Seldom driven parking areas get grass and weeds and blackberries that start to grow in spring. Summer usually cooks them dead but next spring they come back more and more. And start to grow through my treasures. About 1/2 acre is what I need to treat. I would like to apply something like the county uses on their road shoulders. I have a backpack sprayer. What should I be looking for? Roundup or some other brand? And how to get it economically?
If you want everything dead Roundup, or the generic with active ingredient glyphosate. That kills it all, assuming it's alive to start with. For broadleafs and other weeds 2-4-D takes care of them but generally doesn't hurt the grass unless applied too concentrated. Most herbicides list what they will handle on the label as well as give mix ratio guidance.
Mojave 70 is a GREAT pre-emergent. Everything dead for a year, I think it even kills the rocks. Make sure you want nothing there and watch runoff. I know a guy that might have used it on his vacation house and can vouch for it's effectiveness. "Not for sale or use in California" though, so you know it works! Can be found online......
Roundup will not kill everything, especially Bermuda Grass. It will take several applications to get almost everything. Then, other grass and weeds will start popping up in about 4 to 6 weeks, and you will have to spray again. Use something really strong, like Sahara, mixed with diesel if possible. A soil sterilent mixed in, will also help for long term control.
I buy the generic glyphosate from Tractor Supply and I spray it with a 30 gallon tow behind sprayer. Some areas get it twice a year but usually one application is enough. 1.25 gallons glyphosate to 25 gallons of water. Works for me.
If you want season long control of blackberries, and bigger broadleaf trees and brush, its hard to beat the generic form of Spike Herbicide. One word of warning, it is mobile, with water, so don't apply to low areas or areas that gets a lot of water flow...
You can spray glyphosate ( Round Up ) and 2 4 D together in the same tank mix. It is labeled up to 3% of each but does pretty well at 2%. There are others products that do a better job but may have some concerns. This combination has broad coverage, is inexpensive and pretty safe. I spray it around trees. Just keep away from axelias, cotton and such.
I sprayed "something" I read about on another forum about 2 weeks ago.. I "thought" it was supposed to be the cats meow.?? I sprayed & waited.. & waited.. & waited.. then I started bit*hin'.. I bit*hed for about aweek straight.. THEN things started turning brown.. then browner.. Took about 2 weeks before it took FULL effect.. I went out yesterday to do some yard work & make a boarder around the mailbox.. I have centipede grass.. If anyone is familiar w/ it..you know it'll grow on concrete & is like kudzu.. Anyway.. I had sprayed it & it was brown & dead.. I took a broad head pick axe to do the digging for the boarder.. 1st swipe w/ the pick & it went all the way to the handle of the pick.. That "spray" killed the roots & all.. A 2hr job fighting centipede grass turned into a 30 minute job.!!! I scraped up the grass, laid plastic & covered w/ red mulch.. DONE.. I'll get the name of it in awhile, after the sun comes up..
Glyphosate is so cheap and relatively safe that it's hard to go wrong. I get it on sale for $30/ 2.5 gallon 40%, it might have been a few years ago though. I wouldn't want to use the GOOD stuff in a backpack sprayer, I'd want to be in a cab with filtration and distance between me and the spray. The GOOD stuff will kill all season long, glyphosate will kill most weeds including the root, takes a week like TPG's experience. You want to hit them when they're at their fastest growth (think of it as a small business overextended on credit so around here, when annual weeds typically have four or so true leaves. Maybe four inches tall. Glyphosate won't kill established brush in one application reliably, and has no residual power, it only kills actively growing vegetation.
I found it.. its called >> Ground Clear.. by Ortho
Glyophospate (Roundup) has been used so much it's not that effective anymore. I switched to Liberty...almost the same, works better, nothing has developed a resistance to it yet. Ed
Barrier is supposed to keep anything from growing for a year. I put some down last fall and nothing has grown yet.