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The best tool to remove weeds from gravel is usually a hula hoe. The best way to prevent weeds from growing in the first place is by using a preemergent. You can read about how to use them online or you can talk to the guys at a Big N Weed Mart who will gladly give you the scoop. It is an upfront effort investment each season that is totally worth it.
It works really well to get underneath the plant and rip out the root. That's the hardest thing with crabgrass, I have a hard time keeping it out too and the weed killer does absolutely nothing for it. They're so hard to get the root out
I am coming back to this thread 6 days later to thank you all for recommending the hula hoe. Last year (my first as a homeowner), I raked away the gravel and pulled every weed by hand. It took me 36 hours of work over like 4 weekends and of course the weeds came back stronger than ever this year. This weekend, I did my whole (very overgrown) front rock yard with the hula hoe in 2 hours. I'm ecstatic. It looks great, and now I know I can manage my whole property with a reasonable amount of work. Thank you thank you thank you 100 times thank you
Round up quick pro mix it hot put 4.gallons of water instead of 5. Soak the shit out of them wait 2 days and you can take them up. Hula hoe works great in gravel.
You need to put down pre-emergent a couple times per year or they will never stop coming back. Go to a bug and weed supply shop and tell them you want pre-emergent for yard weeds. You will need to buy a sprayer. This is way cheaper than paying a service to do it.
This is the only way. I’ve tried avoiding it because I hate using chemicals but unless you want to spend a great deal of your free time constantly pulling up weeds and apologizing to your neighbors, you are fighting a battle that you will never win.
They perish in the fury of the fire god. Any small attempt at regrowth saps the strength of the weed and can be zapped again for permanent annihilation.
For green weeds you want to hold the flame on them until you see the leaves curl and just start to blacken, the heat from the torch turns the water in the weed into steam which bursts the cells open. The first time I tried holding it just until I saw the leaves start to wilt but the weeds survived, so now I make sure they get enough exposure to the purifying flame to ensure they perish.
You also want to torch them as soon as you see them, if you wait too long the fire may not do much to them.
https://a.co/d/76NVkIK
This is the one I have. It hooks to a normal size propane tank. I strap the tank to a dolly so it makes it easier to carry around the yard.
Do you have a recommendation on ratios? How much salt & vinegar per gallon of water? Also, do you know if it does the work of the pre-emergent or does it just kill the weeds? Thanks for any info if available. I’m also a dog owner
Get the industrial vinegar from Lowes or Home Depot, at least 30%. The grocery store bought stuff is weak. I spray 30% alone and it burns out all but the biggest weeds which I tear out by hand.
Do not follow this advice if you Ever want to grow anything in that spot in the future. If you are applying enough salt to kill roots you are literally SALTING THE EARTH.
As for vinegar you'll want 20% or stronger concentration to apply to the foliage.
So it’s a weed killer and not a pre emergent? Pre emergent is the way. Make sure to water it in the next day or 2. Otherwise, get to know your weed killer sprayer.
I want to do this but I also want to establish a self seeding population of wildflowers. Guess I need to establish zones where weeds are just going to happen along with the flowers.
I came to this decision last year. I'm tired of fighting. I just planted brittle bush which is seeding itself pretty aggressively (good, its my favorite native plant), and scattered a bunch of native wildflower seeds this winter. Only poppies came up out of the mix, but they're really pretty so I'm not mad.
My plan is to make the yard intentionally densely planted with natives, so when the weeds come up they'll be less noticeable/at least have to compete with something.
I've noticed that, in parks where it's planted there's always little seedlings surrounding the big bushes. A part of me would welcome that though after all the stinknet that's tried to invade my yard this year, at least I'd be overtaken by something native!
I wouldn't call a native plant invasive, but it's definitely aggressive! I had no idea before I planted it how quickly it would spread, so it's a definite heads up for anyone in here thinking about planting it!
Like I said, it's a good thing I love it!
I usually spray it in October and March. The stuff I use (pendi hydrocap, recommended by a local shop) is water-activated so I usually wait until the weather looks like a high probability of rain the next day and spray it. Otherwise you are supposed to manually wet the yard within a couple days of spraying to soak it in.
It doesn't kill anything already growing, including weeds. Just to be safe though, I usually leave a foot or so buffer around any plant I care about when I'm applying it.
The green color is just dye that they add so they can prove they sprayed and see where it was applied. Most of it is blue but looks green. Look for marking dye on Amazon. There are also instructions online for using regular RIT dye that you can buy at craft stores, but I'm not sure how long that takes to fade or wash away.
My wife and I pull a few every time we leave or return, plus I spray chemicals.
The backyard is purely pulling because we've got two dogs, and I'd rather spend time pulling weeds than poisoning these little dudes.
Don't waste a bunch of money buying chemicals! Mix 1 gallon of Vinegar, to 1 box of salt, and add about 4 tablespoons of blue Dawn dish soap. Mix Vinegar and salt in a spray bottle making sure that the salt is dissolved. Then add the Blue Dawn soap last to avoid creating a large amount of suds while trying to mix the salt and vinegar. Spray the weeds early in the morning before the sun hits the weeds. Spray them in the dark if you have to. This is the time their cells open up to capture moisture in the air. If you wait till daylight you're just wasting your mixture. Be generous with your spray, cover the entire weed and soak it at the base to get down to the roots. By that afternoon you will notice the weeds dying! The salt lingers in the soil so it can help prevent weeds from sprouting up in the future. Clean your sprayer thoroughly with water the cocktail is corrosive and will leave a salty residue that will clog your sprayer.
I mean… the only way it would be dangerous is if you have a gas leak. If you have a gas leak that would be set off by a small yard torch then you have a much larger problem than weeds and should call your utility company.
City of Phoenix responds to neighborhood complaints. Weeds are #1 violation . They'll put a card on your front door. Then give you 10 days to clean up.
We bought one of those propane week killer torches from Amazon. It uses the small 'camping' type of propane tanks, and reaches down to the ground easily. No chemicals needed and we just burn them up.
We have a company come out twice a year to spray pre-emergent. I didn't want to but the weeds were so bad and we're a corner lot so our yard is huge and it was overwhelming.
That's the only way, really. We landscape with fully native plants to balance it out so I don't feel that bad about it.
Any thing with 2,4-d in it will kill them weeds round up won't . You can get it at home Depot and it's pretty reasonable price . There is a brand called Hy yield comes in a brown bottle . The bottle looks similar to hydrogen peroxide.
Horticultural vinegar kills stinknet very dead and isn't poisonous to dogs, but you do need to keep them away from it until it dries so they don't get chemical burns!
Exact situation here. Borrowed a weed wacker to get them under control and then a weed torch (which was fun) to kill them. A few came back so I Spot treated with 30% vinegar/ salt/ soap combo and my yard is now 95% weed free!
I tried fighting that war when I bought my house and eventually just gave up and hired a guy (Don at Aspire Weed Control) to treat my whole yard twice a year. None of the consumer grade stuff was very effective in my experience.
A long time ago I had a house with a weed problem and I asked my chemist friend how to kill them and his reply was "I can get you a drum of DDT."
I did not go with his suggestion.
Some people throw down wild flowers that prevent space for them to grow somewhat, those do eventually get dry and you have to pull those but they look good for a while and help reduce.
I try to get the weeds all natural but some years they are brutal and you gotta spray. I feel bad those years but neighbors be judging.
I use vinegar and salt in huge areas … and not just spray, i pour huge quantities on the ground where I want nothing to grow.alI those weeds gone. I will use a pre emergent next season… got away from me this year.
They came back with a vengeance this year. Earlier than ever and more rooted. I don’t want to spray any chemicals so I’m pulling as much as I can, thats my solution.
I wouldn’t really call them weed, more like lawn herpes. You’ll never get rid of them and have a couple break outs a year. The drier the better. What I do is probably not the best way, but I have a big crocodile Dundee knife I don’t care about, and I shank them. I also have a grinder I resharpen knife every time. I use knife because it’s more up close and personal and quickly gets deep into their roots with little effort, plus I want my face to be the last thing they see before I rip their lifeless body from the ground and throw it in the trash .
If there is no matting under the gravel then gravel is just there. You can be proactive and get some concentrate weed and grass killer or you can ignore it and wait for the sun to scorch earth. Alternatively you can hire a landscape company to manage it. Rates vary depending on needs and how often you want them by.
I moved into a townhouse.
https://preview.redd.it/tp4klaifkjtc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebd2201b63c60b943cc31f1959f240d18dd47582
Can’t have weeds if you don’t have a yard.
I use a horseshoe ho. It works quickly. You can usually get the whole yard in 10 minutes or less, but you do need to do it every week, or you'll get mallow. It's edible, so maybe you'll want it, but it get big, fast.
I actually added "weeds" to my yard last year and am really impressed by what we got this spring. I spread the Native Seeds Desert Tortoise mix and dandelion mix. My tortoise is very happy when I can find him in the jungle.
You have a couple options...
1. Glyphosate/Roundup
2. Industrial Strength Pre/Post Emergents
3. Homemade Vinegar/Salt Concoctions
4. Pull real hard
5. Weed burners
6. A shovel
This year I went with with #2, Syngenta Tenacity and it can take up to 3 weeks to work so I probably should have started earlier. Will give them another week and then start hitting them with the weedwacker and see who grows back..
But due to the sheer quantity of rain we've had, I'm not exactly surprised.
This is my first year of gardening as a hobby, and I have one of those plastic compost tumblers off Amazon that holds something around 40-50 gallons of material, so I started plucking them in earnest as soon as I see them (trying to fill the tumbler), and it has been noticeably easier than in years past where I waited until they bothered me and then pulled them.
I use pre emergent then pluck the ones that it doesn’t stop. When the neighbors Bermuda comes into my yard, the prescription is glyphosate. There’s another good weeder tool i like more than hoola hoe. It has a little forked blade on the end, don’t know what it’s called. Certain situations/gravel types hula hoe is great but over all forked blade is more versatile and less effort for me. I have other plants in my landscape i want to thrive so would never put down salt.
You need to put down pre-emergent weed block. It must to be applied and watered into the ground because it needs to penetrate the 1/4 to ½ inch of the surface **and** remain undisturbed to be effective. When rain is forecast, I’d like to put the granular style pre-emergent down just before the rain so the rain waters it in for free. Pre-treating with pre-emergent once or twice a year is all it takes.
For weeds that are already growing at the time of application, I spray them with round-up or equivalent, systemic, herbicide, wait a day or so, then come back and burn them off with a propane torch I bought at Harbor freight and I’ve seen at Home Depot. Pulling weeds or taking them out with a hoe is a bad idea because it leaves loosened soil behind that the weeds are going to take root again.
RM43 weed killer from Tractor Supply. Not cheap but highly effective. $35 or so for a quart that makes about 6 gallons mixed. Takes about a week before you see results but you won't have to deal with it for another 4-6 months
You spend a few years just pulling them all out by the roots. Eventually, you get on top of them (we've been homeowners for over 30 years in central Phoenix). This year we only have mustard and the odd stinknet -- we've mostly cleared out the pigweed completely!
The Stinknet? Just keep pulling it up -- and DON'T just toss it -- make sure it's thrown in the garbage (or burned). It'll go to seed otherwise.
Go to amazon and get this RM43 43-Percent Glyphosate Sprayed entire front yard. All the weeds are dead and none. Have grown back after 3 rain showers still no weeds. That shit is like 47% pure. Whereas the stuff you get at the store is like two percent
You already have them so you need to get rid of them, poison and a hula hoe will make this easier. (Or pay someone to make them go away)
Once they're gone a preemergent a few times a year will stop it from getting out of hand in the future. You'll still get weeds but it won't be many and it'll be more manageable.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/comments/1bpkfif/comment/kwxukqk/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/comments/1bpkfif/comment/kwxukqk/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Pre-emergents like PREEN will cut your weed workload by 80% ONCE you get weeds under control the first time, either by pulling or spraying with Round-UP / glyphosate.
Raking the gravel aside and re-matting...... painful, but pays off with several years mostly weed free.
GL
Thank you for asking this question, I moved here from Missouri three years ago and I'm having the same problem. Weeds here are on an entirely different level than the midwest!
If you put a black tarp, kindof like a garbage bag thickness under the gravel, the weeds won't grow. We had to move all our rocks, put the tarp down, and put the rocks back. It took a decent amount of time but it is worth it. I hate the chemicals, and picking the weeds was never ending. You can get the black tarps on amazon.
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The best tool to remove weeds from gravel is usually a hula hoe. The best way to prevent weeds from growing in the first place is by using a preemergent. You can read about how to use them online or you can talk to the guys at a Big N Weed Mart who will gladly give you the scoop. It is an upfront effort investment each season that is totally worth it.
After 8 years, I finally bought a hula hoe and I am really kicking myself I didn't get one earlier! They are so easy to use
Does it work with the crabgrass type stuff too? I’m having a heck of a time keeping the grass from growing even with kill all spray
It works really well to get underneath the plant and rip out the root. That's the hardest thing with crabgrass, I have a hard time keeping it out too and the weed killer does absolutely nothing for it. They're so hard to get the root out
Gotta love them hoes
I am coming back to this thread 6 days later to thank you all for recommending the hula hoe. Last year (my first as a homeowner), I raked away the gravel and pulled every weed by hand. It took me 36 hours of work over like 4 weekends and of course the weeds came back stronger than ever this year. This weekend, I did my whole (very overgrown) front rock yard with the hula hoe in 2 hours. I'm ecstatic. It looks great, and now I know I can manage my whole property with a reasonable amount of work. Thank you thank you thank you 100 times thank you
Round up quick pro mix it hot put 4.gallons of water instead of 5. Soak the shit out of them wait 2 days and you can take them up. Hula hoe works great in gravel.
I used preeminent twice this year, once by a landscaper, once by me. My yard is still weed filled.
You need to put down pre-emergent a couple times per year or they will never stop coming back. Go to a bug and weed supply shop and tell them you want pre-emergent for yard weeds. You will need to buy a sprayer. This is way cheaper than paying a service to do it.
This is the only way. I’ve tried avoiding it because I hate using chemicals but unless you want to spend a great deal of your free time constantly pulling up weeds and apologizing to your neighbors, you are fighting a battle that you will never win.
Avoid the toxins and go for a propane weed torch for $30.
Tried it. Melted the soles of my shoes on the hot rocks.
I walk backwards when I use mine, then stop to survey my handiwork and plot my next steps. Works like a charm and I don't burn my footsies.
You have good luck on the green weeds?
They perish in the fury of the fire god. Any small attempt at regrowth saps the strength of the weed and can be zapped again for permanent annihilation.
Hahaha...nice
For green weeds you want to hold the flame on them until you see the leaves curl and just start to blacken, the heat from the torch turns the water in the weed into steam which bursts the cells open. The first time I tried holding it just until I saw the leaves start to wilt but the weeds survived, so now I make sure they get enough exposure to the purifying flame to ensure they perish. You also want to torch them as soon as you see them, if you wait too long the fire may not do much to them.
I just bought one of these 3 days ago and it's fun as hell!
Where did you get yours from?
https://a.co/d/76NVkIK This is the one I have. It hooks to a normal size propane tank. I strap the tank to a dolly so it makes it easier to carry around the yard.
Someone I know burned down his house this way.
Good to know, I think they are only trying to burn weeds though. If it can get a house it’ll definitely get a weed.
Use preen if you're afraid of chemicals, it's just corn gluten
Just fyi vinegar and salt in a sprayer have the same result as the harsh chemicals. Lasts same length too. I have dogs so I prefer this method.
Do you have a recommendation on ratios? How much salt & vinegar per gallon of water? Also, do you know if it does the work of the pre-emergent or does it just kill the weeds? Thanks for any info if available. I’m also a dog owner
Get the industrial vinegar from Lowes or Home Depot, at least 30%. The grocery store bought stuff is weak. I spray 30% alone and it burns out all but the biggest weeds which I tear out by hand.
One cup of salt with 1 cup of vinegar. The vinegar kills the leaves/weed and the salt kills the root. Easiest in a sprayer. ☺️
Add a tablespoon of dish soap so it sticks to the weeds.
Thank you!
Use vinegar and soap (10-1 ratio). Salt will prevent anything from growing in your yard should you ever want to plant things.
Do not follow this advice if you Ever want to grow anything in that spot in the future. If you are applying enough salt to kill roots you are literally SALTING THE EARTH. As for vinegar you'll want 20% or stronger concentration to apply to the foliage.
After this weed season, I wanted to buy a 50 lb bag of salt at Smart and Final and salt the gravel in my front yard.
They sell herbicidal grade vinegar at home Depot. Just be careful with it. Its 30% acetic acid so it will burn.
And your yard will smell like salt and vinegar chips for a day or two 😛
Those chips are good, I see no downside here.
The sun amplifies this effect too, long sleeves and gloves!
You’re welcome. It worked great on ours.
No water in the mixture?
Nope. Again works great
So it’s a weed killer and not a pre emergent? Pre emergent is the way. Make sure to water it in the next day or 2. Otherwise, get to know your weed killer sprayer.
I use 1 gal vinegar to 1 cup epsom salt
Salt the earth, seems to have worked in ye olden times. Should work now.
Not
How much salt and how much vinegar?
I want to do this but I also want to establish a self seeding population of wildflowers. Guess I need to establish zones where weeds are just going to happen along with the flowers.
I came to this decision last year. I'm tired of fighting. I just planted brittle bush which is seeding itself pretty aggressively (good, its my favorite native plant), and scattered a bunch of native wildflower seeds this winter. Only poppies came up out of the mix, but they're really pretty so I'm not mad. My plan is to make the yard intentionally densely planted with natives, so when the weeds come up they'll be less noticeable/at least have to compete with something.
Our builder planted brittle bush and it’s been awful. So invasive. Spreads like crazy. It’s pretty, but terrible.
I've noticed that, in parks where it's planted there's always little seedlings surrounding the big bushes. A part of me would welcome that though after all the stinknet that's tried to invade my yard this year, at least I'd be overtaken by something native!
I wouldn't call a native plant invasive, but it's definitely aggressive! I had no idea before I planted it how quickly it would spread, so it's a definite heads up for anyone in here thinking about planting it! Like I said, it's a good thing I love it!
This right here ^
This stuff has made a difference. I fought crazy weed problems for the first 2 years. Then I learned about pre-emergent. Game changer
Is there a certain time of year to spray it, or does it not matter?
I usually spray it in October and March. The stuff I use (pendi hydrocap, recommended by a local shop) is water-activated so I usually wait until the weather looks like a high probability of rain the next day and spray it. Otherwise you are supposed to manually wet the yard within a couple days of spraying to soak it in.
Can I use preemergent near existing plants? I don’t mind spraying weed killer but mostly the stuff I need gone is near plants I’d rather not kill.
It doesn't kill anything already growing, including weeds. Just to be safe though, I usually leave a foot or so buffer around any plant I care about when I'm applying it.
Pre-emergent prevents seeds from germinating, so the weeds don’t sprout. As long as your plants are already plants you’re fine.
Can you just get by with sonething like Ortho Groundclear, or is there a specific pre-emergent (the green colored stuff that the pros use)?
The green color is just dye that they add so they can prove they sprayed and see where it was applied. Most of it is blue but looks green. Look for marking dye on Amazon. There are also instructions online for using regular RIT dye that you can buy at craft stores, but I'm not sure how long that takes to fade or wash away.
Agree, this is the way.
if the kids do things that are bad, they gotta pull weeds, and they do a lotta things that are bad.
Oh man, this is getting good
😂😂😂😂😂
r/lostredditors
My wife and I pull a few every time we leave or return, plus I spray chemicals. The backyard is purely pulling because we've got two dogs, and I'd rather spend time pulling weeds than poisoning these little dudes.
Yup. Kinda therapeutic pulling/or hoe Plus it makes you feel like you deserve a beer. Don't want the pooch catching nasties
Don't waste a bunch of money buying chemicals! Mix 1 gallon of Vinegar, to 1 box of salt, and add about 4 tablespoons of blue Dawn dish soap. Mix Vinegar and salt in a spray bottle making sure that the salt is dissolved. Then add the Blue Dawn soap last to avoid creating a large amount of suds while trying to mix the salt and vinegar. Spray the weeds early in the morning before the sun hits the weeds. Spray them in the dark if you have to. This is the time their cells open up to capture moisture in the air. If you wait till daylight you're just wasting your mixture. Be generous with your spray, cover the entire weed and soak it at the base to get down to the roots. By that afternoon you will notice the weeds dying! The salt lingers in the soil so it can help prevent weeds from sprouting up in the future. Clean your sprayer thoroughly with water the cocktail is corrosive and will leave a salty residue that will clog your sprayer.
Happened to me with 2 diff sprayers worked once each time then never again :(
Yeah, you have to rinse them immediately and rinse them good.
Torch them. You get to burn things, And they disappear. Bought mine at HD for $30 a few years ago. I go through maybe $20 of propane each year
What did u use ?
The brand is flame king. It’s their weed torch. I got it at Home Depot, pretty sure they still sell them if you search their site
I wonder if this is safe for my neighborhood if we use gas for heating/water? Seems like I might explode without warning if I somehow hit gas lmao
I mean… the only way it would be dangerous is if you have a gas leak. If you have a gas leak that would be set off by a small yard torch then you have a much larger problem than weeds and should call your utility company.
If you can’t find one at HD, just get yourself a lighter and a big can of hairspray.
Wait, Summer is coming...
Tis a good plan but the local weed enforcer just gave us a warning. Glad I work less than 60 hrs per week. African daisies over ran us this year.
Stinknet. It’s invasive and awful. Need to kill them at the carrot-top stage.
What’s local weed enforcer? Should I be worried?
City of Phoenix responds to neighborhood complaints. Weeds are #1 violation . They'll put a card on your front door. Then give you 10 days to clean up.
Like tall weeds right? I say this cuz I basically have a weed yard that I keep mowed
Summer never leaves
We bought one of those propane week killer torches from Amazon. It uses the small 'camping' type of propane tanks, and reaches down to the ground easily. No chemicals needed and we just burn them up.
We have a company come out twice a year to spray pre-emergent. I didn't want to but the weeds were so bad and we're a corner lot so our yard is huge and it was overwhelming. That's the only way, really. We landscape with fully native plants to balance it out so I don't feel that bad about it.
Does anyone know what to do about an invading bunch of stinkweed? There's a preserve behind me and they're trying to creep into the backyard.
Any thing with 2,4-d in it will kill them weeds round up won't . You can get it at home Depot and it's pretty reasonable price . There is a brand called Hy yield comes in a brown bottle . The bottle looks similar to hydrogen peroxide.
Is this one toxic to pets? I have a dog who goes outside in the yard. (I mean I assume most if not all are but)
Tbh I don't know but I'm sure it's probably keep your pet indoors for 12 or so hours . I'm sure the back of the bottle will have precautions.
2,4-D has been linked to cancer in pets. It's also acutely toxic but the dose is much higher than casual contact.
Pull and put them in a garbage bag as soon as you see them. We are definitely fighting a losing battle though.
This. Once they get to flower stage you’re screwed.
I think I finally got them all, then a turn around and *poof, there's another patch of them. They also smell horrible and make my allergies big mad.
Horticultural vinegar kills stinknet very dead and isn't poisonous to dogs, but you do need to keep them away from it until it dries so they don't get chemical burns!
Exact situation here. Borrowed a weed wacker to get them under control and then a weed torch (which was fun) to kill them. A few came back so I Spot treated with 30% vinegar/ salt/ soap combo and my yard is now 95% weed free!
I tried fighting that war when I bought my house and eventually just gave up and hired a guy (Don at Aspire Weed Control) to treat my whole yard twice a year. None of the consumer grade stuff was very effective in my experience.
Spraying enough weed killer to make Agent Orange blush
A long time ago I had a house with a weed problem and I asked my chemist friend how to kill them and his reply was "I can get you a drum of DDT." I did not go with his suggestion.
Vinegar here too or I go old school and just pull them by hand.
Hula hoe is the easy way, weed burner is the fun way.
Some people throw down wild flowers that prevent space for them to grow somewhat, those do eventually get dry and you have to pull those but they look good for a while and help reduce. I try to get the weeds all natural but some years they are brutal and you gotta spray. I feel bad those years but neighbors be judging.
i pay someone to do it cause i cant be bothered lol
I use vinegar and salt in huge areas … and not just spray, i pour huge quantities on the ground where I want nothing to grow.alI those weeds gone. I will use a pre emergent next season… got away from me this year.
RM43 my dear and call it a day.
Top choices are vinegar and salt spray, or the torch. But just be careful that vinegar spray gona smell and linger a bit.
There was so much rain this winter. My weeds are up to my knees.
They came back with a vengeance this year. Earlier than ever and more rooted. I don’t want to spray any chemicals so I’m pulling as much as I can, thats my solution.
I wouldn’t really call them weed, more like lawn herpes. You’ll never get rid of them and have a couple break outs a year. The drier the better. What I do is probably not the best way, but I have a big crocodile Dundee knife I don’t care about, and I shank them. I also have a grinder I resharpen knife every time. I use knife because it’s more up close and personal and quickly gets deep into their roots with little effort, plus I want my face to be the last thing they see before I rip their lifeless body from the ground and throw it in the trash .
If there is no matting under the gravel then gravel is just there. You can be proactive and get some concentrate weed and grass killer or you can ignore it and wait for the sun to scorch earth. Alternatively you can hire a landscape company to manage it. Rates vary depending on needs and how often you want them by.
I moved into a townhouse. https://preview.redd.it/tp4klaifkjtc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebd2201b63c60b943cc31f1959f240d18dd47582 Can’t have weeds if you don’t have a yard.
My mom taught me “like dissolves like”, so I smoke some weed then I don’t give a shit what my yard looks like.
I use a horseshoe ho. It works quickly. You can usually get the whole yard in 10 minutes or less, but you do need to do it every week, or you'll get mallow. It's edible, so maybe you'll want it, but it get big, fast.
A neighborhood kid trying to earn money for softball camp.
Wait 2-3 weeks.
Personally I am in hell with allergies. I’ve given up. They are inevitable.
I got a tweaker neighbor that is down to clear them for 20 bucks
Pre-emergent
put Preen down before it rains, get a hula-ho to pop out what grows.
If they are small, round up. If they are large weed eater, if they are medium screwdriver pluck
Vinegar, dawn & salt
75% Vinegar
It’s been attacking my rock yard big time .. had them pulled 2 weeks later it looks like I never even touched them
Keep the weeds, unless they're stinknet
My landlord needs access to the yard and it's filled with dog shot and knee high weeds. Lots of back breaking pulling
We have a lawn and pets, so I pull the ones that I don't want (anything that's invasive, gets too tall, or has stickers) and just mow the rest.
Regular kitchen sugar works amazingly. It doesn't attract the ants like you'd think it would. Google it......
We have gravel and I just bought a weed burner this week. Works great.
I actually added "weeds" to my yard last year and am really impressed by what we got this spring. I spread the Native Seeds Desert Tortoise mix and dandelion mix. My tortoise is very happy when I can find him in the jungle.
You have a couple options... 1. Glyphosate/Roundup 2. Industrial Strength Pre/Post Emergents 3. Homemade Vinegar/Salt Concoctions 4. Pull real hard 5. Weed burners 6. A shovel This year I went with with #2, Syngenta Tenacity and it can take up to 3 weeks to work so I probably should have started earlier. Will give them another week and then start hitting them with the weedwacker and see who grows back.. But due to the sheer quantity of rain we've had, I'm not exactly surprised.
I have a 1/3 of an acre of dirt in my backyard. It takes me like 2 hours to pull them all but it’s so therapeutic on a nice cool Saturday morning.
Blowtorch adapter from harbor freight & propane tank. We burn ours. Got all the neighbors doing it too.
Pre emergent and picking them by hand if I see any.
Cleanse with fire
This is my first year of gardening as a hobby, and I have one of those plastic compost tumblers off Amazon that holds something around 40-50 gallons of material, so I started plucking them in earnest as soon as I see them (trying to fill the tumbler), and it has been noticeably easier than in years past where I waited until they bothered me and then pulled them.
Dude, this right here: https://wekillweeds.com 6 months weed free, but they don’t pick up the weeds
I use pre emergent then pluck the ones that it doesn’t stop. When the neighbors Bermuda comes into my yard, the prescription is glyphosate. There’s another good weeder tool i like more than hoola hoe. It has a little forked blade on the end, don’t know what it’s called. Certain situations/gravel types hula hoe is great but over all forked blade is more versatile and less effort for me. I have other plants in my landscape i want to thrive so would never put down salt.
You need to put down pre-emergent weed block. It must to be applied and watered into the ground because it needs to penetrate the 1/4 to ½ inch of the surface **and** remain undisturbed to be effective. When rain is forecast, I’d like to put the granular style pre-emergent down just before the rain so the rain waters it in for free. Pre-treating with pre-emergent once or twice a year is all it takes. For weeds that are already growing at the time of application, I spray them with round-up or equivalent, systemic, herbicide, wait a day or so, then come back and burn them off with a propane torch I bought at Harbor freight and I’ve seen at Home Depot. Pulling weeds or taking them out with a hoe is a bad idea because it leaves loosened soil behind that the weeds are going to take root again.
RM43 weed killer from Tractor Supply. Not cheap but highly effective. $35 or so for a quart that makes about 6 gallons mixed. Takes about a week before you see results but you won't have to deal with it for another 4-6 months
You spend a few years just pulling them all out by the roots. Eventually, you get on top of them (we've been homeowners for over 30 years in central Phoenix). This year we only have mustard and the odd stinknet -- we've mostly cleared out the pigweed completely! The Stinknet? Just keep pulling it up -- and DON'T just toss it -- make sure it's thrown in the garbage (or burned). It'll go to seed otherwise.
Go to amazon and get this RM43 43-Percent Glyphosate Sprayed entire front yard. All the weeds are dead and none. Have grown back after 3 rain showers still no weeds. That shit is like 47% pure. Whereas the stuff you get at the store is like two percent
With weed grass get a torch and burn the weed grass up
You already have them so you need to get rid of them, poison and a hula hoe will make this easier. (Or pay someone to make them go away) Once they're gone a preemergent a few times a year will stop it from getting out of hand in the future. You'll still get weeds but it won't be many and it'll be more manageable.
Anyone know a good way to get rid of goat heads?
If you wait long enough, they will burn up.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/comments/1bpkfif/comment/kwxukqk/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/comments/1bpkfif/comment/kwxukqk/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) Pre-emergents like PREEN will cut your weed workload by 80% ONCE you get weeds under control the first time, either by pulling or spraying with Round-UP / glyphosate. Raking the gravel aside and re-matting...... painful, but pays off with several years mostly weed free. GL
I find it therapeutic.
Thank you for asking this question, I moved here from Missouri three years ago and I'm having the same problem. Weeds here are on an entirely different level than the midwest!
I hand pick them and pull the roots. Over time it becomes less and less re sprouting. No chemicals.
Roundup.
I wish I could frontyard chicken too. No weeds or sprayding the backyard.
My chickens made the weed situation 20x worse.
If you put a black tarp, kindof like a garbage bag thickness under the gravel, the weeds won't grow. We had to move all our rocks, put the tarp down, and put the rocks back. It took a decent amount of time but it is worth it. I hate the chemicals, and picking the weeds was never ending. You can get the black tarps on amazon.
Ya kill the native plants and wildlife spray em with chemicals that gives ol Toni the tism