Cecropia Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 I generally don't care about the lawn, but the weeds are already showing signs of being out of control. I think the neighbors will be coming out with pitchforks and torches if we let it go again this year. I would like to do a one-time control effort this spring to knock them back some. Complicating the situation, we live in a watershed (sloped yard, I can see the creek from here) and kids are always on the grass (not just mine; roaming neighborhood kids). Ideally the chemical would have low toxicity to aquatic life and humans and not require more than a couple applications to kill what's started growing out there. Weed n feed is bad for watersheds. I am fine with spot spraying. Hand pulling our large yard is impossible. I prefer to avoid supporting Monsanto, but if push comes to shove... A friend recommended Fiesta weed killer as a green alternative. Reviews online don't look too good. I don't have the luxury of time/money to experiment... need something reliable and effective! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 Boiling water is great for spot treatments. My husband has rigged up some kind of propane canister blowtorchish thing that he uses very gingerly when it's cold and damp, to melt ice on the driveway. He intends to try it on weeds. I think he is just pulling my leg. We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cecropia Posted April 10, 2017 Author Share Posted April 10, 2017 Yeah, I have done boiling water on weeds when we had a small area to treat. The amount of weeds I'm talking about now makes that a non-option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 I wish I had good solutions. I trust nothing either. If boiling water is a tedious then vinegar will be also. Have you seen this website: http://www.everydaycheapskate.com/home-and-family/hands-down-the-best-way-to-kill-weeds-and-its-not-roundup/ ? or this one: http://www.cbf.org/Document.Doc?id=35 ? The one above is for Chesapeake Bay area but full of useful information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalmia Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 Could you smother the lawn with black plastic and then reseed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cecropia Posted April 10, 2017 Author Share Posted April 10, 2017 I wish I had good solutions. I trust nothing either. If boiling water is a tedious then vinegar will be also. Have you seen this website: http://www.everydaycheapskate.com/home-and-family/hands-down-the-best-way-to-kill-weeds-and-its-not-roundup/ ? or this one: http://www.cbf.org/Document.Doc?id=35 ? The one above is for Chesapeake Bay area but full of useful information. I'm going to look into vinegar, thanks! It's the boiling part of boiling water that's tedious... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 (edited) I use this, the children are now big enough to use it too. You need to be at least 60 pounds to make it work unless the soil is really soft. It takes a while but works very well. Once you have gotten rid of most of them, it only requires a bit of maintance. I go out with a large paper sack and the weed puller. I bought it 5 years ago and it still works great. My father-in-law had his small lawn to the point of routine maintence but didn't want to be out gadgeted, he didn't really have the volume of weeds to justify one but he upgraded from a tiny weed puller to have the cool big gadget one. https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Deluxe-Stand-up-Weeder-4-claw/dp/B0030MIHAU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491875436&sr=8-1&keywords=weed+puller Edited April 11, 2017 by ElizabethB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 I know, I just hate the thought of all the poison that is being used on plants to kill them. Yes, they're noxious weeds! I've used round up maybe 3 times ever. I'd rather pull poison ivy and oak up by hand than use that poison, and frequently do. I don't mind dandelions and some other weeds I have no problem with being in my yard. Good luck, Cecropia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandragood1 Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Check out the Weed Dragon. It attaches to a propane tank and you burn the weeds out. You can then reseed. Most weeds burn right up but those with tap roots will recover so you can keep the flame on longer to cook the taproot or just pull them. I tend to keep a hose on nearby. Just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 You could give up and let the "weeds" grow. Now that mainstream America has the bee crisis on it's radar, it might not be that long before more and more people reject the traditional lawn. You can save yourself YEARS of unnecessary hassle by getting ahead of the trend and questioning the benefits of a grass-only yard. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/brainwaves/outgrowing-the-traditional-grass-lawn/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 Last week when we went outside we found there were close to 20 dead honeybees lying on the driveway (very short driveway). It has happened a couple of times before this too. Breaks my heart. Be a bee keeper! It's not as hard as you think it would be, but there are a few things to be on the lookout for, besides the bees, of course. I know several people who are bee keepers. Great honey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 I'm inclined to just set my own priorities. Bees, aquatic life and kids' safety outweigh neighbors' preference for weed-free lawns. But I'm crotchety. I've heard good things about the Weed Dragon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 We dig them or pull them, and we have acreage. Dh targets one or two kinds a year. He's gotten rid of almost all of the thistles on our 22 acres over the years. He's gone after ragweed, chicory, Johnson grass, and queen Anne's lace and made quite a dent in them. This year he'll be going after mullien. It can be done. Corn gluten meal is great for inhibiting weed germination. It's a bit expensive and you have to be patient and reapply as needed, though. We have lots of flowers for the bees, too. I agree about bees - they are worth not having a picture perfect chemically supported monoculture lawn. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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