How Do You Get Rid Of Weeds Safely?

[Bluefairy]

Hi,

We have a medium backyard. When we have not had dogs OH sprays weed killer (Not sure of the name) and it kills the weeds. He has contacted the vets to ask about the safety of it with our Pug, and the vet said to keep the dog inside when spraying (well obviously ), and when the weed killer is dry its safe to let the dog out....

Our weeds are now high, mostly cow throp, as OH doesn't feel right in spraying the back yard. So I am here to ask DOL what do you use in your back yards to get rid of your weeds?

Just pulling the weeds out isn't an option, OH is a shift worker and I have a disability.

Thanks

Lynn

[Kirislin]

I pull out what I can and pour boiling water on some. When ever I steam veggies or boil anything I go outside and drain it on the unwanted plants. I am on tank water so I have to get the most use out of water that I can. I rarely let it just run down the drain these days. I've been culling snails lately with boiling water too, it's the quickest and most humane way I can think of to kill them.

I dont know what cow throp is but even is you cannot pull it out due to your disability perhaps you can at least cut off the seed heads before they mature and burn or bag them to stop it spreading.

Edited December 3, 2011 by Kirislin

[jemappelle]

I use Zero and keep the pets off it until it is dry. I have been using it for nearly 20 years without any problems.

[Gayle.]

We lock the dogs in the courtyard or inside and spray with Roundup or Zero. We do it in the evening so it has plenty of time to dry.

[Mason_Gibbs]

We do the same as Gayle

[persephone]

I guess you mean caltrop ? You need to get that when very small before it flowers ..or during , otherwise the prickles(seeds) will make the yard a very uncomfortable place for any dog/person to walk!! Bloody awful thing

It is named after shaped iron spikes that were scattered along paths in forests etc to get stuck in horses' feet and slow up soldiers/armies/outlaws in pursuit!

By all means use glyphosate on the plants .. preferably the day after a good watering ,,and do it tea time, or later .. then let dogs out as normal next day .

use a 'wand' or a small sprayer..and target individual plants ..as glyphosate kills everything.

I shovel it out ,here.. just slide a small sharb blade under the ground so roots are cut. problem solved . We don't have lawn, which makes it easier ;)

[Bluefairy]

Thank you. Yes I mean Caltrop, everyone around here (rural town) pronounce it Cow Throp....so thats what I thought it was called

I'll tell OH its safe to use Roundup and let Archie out when its dry. He uses a large pump sprayer, so can get right at the weeds. We have lawn too, the weeds are all around it. Luckily too Archie never digs or goes off the grassed areas much. He prefers sunbaking on the decking.

Thank you

Lynn

Edited December 4, 2011 by Bluefairy

[Fordogs]

Roundup here use after locking up the dogs for the night, dry by the morning so ok for the dogs.

[sandgrubber]

Glyphosate, sold under the brand name RoundUp, is as close to non-toxic as you can get. In testing it, they fed dogs as much as 500mg of the active ingredient/day and observed no ill effects. It is short lived in the environment, so you don't need to worry about buildup.

I use the stuff in the vineyard . . . . as do most vintners . . . my dogs suffer no ill effects.

[Miss B]

We have weeds growing up through the decorative rocks surrounding our swimming pool, and OH is reluctant to use a weed killer for fear of harming the frogs that like to hang around in that area. Would RoundUp be safe to use?

[persephone]

re: weeds in paving... if there's not a yard full - then simple boiling water poured on weeds .. or VERY salty water poured directly onto them should help Do this at a time when you are sure no frogs are hiding .. and there is no nasty residue for them.

Glyphosate (, rather, the surfactant) is not kind to frogs.Apart from general toxicity, Surfactants will remove the protective layer on a frog's skin ..and leave the skin unprotected.

[Miss B]

Bugger... it's quite a large area (the entire fenced pool area, plus a wide strip along the front of the patio and a 3m x 3m area to the side). We have been weeding by hand, but it's very difficult to keep on top of. We live in a semi-rural area though and we love the wildlife and the frogs. OH is thinking of removing all the rocks, then laying weed matting and re-laying them. It's going to be a BIG project lol.

[persephone]

OH is thinking of removing all the rocks, then laying weed matting and re-laying them. It's going to be a BIG project lol.

by doing that any habitat for insects/frogs/birds is gone forever..

Got photos? Thought of planting that area with an indigenous grass or something? Maybe put gravel down ..rake it, and weeds are dislodged .

[Miss B]

OH is thinking of removing all the rocks, then laying weed matting and re-laying them. It's going to be a BIG project lol.

by doing that any habitat for insects/frogs/birds is gone forever..

Got photos? Thought of planting that area with an indigenous grass or something? Maybe put gravel down ..rake it, and weeds are dislodged .

Really, just by laying weed matting below the rocks?

This is the best pic I could find to show the type of rocks, although it covers a much larger area than what you can see in this shot. Oh and this photo was taken before the weeds took up residence - they are growing everywhere in this area now.

[persephone]

Oh OK. that makes a difference.

Spray your glyphosate one morning ... then late afternoon .. use sprinklers/hoses to soak the sprayed area thoroughly ..removing the stuff from rocks etc...not just a sprinkle. It is rainfast after about 6 hrs.

[gillybob]

Roundup or glucosphate is NOT safe at all.

It is slowly being removed of the safe lists in other countries.

It kills fish and frogs when it gets into the water systems.

Pull weeds up or use boiling water or steam on them.

Or you can mulch over them.

Anything but Roundup.

Australia is often last when it comes to dangerous chemicals.

People will tell you it is safe and sell it too you, but remember big chemical companies have a lot of pull.

[stonecutter]

Oh OK. that makes a difference.

Spray your glyphosate one morning ... then late afternoon .. use sprinklers/hoses to soak the sprayed area thoroughly ..removing the stuff from rocks etc...not just a sprinkle. It is rainfast after about 6 hrs.

And to make the glypho kill weeks faster - add a good dash of seasol in with the weed killer (seems strange to add a growth agent - but the plants just suck the poison into its system faster!) - you'll see them start to die off as early as 3 days - fully dead in a week. Otherwise it takes usually 2 weeks to be fully dead.

[sandgrubber]

Roundup or glucosphate is NOT safe at all.

It is slowly being removed of the safe lists in other countries.

It kills fish and frogs when it gets into the water systems.

Pull weeds up or use boiling water or steam on them.

Or you can mulch over them.

Anything but Roundup.

Australia is often last when it comes to dangerous chemicals.

People will tell you it is safe and sell it too you, but remember big chemical companies have a lot of pull.

Please give references. I'm active in a vineyard discussion forum where we've thrashed this one over quite a bit.

see, eg http://www.winepress...__fromsearch__1

Keeping the area under the vines -- or other agricultural areas -- weed free is expensive, and glyphosates are widely used. Glyphosate is the most widely used agricultural chemical in the world, by a wide margin. There are some concerns about weeds developing resistance in row crops, but little confirmed evidence that it is harmful to higher animals. There are a few people mounting lonely campaigns against glyphosate, but very few people are buying the argument. I haven't heard that the stuff has been banned by any country. (Btw, RoundUp is Monsanto's glyphosate product. They sold it on patent for many decades. It went off-patent some years ago, and there are now many generic versions available. In commercial agriculture, people tend to buy a generic and add surfactants / ajudivants as appropriate to the application).

Some versions of RoundUp contain ingredients other than glyphosate which are lethal to amphibians . . . here's the first clip I could find using Google. It came from a gardening forum. But the final advice is critical. READ THE LABEL.

http://forums.garden...2580527444.html

Previous research had found that the ingredient lethal to amphibians in Roundup was not the herbicide itself, glyphosate, but rather the surfactant, or detergent, that allows the herbicide to penetrate the waxy surfaces of plants. In Roundup, that surfactant is a chemical called polyehtoxylated tallowamine. The problem really comes from improper application and/or choice of products for the given area. Roundup is not a labeled product for use over water or in wetland areas because of one of the ingredients in it (not the Glyphosate) is damaging to aquatic life. Rodeo is the Glyphosate product labeled for use over water. Many people misuse herbicides without reading the label.

In a limited way, Roundup could be safely applied in areas known to contain amphibians if it were applied with either a brush or wick applicator. A mist application is typically the real culprit. Once again … READ THE LABEL. Improper use typically yields unintended consequences.

Another, longer treatment can be found at:

http://www.pan-uk.or...es/glyphosa.htm

On further reading I find Denmark has banned glyphosate. But that's because it was breaking down less rapidly than predicted, and therefore accumulating in groundwater; not because it was proving toxic, carcinogenic or mutagenic. Denmark has some of the most intensive agriculture in the world, and almost everything accumulates in groundwater.

Edited December 4, 2011 by sandgrubber

[Kajirin]

I tend to just use my Grampa's Weeder I picked up from the local hardware store. Had it for years and works a treat =] Wanted a chemical free solution when I got Scout.

[Gemelo]

I use a mixture of white vinegar and rock salt in a spray bottle on our paved area that has killed them. I think Hugapug may have told me about it? I dont like to use any chemicals because we have free ranging chickens and Im worried about making them sick. Im going to put it in a 5L pump sprayer this year and see how much it can really do