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Old March 29th, 2009, 10:15 PM
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Weeds!!

OK so pulling weeds for dad,and they keep coming back,yard is full or all sorts of weeds/.dad said even though he gets root out they always come back.any ideas what i could buy to spary on them so this does not keep happening...Cause there are mass weeds i need to pull.Sprayed some stuff yesterday to make it easier today and it did not,some look like patches of grass and they are impossible to pull out.thanks
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Old March 30th, 2009, 09:03 AM
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anyone anyone
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Old March 30th, 2009, 09:57 AM
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Unfortunately there are so many pesticides that have been banned this year I haven't had a chance to even look to see what's available. At least in Canada this is happening. Other than that, unless you want to start all over again and till up the whole yard..... keep pulling!
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Old March 30th, 2009, 02:13 PM
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lol!!!!
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Old March 30th, 2009, 03:09 PM
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I have the same problem.

It's the underground ones (brown tangled mess) that are the worst when you try to plant something.

No wonder I hate gardening.
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Old March 30th, 2009, 04:10 PM
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As noted by other poster, you will need to knows laws re pesticides in your area - I am in Canada and there isn't much we can use - besides - I have a dog who likes to "help" weed - so not an option. Two years ago I bought the Weed Hound and last year the Fisker Weed puller - each being o/s in its field.
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Old March 31st, 2009, 05:27 PM
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Well the downside to starting over is that moles love a fresh soft bed of dirt with sod. My new lawn is now riddled with mole hills (and pee stains). It appears the moles like the soft soil to root around for their dinner in. The neighbours lawns have been spared the moles because they are old and compacted. Mine is easy pickings for moles! Not many weeds mind you... It is so hard to come out ahead.
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Old March 31st, 2009, 06:47 PM
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I found this page on the net...some interesting stuff..

1. Boiling Water - Yep, that’s right. Plain old H2O can be used as an extremely effective weed killer. As a matter of fact, boiling water is more effective than many of your store bought weed killers in wiping out unwanted vegetation. Easy-peasy to do. Put a kettle of tap water on the stove and heat till boiling, then pour on the weeds you wish to kill.You are effectively cooking the plant in the ground. Boiling water is a great way to clear out vegetation on a wholesale basis, like driveways and sidewalks. But be warned, boiling water is not selective. It will cook and instantly kill any plant that it comes in contact with and this includes underground roots of nearby plants.
2. Bleach - Not only is bleach a spot remover, it is a weed remover as well. Place some bleach in a spray bottle and spray on the weed you wish to remove. The bleach chemicals will evaporate or dissipate in about two days (or less but better safe than sorry), making the area safe for planting. Again, bleach will kill anything but if you do get some on a plant you want to keep, just wash the plant off.
3. Vinegar - Vinegar is a great organic homemade weed killer. Either white or cider vinegar will work. The acetic acid in the vinegar works to kill the leaves on the plant but not the root. Vinegar will kill back (kill the leaves but not the root) any plant but works best on young plants because they do not have enough energy stored in the roots to regrow their leaves. If vinegar is applied to more established weeds enough times, the plant will eventually deplete its stored energy reserves and die.
4. Salt - It was once a known war tactic to salt the fields of enemies. Salting the earth was also used as punishment for severe crimes in several countries throughout history. The reason is because salt will kill plants and will make the ground unsuitable for future plant growth. On a small scale, you can drop a small pinch of table salt at the base of the undesirable plants. It will kill the plant but will dilute down to harmless in the next few rainfalls. On a larger scale, you can cover your gravel driveway or your ex’s yard with a good amount of salt and nothing will grow there for months. (FYI, it is illegal to salt another person’s property. It’s called vandalism.)
5. Rubbing Alcohol - Rubbing alcohol is used around the house because it draws water out and helps to evaporate it quickly. Guess what? If you put it on a plant, it will do the same thing. You will be basically sucking the life blood out of the weed. Makes you want to run right out and try it, huh? But again, rubbing alcohol is non-selective. It will kill any vegetation it comes contact with.
6. Corn Meal - Corn meal doesn’t really kill weeds, it just stops the weed seeds from ever developing. Corn Gluten is a pre-emergent, which is a fancy way of saying that is it is a seed birth-control. Corn meal scattered around an area will keep any seed in that area from growing into a plant. This means a weed seed or a desirable seed. This method is a good option for areas that you plan on planting grown plants in.
7. Newspaper - If murdering your weeds with chemicals is not your style, you can always smother them. Laying down a layer of newspaper at least 4 sheets thick (the more the better) will go a long way towards killing the weeds underneath. The weeds that are already there will die from lack of sun and the weed seeds will not be able to sprout because they are not getting any sun to start with.
As an added bonus, many of these 7 homemade weed killers can be combined to produce super results. For example, the boiling water can be mixed with the salt or the vinegar (or both) for a super weed killer. Use common sense when combining chemicals and make sure that there are no adverse reactions.
You can also add a few drops of liquid dish soap to the liquid homemade weed killers for added effectiveness. The soap is not harmful to the weeds but the soap acts as a sort of bonding agent and will help the weed killers to stick to the weed more effectively.
Since most of these homemade weed killers are all-or-nothing weed killers, you may want to use a weed killer shield with them to prevent sprays and splashes on desirable plants.
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Old March 31st, 2009, 06:56 PM
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WOW, those are some great tips, Wintson Thank you
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Old March 31st, 2009, 07:11 PM
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I've heard of a few of those but have never tried them.

Does anyone know what the @#%^#@ underground weed is that I have? There is nothing showing above ground but when I dig to plant something I run into lots of a brown tangled mass that is extremely hard to pull out. I end up just breaking it off as I can't get it all out.
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Old March 31st, 2009, 07:28 PM
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You can use a pre-emergent. It stops seeds from germinating. Any existing weeds or seeds that have already germinated won't be effected. So that means you use it after you get rid of the weeds to prevent them coming back. They'll gradually become fewer and fewer if you keep at it. You can also put down a special covering that prevents weeds by blocking light but still allowing water to go through. Just cut a hole where you want to stick a plant in. Looks good with a covering of bark.
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Old April 1st, 2009, 05:55 AM
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I know a lot of pesticides have been banned, not sure about herbicides though and that's what you need for weeds. I'm still seeing plenty in the lawn fertilizer mixes everywhere so I doubt that they have been.
We hand pull everything, I don't like using herbicides or pesticides.

Cindy
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Old April 2nd, 2009, 09:11 AM
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wow will t ry some of those out.i cant believe how fats they grow,just did front yard a week ago and already have to pick again,.,,and those bushy ones that look like patches of grass are a bitch to get out...
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Old April 2nd, 2009, 09:33 AM
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Heidiho, are these weeds in the lawn or a garden? If in the lawn, best way to prevent more from growing is to first pull out from the roots as much as you can. Make sure the lawn is not mown short and that the grass is dense. You can lay down a light layer of topsoil and then overseed with grass or clover seeds (if your dad doesn't mind clover). The resulting dense cover will prevent weed seeds from taking root in the lawn.
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Old April 2nd, 2009, 09:37 AM
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Oh, and the best pesticide I've ever used is a homemade one consisting of baby shampoo (or lemon dish detergent), mouthwash, tobacco juice, vegetable oil and warm water mixed together in a hose end sprayer. Just overspray lawn after mowing. WHen all our neighbours used to have problems with grubs, we had the greenest front lawn on the block (don't ask about the dogs' backyard ).
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Old April 2nd, 2009, 09:39 AM
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keep reseeding with grass seed, the thicker the lawn the less chance of weeds taking over, rake, seed, rake seed and fertalize all spring, late summer and every two weeks in the fall.
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Old April 2nd, 2009, 01:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luckypenny View Post
Oh, and the best pesticide I've ever used is a homemade one consisting of baby shampoo (or lemon dish detergent), mouthwash, tobacco juice, vegetable oil and warm water mixed together in a hose end sprayer. Just overspray lawn after mowing. WHen all our neighbours used to have problems with grubs, we had the greenest front lawn on the block (don't ask about the dogs' backyard ).

Can you post he amounts of each?

And, where does one get tobacco juice? Do I have to buy a can of tobacco and steep it?
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Old April 2nd, 2009, 02:41 PM
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Ya got to chew the tabacco rainbow and spit the juice into a jar .

Let's see if I remember this...I've been going by memory (not such a good idea in my case, lol) the last few years.

3 pinches chewing tobacco in 1/4 cup lukewarm water (let sit overnight)
1/4 cup baby shampoo or liquid lemon dish detergent
1/4 cup mouthwash
1/8 cup vegetable oil

Strain tobacco, add juice and other ingredients is a 1 gallon hose end sprayer (those bottles you attach to your hose ), fill rest up with warm water and mix gently. Spray over lawn after mowing.

Don't do this in the bright sunshine, it's always best to mow your lawn just before sunset. I also used this mixture on my shade flower beds and cedar hedges (to help cut down on aphids and mosquitoes ).

I've got the original recipe written down somewhere....I'll repost as soon as I can find it.

ETA: Some ppl use used cigarette butts and soak that in water overnight instead of the chewing tobacco. Don't know if it's just as effective.
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Old April 2nd, 2009, 06:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luckypenny View Post
Ya got to chew the tabacco rainbow and spit the juice into a jar .

I might be a country gal but I'm not a total redneck.


Thanks for the recipe and I love the fact that it gets rid of aphids too ....now I need to get dh to co-operate and do it.
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Old April 3rd, 2009, 09:48 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luckypenny View Post
Ya got to chew the tabacco rainbow and spit the juice into a jar .

You slay me

.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rainbow View Post
I might be a country gal but I'm not a total redneck.

So says you

....now I need to get dh to co-operate and do it.
Do it yourself lazy bones
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Old April 3rd, 2009, 02:57 PM
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Quote:
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Do it yourself lazy bones



I'll be too busy trying to get the friggin underground weeds out of the flower bed.
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Old April 3rd, 2009, 08:55 PM
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When I was around 7 years old, I was determined to rid the backyard of all the dandelion "weeds." I must have spent what felt like several hours digging out the dandelions and that night I had a dream that for every dandelion I dug out, another one popped right back in its place. lol Talk about a nightmare!

Anyway, some "weeds" are 100% edible and good for you in one way or another. If you don't spray with nasty chemicals and pick in an area where dogs/cats do not poop/pee, then there's no reason why you couldn't eat some of the stuff you yank up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ern6vW1F5Lg

But of course you gotta do your research and make sure everything is positively identified before eating. Some are obvious, like dandelions. Great in a salad or roast and dry the roots for a type of coffee-like warm drink.

Anyway, for all the rest of the weeds, get yourself a Dutch push hoe. It's not a pull hoe, it's a push hoe.

Click this link for a picture

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/gqt/imag...h_push_hoe.jpg

What you do is push this tool along soil level, and lop off the heads of any weeds. And leave the tops there to wilt and go back into the soil. With this method, you don't need to bend over, and there's no need to make sprays or any of that stuff.

Using the push hoe keeps the weed from making its own food from the sun and eventually it will perish. But if you get young weeds quick enough, the push hoe + baking in the sun will kill them and they shouldn't grow back.
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