Soil................

[WoodMann]

Many of ya know that I've been at my place here for just over a year, everything is grand; the solar exposure all day and the stove to warm the night. But in the main yard and wehre the dog run is the bare dirt yeilds to weeds like you would not believe, getin' to be a real bother removing and taking them away, I can never seem to loose much on the highway. So I wanted to ask, is there anything short of Round Up, and less costly, too- that I can treat the soil with. I don't really want to till old motor oil all over, so is there something else I can do, even annually...........

 

[Highbeam]

Have you ever used a weed burner? It's a 500,000 btu propane torch used to wilt the leaves of weeds to kill them. There is a fire hazrd so you'll need to be smart but I have found the burners to work very well on concrete and gravel drives. No chemicals to apply and worry about the dogs eating, great fun with a loud jet sound too. Great bonfire starters. I have an inspector that works for me that uses his weed burner to start wood fires in his Fisher woodstove out in the shop.

 

[Eric Johnson]

White vinegar. It's totally organic, cheap and my wife swears by it as a weed killer. Or, in the case of dandelions, put it on (along with some oil) after you harvest the weeds.

 

[WoodMann]

Hmm- gonna try the vinegar. Thanks..................

 

[RedRanger]

I am Not a Monsanto fan,but have done field marking with roundup for more than 30 years and I`m still vertical. So if all else fails, go ahead and use it. There is a whole bunch of worse chemicals out there that you could apply. Far Worse

 

[BotetourtSteve]

Round up is harmless, unless you are a plant. Table salt is literally more toxic than RU. Monsanto's patent on RU expired a few years back, so there are right many cheaper copies on the market now - just look for glyphosate in the ingredients, and make sure it comparable concentration to others you may be pricing. There are some "hotter" products that actually treat the soil versus the plant (glyphosate, gramoxone attack plant - inactivated w/soil contact), but most of those require a certified pesticide applicator license, and might not be suitable for use around pets. I think there is at least one over-the-counter soil treatment out there, but I am not familiar with a chemical name or brand(s).

And what about mulching the dog run - will that help with weed control, or will they dig and sling it everywhere?

 

[WoodMann]

My reservation with Round Up was the cost, no fears. As to the dog run, I don't know what the dog will do, she's a puppy stillbut my folks have the dog, just fixin' to bring the beast over for a visit, that way I don't hafta fed the monster. I'm just about done harvesting so now I'm ready to try anything short of that afforementioned burner, don't have access to one of those.............

 

[Highbeam]

I thought everyone had a weed burner. They sell them at home depot and harbor freight.