resistant. Requires no water. In the summer, goes dormant in the heat. A small bit of rain and I get another hay cutting. It also chokes out much of the weeds that I don't need to use herbicide. Sucks if it gets into areas where you don't want it, but I love it and my horses love it

 

[sluggo72]

This is what I do. Has worked very well

 

[T J]

Weed B Gone Ortho

Not sure how well Weed B Gone works on them. One full lawn spray treatment of WBG doesn't seem to do it.

Ortho's Chickweed and Clover concentrate is stronger, iirc. Believe that even with it, you may have to hit them every week for about 3-4 weeks for well established wild violets because of their rhizomes.

Recently hit some wild violets with Round-Up. They are still going. Waiting to see if they might die in a couple weeks. If not will try again.

Always open for wild violet options and suggestions and to check for any tips or techniques that folks have found to be helpful.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Wild Violet's in the lawn...

Suggestions?

Those are really a PITA, unless you come to like them as a variety in your lawn.

From THIS LINK:

Nick Christians, Ph.D., writes that the waxy coating on their shiny leaves makes wild violets virtually invulnerable to chemical herbicides. {Quote}: "They often survive when all other weeds in the lawn have been controlled."

The below advice, from the Penn State Extension Service, is repeated in a number of other sites concerning removing/controlling wild violets:

Fall is the best time of year to control most weeds. Hard to control weeds like ground ivy and wild violets can be controlled best with fall applications of herbicides. While spring is a necessary time to control clover, dandelion, and other summer annuals, perennial weeds will be better controlled in conjunction with a fall application. Check the label of 2 or 3-way herbicides to make sure your target weeds are on the label. There are some great products available to control most broadleaf weeds. Remember to add a surfactant if the product recommends one being added.

 

[T J]

Those are really a PITA, unless you come to like them as a variety in your lawn.

From THIS LINK:

Nick Christians, Ph.D., writes that the waxy coating on their shiny leaves makes wild violets virtually invulnerable to chemical herbicides. {Quote}: "They often survive when all other weeds in the lawn have been controlled."

The below advice, from the Penn State Extension Service, is repeated in a number of other sites concerning removing/controlling wild violets:

Fall is the best time of year to control most weeds. Hard to control weeds like ground ivy and wild violets can be controlled best with fall applications of herbicides. While spring is a necessary time to control clover, dandelion, and other summer annuals, perennial weeds will be better controlled in conjunction with a fall application. Check the label of 2 or 3-way herbicides to make sure your target weeds are on the label. There are some great products available to control most broadleaf weeds. Remember to add a surfactant if the product recommends one being added.

Thanks Tom.

Good reminder on the waxy coating.
Will try some grease cutters on the leaves before applying the herbicide.

May try a good natural one that is enviro friendly to see if it might work.

Ha - Don't want to wait until fall, but that's probably the best bet too. Thanks