DIY grass killer

[Skiddy]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

I know some dogs will pee on command....but how do you hold the dog, aim and get them to pee at same time




My female dogs pee would KILL everything

My male dog...not so much

maybe he is talking about the people type of dogs

[Pigman1]

As a farmer and a retired Cooperative Extension agent I can tell you that Tom M. (astrnmrtom) has it right. Everyone gets so hung up on the latest "natural, organic, environmentally friendly, (add your latest buzz word)" method for growing and/or killing that they fail to recognize that modern pesticides and farm chemicals are in just about every case safer, more effective, less dangerous, and definitely tighter controlled than the holistic concoctions people who know little or nothing are spreading about. Read and follow the label directions!! In many cases these are pamphlets that are up to 90 pages long. This is why farmers need to attend periodical training to get their pesticide license before they can even buy some of these substances. If a little is good, a lot is definitely not better! It may kill you, pollute the water supply, kill fish and beneficial organisms or make you sick.

Again, Read and follow the label directions!! Contact your local Cooperative Extension office and they'll help. Do it right and don't guess.

[Bigd9]

Funny, I just sprayed 15 gallons of weed/grass killer today on our fence rows & long driveway. Use a brand from Rural King that has the same % of ingredients as RoundUp.

[TechWriter]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

I use the Roundup to kill everything in areas NOT accessible to dog

Maybe stop using Roundup altogether.

[Pigman1]

Originally Posted by TechWriter

Maybe stop using Roundup altogether.

More BS, agenda driven by the European green crowd and California juries.

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by TechWriter

Maybe stop using Roundup altogether.

I don't spray when windy
I spray in front of me while walking backwards so I don't walk thru area just sprayed
I wash right after spraying
And I only have small areas I spray 2X a year


That couple sprayed SEVERAL properties for decades.
What if any precautions did they take when spraying......both came down with cancer.
California Juries are KNOWN for HUGE Awards.
Where does 'personal responsibility' come into play? OH that's right it's everyone elses fault.

[TechWriter]

Originally Posted by Pigman1

More BS, agenda driven by the European green crowd and California juries.

You sure it's not the Elders of Zion?

[LETMGROW]

The biggest mistake I have seen using 41% Glyphosate is people tend to overuse it. I have seen people load up a hand sprayer with product right out of the bottle or jug and go out and saturate plants. This is not necessary in any way. I'm a hobby farmer for the lack of a better term and plant several deer food plots annually.
I use a 30 gallon ATV boom style sprayer to do my larger areas. I put 2 quarts of 41% Glyphosate in the tank and fill the tank to capacity. This will easily do 1 acre.
I travel at a speed of 7 MPH starting from one side and moving over back and forth then turn 90 degrees and repeat the process until the tank runs dry. Not a scientific approach but it is effective.
The amount of water is unimportant. You are not diluting the Glyphosate. The water serves only as a carrier to get the Glyphosate out of the tank. My goal is to get 2 quarts of Glyphosate on 1 acre with good coverage.
2 quarts of Glyphosate will give a good kill on anything not Glyphosate tolerant. Even though Glyphosate is referred to as a non selective herbicide there are some plants it will not kill. Those plants will need a herbicide which is made for those stubborn plants.
My wife uses small amounts of Glyphosate to kill grass which is trying to spread into her flowerbed. She mixes up a small amount of glyphosate with water in a gallon bucket filled 1/2 full and uses a cheap 3" paint brush to wipe the grass she wants gone. No over spray and it leaves a nice straight line.
I use rubber gloves and a painter's mask when spraying as well as long sleeved shirts and full length pants. I like to spray early in the morning or just before dusk to minimize evaporation. I also try to spray when I will have no less than 3-4 hours between the time I spray and any rain forecast.

Like has been stated before "Read the Label".
Good luck and be safe.
Lynn

[txcpl]

astrnmrtom - Thank you for the well written explanation for the use of herbicides. I really appreciate the comments on the term "natural". I would just like to add that it is important for the end user to have thoroughly researched the weed or weeds needing to be eradicated. There are many different herbicides and very often one herbicide will eradicate most weeds, but another is needed to eradicate the remaining weed/weeds, hence more than one spray session being required. Of course follow label instructions.

[charliez]

I have found too that when you spray can make a difference. Certainly don't do it right before an approaching rain storm. Spraying at a time when the plants would be drinking it up tends to help. Like the sunny time of day when they look thirsty.

[Cliffy]

astrnmrtom - Well done! Clear, concise, easy to read. Actually learned something new by reading it. Thanks.

[dustyone]

I really don't know any of this technical stuff, and I'm not sure what kind of weeds you're trying to kill. However I will say but I like to use boiling hot water yes you could get burned if you're not careful. But it will work it will kill things between sidewalks the it's poured gently in the cracks of the sidewalks. However I will say this weeds are persistent and they try to come back. I will use the water leftover from making spaghetti sauce or other pastas. Does work.

[Itchytoe]

The water left over after a crawfish boil. That hot salty water will kill everything, even crawfish...

[astrnmrtom]

My main objective was to offer perspective and share some of the knowledge I gained from being a licensed pesticide applicator in a very tightly regulated pubic institution for 16 years. Each year I had to attend recertification classes to keep my license valid. It was in these classes that State Department of Agriculture inspectors shared real stories of problems caused by both commercial pesticides and "home brew solutions". We had talks from inspectors, researchers, and even emergency room Doctors who have dealt with chemical exposures, ground/water contamination and unintentional damage to surrounding property and crops. It was a real eye opener for me and I learned a whole new way of looking at pest control.

I also had personal experience of the miss-application of common products. There was one incidence where an untrained person used a popular outdoor cleaner from the local hardware store to clean algae cover exteriro walls. Along this wall was the fresh air intake for the heating system which sucked the fumes into the building. That wing had to be evacuated and one employee had to go to the Dr because she has a severe reaction to any product containing bleach. I was called to by the boss to investigate what had happened, and to find out what was used. I spoke to the person who applied the solution. He was aware of the woman's sensitivity but when asked what he used, he handed me the container saying "Nothing on the label says bleach!" I pointed to the active ingredient which was listed as: Sodium Hypochlorite and told him that's the chemical name for bleach. That employee and my employer dodged a bullet that day because there was no lasting harm to the one employee and the quick evacuating of that wing satisfied the local authorities. The smell dissipated when the product dried and the area was reoccupied the following morning.

It also took me years to finally educate people that they can't just bring stuff from home to kill pests even if it was something Grandpa used to use for years on the farm for years. Sometimes they were applying chemicals that counteracted the steps I was taking to solve the problem properly. Other times they were using methods that were much more hazardous to other people or the environment just because it's what they do at their homes. Finally our state law prohibited the use of non registered products to control pests and when registered products were used, they had to be applied under controlled conditions and only during certain times. A record had to be made listing all the required information. Our employer also required that all pesticides had to be applied by a person licensed to do so.

So, you can see why I wanted to share my perspective. I certainly understand why someone would feel better using a common product they use around the house over one made by a chemical company in a container covered in warnings. It's human nature for us to be more comfortable with the familiar. I'm glad some people found the information helpful. That was my intention.