# WEED KILLER



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

WEED KILLER?


I want to know what you use for week killer 

This is all I went to know 


1. BRAND 


2. Mixture Proportions. 



3. Applicator

Comes with one 


Use my own. 

How often do you apply it.? 


How long does it last? 


JJ


----------



## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

No weeding chemicals are used on the railroad. All weeds on the railroad are hand pulled.

Sometimes I'll then leave them out to dry on a rock as a deterrent so the other weeds will see what's in store should they decide to invade.









Weeds in cement driveway cracks are dealt with using Round-Up.


----------



## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

Roundup


----------



## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Round up in concentrated gallon ...mix with water in pump sprayer...2 gallon size... 

Dirk


----------



## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

87 octane gas works far better than any weed killer. I gave up on Roundup and the Gray bottled roundup years ago.


----------



## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

toss a match and leave town....!!! 

D


----------



## PhoebeSnow (Sep 4, 2013)

In the past I've used 100% White Vinegar. Put it in a spray bottle and liberally coat the weeds with it. Works best on baby weeds and weeds with broad leaves. Sometimes a second application is needed. If I pull the weeds out, I still spray the area to kill any roots left behind. A 2 gallon jug cost me $3.95.


----------



## Joe Johnson (Jan 2, 2008)

Roundup but open to suggestions..... 

Pulling by hand doesn't work in an rocky, arid climate


----------



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Thank you guys for the feedback. 

Everyone forgot one question 

HOW OFTEN TO DO YOU APPLY IT? 

jj


----------



## PhoebeSnow (Sep 4, 2013)

I've never used anything but White Vinegar and from my experience I've seen weeds noticably die within a few hours. The younger the weed the better. In the winter time, I spread organic preen in bad weed prone areas, which kills weed seeds from germinatiing in the spring time.

White Vinegar is biodegradable and no matter how much you spray it will not do any harm. The only twist to that is that White Vinegar kills whatever it touches, so if you accidentally spray it on your wife's favorite flowers, you can say bye-bye to the flowers, too.

I think White Vinegar works really well, but that's just my honest opinion.


----------



## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

The thing that I've found about Round-Up, and why many people complain that it doesn't do a good job/work, is that it only has a limited shelf life before it looses its effectiveness.

Round-Up is not a pre-emergent. That is, it doesn't prevent weeds, it kills them, so use it as often as you see weeds, and use a lot so it doesn't sit for extended periods and loose potency. Do NOT let ANY of the spray get on plants that you want to live.


----------



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

I use RoundUp...grey bottle kind...NOT the white bottle. The grey bottle type has a 90 day lasting pre-emergent in it. Also, the new gallon roundup bottle comes with a battery powered applicator...it's got an on/off switch. It's far easier to use. So...about every 30 to 60 days or so, when the wind isn't blowing, I grab the bottle, and take a walk around the property and spray green stuff I don't want.

RoundUp can be used around other good plants if you take a styrofoam coffee cup and push it onto the tip of the RoundUp spray head. A little tape helps too. To use it, place the cup over the greenery you want dead...and hit the spray button...and there's no over spray.


----------



## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By rlvette on 27 Oct 2013 05:37 PM 
87 octane gas works far better than any weed killer. I gave up on Roundup and the Gray bottled roundup years ago. So much for the ground water!


----------



## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Gary Armitstead on 28 Oct 2013 12:45 PM 
Posted By rlvette on 27 Oct 2013 05:37 PM 
87 octane gas works far better than any weed killer. I gave up on Roundup and the Gray bottled roundup years ago. 

So much for the ground water!









I have to spray far less gas on the weeds to kill them than using the watered down weed killers available today. So, which is worse? An ounce of Gas or a gallon of Round Up?


----------



## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Until this year, I've only been hand-pulling. 


Around June, I read up on vinegar-dawn-salt recipes. Sorta worked, but not great. I read later that vinegar is best on broad-leaf plants, and is not so good with grasses. And that's what I saw. Anyway, heck with the watered-down recipes: next time with vinegar I'll go un-mixed. The weeds all grew back fairly quickly with my watered-down mixture.


In late July, when I was on a business trip, my wife shot half the layout with some leftover Roundup (white bottle), as a surprise. Wow, what a diff. So a month later (say, mid-August) I got the concentrated RU and the 2-liter sprayer, and did the whole thing, and various paths. 


Here it's October, and I think less than 10 weeds have sprung up since. 


My plan next year:
- Preen in the spring
- A maintenance walk-around with the sprayer and pry-bar (for deeper roots), say, once a month


We'll see.


===>Cliffy


----------



## HaBi Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

The ounce of 87 octane gas is far worse than enough Roundup to do the same job. The 87 gas stays as gasoline for a long, long time. The Roundup breaks down in the soil after a few months. I'd rather drink out of a well next to a field sprayed with Roundup, than a well next to a field where they're spraying gasoline to kill the weeds. 

For non grass plants, 2,4-D sprays are inexpensive and work well. It is one of the main ingredients in things like Trimec. Note: it will also kill things like roses, grapes, and tomatoes, and 2,4-D will drift when it is windy or above about 80 degrees. So be careful or be prepared for a [email protected]#$% off neighbor. 

Some non grass plants are annuals, and die every year anyway. Others are biennials (live 2 years - like dandelions) or perennials. For most of these, spraying in the fall works best. 

the other Rodney


----------



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I aint got no Wife. So that eliminates one problem. 


I aint got no Flowers, shrubs , or other plants to worry about. So I can spray it anywhere. 


So I guess it is Round UP.

I don't like the idea having to do it every 30 days or so. 


Any other suggestions?

JJ


----------



## jguettler (Apr 17, 2009)

I use propane! 

http://www.lowes.com/pd_246067-13877-335606_0__?productId=50056503&CAWELAID=320011480001473312 

I just have to be careful not to melt the ties. And this time of year you have to be careful of dry leaves.


----------



## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

2,4,d Is NOT Roundup 

Roundup and most others labeled as a weed/grass killer is Glyphosate suspended in a surfactant 

If you want fast results, Roundup Pro in the granular form works in 24hours. Though its no faster killing the actual plant as it starts from the leaf down to show instant results. 


2,4,d Is a selective broad leaf herbicide will not kill grasses and other grassy weeds. 

Grassy weeds are the most difficult to contain. Some have nothing to take care other then roundup. Some like crabgrass are fairly simple with say Solitare or Acclaim. 

Others like sedges are very difficult as the way sedges grow from nutlets in the ground, you kill one plant only for its nut to grow another. Solitare and sedge hammer are basically it for sedge control. 

Most sprays will defoliate or kill non target items, plants, flowers, trees. You should also never spray open tree roots. 


For spraying in the early spring and fall you need to switch to a Ester based formula for cool weather. Use the water based sprays for over 70deg only as its not effective in cool temps. Many sprays also burn over 80deg and some are god for 90. I typically spray at a reduced rate in high temps. 


Also for any of these items you wont find them at Lowes or Homedeopt. You need to go to a John Deere/Lesco or one of your local farm/landscape supply house. Keep in mind though get the smallest bottle, most of them are a mix rate is 1.5oz or less per gallon. Roundup is the only one that is still up around 4oz a gallon for the pro versions. The homedepot/lowes watered down stuff is a lower active ingredient so you have a higher mix rate. Ive seen up to 8oz /gallon 


For the guy using gas for weed control, how are you applying that? A tank sprayer? I guess you have yet to encounter a static discharge from the tank yet. All the sprayers are labeled for to use flammable liquids. As bad as my neighbor using bleach to kill a thorny brush and killing 2 12" caliper Aspens with it along with a large patch of my lawn.


----------



## Ted Doskaris (Oct 7, 2008)

I use a had held crank handle dispenser to disperse granular Amaze pre-emergent over the entire RR area twice a year.









I, also, use a 2 gallon pump spay apparatus to cover the entire RR area with Ortho Ground Clear Complete Vegetation Killer (diluted per directions) once a year.









So far nothing grows, which is the way I want it during construction of my outdoor layout.
When the construction is completed, I plan to be more selective.

-Ted


----------



## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

To save some money, you can spray pure vinegar on broadleaf weeds, and Roundup on whatever's left standing.


----------



## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I have found the best way to kill something off is to decide that I want to keep it, and then give it tender loving care.


----------



## HaBi Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

It's the active ingredients that do all the work and should be listed somewhere on the container although this may be their chemical formula and not common name. There are relatively few ingredients that are available over the counter for the home owner. Each company uses the active ingredients in different strengths and combinations for their own brand name products. 

The active ingredients for granular AMAZE Grass & Weed Preventer are: Benefin (1.0%) and Oryzalin (1.0%). (Surflan spray mix also contains oryzalin.) 

For Ortho Ground Clear complete vegetation killer: glyphosate (5.0%) and Imazapyr (0.08%). Glyphosate is the ingredient in Roundup and is absorbed by green leaves, etc. Imazapyr is absorbed by both leaves and roots and "high soil volatility may kill hardwood trees as well as other non-target plants adjacent to the plants treated". Imazapyr may also have some residual in the soil and act as a pre emergent. 

Remember, if you try this at home, to read and follow all label directions. And just like in comedy, timing can be everything. 

the other Rodney


----------



## Nutz-n-Bolts (Aug 12, 2010)

Sorry to get to the party with this so late.







Here is what I use. And it works great. I preface by saying I don't use it on the railroad as it barely exists. I use it to get rid of a pesty invasive species called Japanese Knot-weed. We call it bamboo case it has a very similar hollow structure. I have bee applying it about 3 times a year during the growing season for three years now and I think this coming year I may finally eradicate it. We have a half acre of hill and about 1/3 of it was heavily covered with it when we got the property. You mix 4oz of the concentrate to 1 Gallon of water. The 32oz bottle costs about $22 at Agway. Funny thing is that it works to kill some of the most stubborn weeds I've ever seen, but won't kill grass. For the right of way of my dog-bone I use... roundup 3x a year.


----------



## izzy0855 (Sep 30, 2008)

Gasoline. 

Rick Isard 
Cordless Renovations, LLC 
RCS America


----------



## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Round Up is considered a relatively safe herbicide as it has no activity in the soil, only on green plants. As stated it does not prevent germination. Best used with a pre-emerge to keep unwanted plants from coming back. JJ your conditions differ quite a bit from ours, but we need 2-3 applications a summer. We buy a glyphosate product in 2.5 gallon concentrate and mix 3% with water.


----------



## daveyb (Feb 28, 2009)

i spray a lot of weeds for customers and use glysphosphate 360,,, you can get stronger 

i use a ryobi battery powered weed killer 18 volt one battery range,,, takes 4 litres and it makes it so easy

no pumping of handles or messing about.....

also have heard that if you put a drop of washing up liquid in it helps with waxy type leaves

i spray everything 4 to 6 weeks,, and buy it in bulk,,, works out cheeper

have tried vinegar and salt but the glysphosphate is very effective


----------



## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

This year I used Roundup concentrate, mixed per instructions (i think 6 oz to 2 gal water). Sprayed it about 2 1/2 months ago, and it did well. But I had to spray again 2 weeks ago -- using about 1/2 the fluid.


----------



## Michael L (Mar 18, 2014)

Here in ontario, all cosmetic pesticides/herbicides have been banned for some time now. So our options are limited. Even roundup is restricted so here is what I use...it works awesome...kills everything. 1 gallon of pickling vinegar...pour in 1cup of salt...then about 2oz of dish soap. Shake up in your favourite pump type sprayer and have at it. I use it all over the yard...weeds start turning colour in about 20 minutes. 
Regards,
Mke


----------



## rhyman (Apr 19, 2009)

My formula is very similar to the one posted by Michael L:


1 gallon vinegar
1 cup Epsom salts
¼ cup dishwashing detergent
1 can beer
Mix vinegar, Epsom salts, and detergent and pour into a spray bottle. Spray the weeds with the solution while drinking the beer. Works best in full sunlight. Non-selective herbicide – it will kill just about anything you spray. Use more beer if it is a really hot day.


----------



## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Mike and Bob-

I like your recipes. More friendly for the kiddos and dogs than chemicals. How long do your recipes last before weeds come back?


----------



## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

The vinegar recipes are probably fine, although they only kill the leaves..they dont kill the roots at all..many weeds will just spring back from the roots, and it will take multiple applications of vinegar to kill off multiple new leaf sproutings before the plants are weakened enough to die for good..so vinegar works, but poorly..

DO NOT USE SALT!!!

Salt in these mixes is FAR worse than roundup..Salt does not break down, it poisons the soil..use your vinegar with salt mix enough, and eventually nothing will grow at all..

The dangers of roundup are WAY overblown..mostly by ignorant wanna-be environmentalists who are immune to facts...roundup is safe when used properly. If you are concerned about the safety of pets, children, or things that live in or on your yard, I would put the "safety" of various mixes in this order:

Straight vinegar - probably safest, but ineffective.

Roundup - probably just as safe, but WAY more effective..kills plants down to the roots, and breaks down into harmless substances in contact with soil.

Vinegar mixes with salts..regular or epsom salt..horrible for the environment..poisons the ground.
just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it is safe..there are lots of "natural" things that will kill you! 
you can even die from drinking too much water too quickly..

Here is a long and detailed discussion on this topic:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/weeds/msg0415410828549.html
filled with the usual "of course Roundup is evil" posts by clueless people just repeating what they want to believe..but read on, there is a lot of good factual data there.

Scot


----------



## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Scot is correct, Roundup has no activity in the soil. We purchase it in 2.5 gallon jugs and spray hundreds of gallons a year to make trimming not needed around trees. However we do use a generic Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup.


----------



## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

Brian's answer is a good one, but I would expand upon it a little. A recipe from "Mother Earth" mag had an article years ago about a non-toxic weed killer that is cheap and easy. I'm in Arizona (Glendale) and have been using this formula for about three months and it works well...even on crab grass. The formula is 1 gallon of White Vinegar, 2 cups of Epsom salts, and 1/2 cup of Dawn blue dishwashing detergent (the stuff they use on TV to save birds covered in oil slick much). Anyway, I was a little leery at first, but I find it does provide great results and is a lot safer around pets and children. I also agree you don't want to spray it on plants you do want...or they will also die. Best for spot treatment or an area you can control (don't use it if you have an automatic lawn sprinkler system or it is going to rain within 48 hours). Good luck.


----------



## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ,
There is no one product that will do it all. I use Roundup quite a bit. But it has its limitations. It is a non selective weed killer. It will kill most anything that it comes in contact with. However it does not prevent growth from seeds and it goes inert with soil contact. It was developed for farmers. If you want to kill weeds and prevent ANY new growth you need to use something like Ground Clear. When sprayed it will kill most everything and prevent growth for about a year. It kills the ground for about that amount of time. Good for application in a narrow band along the track right of way. If you have some grass on the layout that is weedy then one of the lawn weed killers will work. It can be used over the whole layout and will kill most everything except grasses. For weed prevention (seed germination) use the granular Casoran,Noxall or Preen. Casoran and Noxall will be much longer lasting than Preen. These are all weed preventers. Be carefull with Casoran or Noxall to aplly at the right rate. Too heavy and it can kill or damage your good plants. The key to keeping weeds out is NEVER EVER let them mature and drop seeds. I do hand pull a few weeds here and there but mostly use the proucts I have described. I know this response was a little more windy than you wanted but like I said, there is no one magic product that will do it all.


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

FlagstaffLGB said:


> Brian's answer is a good one, but I would expand upon it a little. A recipe from "Mother Earth" mag had an article years ago about a non-toxic weed killer that is cheap and easy. I'm in Arizona (Glendale) and have been using this formula for about three months and it works well...even on crab grass. The formula is 1 gallon of White Vinegar, 2 cups of Epsom salts, and 1/2 cup of Dawn blue dishwashing detergent (the stuff they use on TV to save birds covered in oil slick much). Anyway, I was a little leery at first, but I find it does provide great results and is a lot safer around pets and children. I also agree you don't want to spray it on plants you do want...or they will also die. Best for spot treatment or an area you can control (don't use it if you have an automatic lawn sprinkler system or it is going to rain within 48 hours). Good luck.


Good to see you again.
I looked up the Epsom salts because of Scott's warning above. Seems as tho' it is a good thing for plants and can be used as a soil additive...
I had a weed once, I watered it and it lasted for 2 years, got too big so I plucked it!
Happy Rails,
John


----------



## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

"epson salt" is poorly named..it isnt actually a type of salt at all.
it contains no sodium, its actually Magnesium Sulfate..not related to salt.

So my warnings about not using salt still stand! 

Scot


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

ok ...


----------



## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Scottychaos said:


> "epson salt" is poorly named..it isnt actually a type of salt at all.
> it contains no sodium, its actually Magnesium Sulfate..not related to salt.
> 
> So my warnings about not using salt still stand!
> ...


 
Sure Epsom salt is a "type of salt."

A salt is simply the replacement of the acid hydrogen in a molecule by a metal or group acting as a metal.

You are confusing a "type of salt" (which could be any kind of a salt) with "table salt."


----------



## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Todd is correct. A salt is the product of the neutralization of an acid and a base. 

Chuck


----------



## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Roundup is very safe to use although sensible precautions should be made. Wash hands after handling and be careful when using it near water with frogs and fish etc. A human has to ingest quite a lot of it to do serious harm.
Be careful with overspray next to small plants that you don't wish to kill, it always seems to spray wider than you think at the time. I point my wand back away from plants I don't want to spray keeping the wand very low right at the edge. I have had medium size trees and shrubs die because some lower foliage got a whiff.

Andrew


----------



## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

'Live Steam' is a good weed killer. It is what my council uses sometimes.

Andrew


----------



## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

"..1 gallon of White Vinegar, 2 cups of Epsom salts, and 1/2 cup of Dawn blue dishwashing detergent ... "

I tend to use straight vinegar and hand/dandelionfork pulling of the weeds. 

Have to buy some Epsom salts (people who shovel their salt tainted snow/ice onto their lawns wonder why their lawns are half dead ... salt !) 

dishwashing soap is suggested in some brews to help eliminate unfriendly bugs on plants 'cause it helps the other ingredients 'stick' on the bugs and better to seal up their breathing orficies. 

I like this recipe (especially since it won't kill me like round-up or similiar) !!

nite


----------



## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

I hand weed. I believe that pesticides and herbicides are killing our planet and i cannot bear to add to that sad destruction for the love of a "hobby." 

I pull by hand, and if the "weed" is a native flower or an attractive food plant for butterflies or bees, i will transplant it outside the layout. If the plants are baby starts i let them grow to transplantable size. I do that for Forget-Me-Nots, Lamb's Ears, Oxalis, and the occasional Scarlet Pimpernel.

I pull weeds whenever i see weeds. Daily, more or less. Given that my eyesight is poor, i miss some. My husband helps. Every two weeks or so we do a real inch-by inch weeding, at the same time transplanting out any invaders who are pleasing plants in their own right and whose only problem is that they are out-of-scale for the layout. 

I have far more trouble from falling Redwood, Eucalyptus, and Magnolia leaves than from weeds.

This article from the Scientific American should be read by all who use Roundup. 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weed-whacking-herbicide-p/

There are issues not only with glyphosate, but also with the surfactants used in Roundup, which, in some cases are more deadly to animal cells (amphibians and mammals) than the glyphosate herbicide is. Please be careful.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Actually, it seems no problem with the glyphosate (I read the article), but the surfactant listed as an "inert" ingredient. There is something to be said for the fact that the test was taking some cells and exposing them to the surfactant, not how it would affect you if it got on your skin.

Bears further investigation, but I have stopped putting my hands in freshly sprayed plants.

Greg


----------



## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

It seems many of the additives to glyphosate which are not always divulged by manufacturers are classed as 'inert' are anything but that. They are toxic to aquatic species when the herbicide runs off into water and are questionable when sprayed on edible food supplies being far more toxic than glyphosate itself. 

Andrew


----------



## MyMiniatureWorlds (May 3, 2015)

Roundup here exclusively. I've been very happy with it. It kills all except for some single weed types.


----------



## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

You had me worried for a minute there Bob. I thought you were saying to waste a beer on the weeds. I'm glad you specified the drinking of the beer first. While the neighbors would probably object, I bet spraying the weeds with the recycled beer might also be a good weed killer.


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

John J said:


> I aint got no Wife. So that eliminates one problem.
> 
> 
> JJ


Hey JJ,

That there is your problem. 

My wife knows that if left to me I'm gonna kill everything so I let her buy it (Round Up I think).

When the green stuff gets knee high I get out the Bush-Hog or the DR Trimmer and whack it as close to the ground as possible. 

How often?

Once a year just about does it.

The only thing I worry about is if the green stuff ever gets as high as the outside layout I get out a Weed Eater.

If its green - KILL IT! 

Jerry


----------



## wombat457 (Jul 15, 2015)

I know this is an "old thread" however, I paid a visit to my local Golf Course, spoke to the Green Keeper and am going to be supplied with the same Weed Killer he uses for the greens etc.

In short, perfect for weeds but will not harm grass etc.


----------



## HaBi Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

I'd be very, very cautious in case the golf course uses a mix that includes 2,4-D.

2,4-D is really good at killing "weeds" and not hurting the grass when used at a sane dose. HOWEVER, 2,4-D can vaporize anytime the temperature is above 75 degrees or so for up to 72 hours after application. It can also "drift" with not much wind onto non-target species, such as roses, tomatoes, shrubs, and trees. So if you spray today, and it's in the 80s 2 days from now with a breeze, you could cause damage to your (or your neighbors) garden or landscaping.

the other Rodney


----------

