what is the ultimate killer
Hi guys can anyone tell me what is the most powerful chemical that will kill the grass and weeds growing between my cement pads. I am looking for something that will totally kill all of the grass in between. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
Hi Sammy If you are looking for a herbicide to kill grass and weeds I would recomend glysophate. It is a systemic non selective herbicide.
That means that once sprayed on it goes into the plants system and travels to and kills the roots. Non Selective means it will kill if sprayed on plants or green parts of the plant that it is sprayed on so be careful with it. You can buy it at most garden centers a common brand name is Round Up by Monsanto*
That means that once sprayed on it goes into the plants system and travels to and kills the roots. Non Selective means it will kill if sprayed on plants or green parts of the plant that it is sprayed on so be careful with it. You can buy it at most garden centers a common brand name is Round Up by Monsanto*
Ew. Awful stuff.
Roundup takes a loooooong time to leave the soil. It doesn't magically vanish, it takes months. If you do use it (it is banned from my yard) do not use it if there is a breeze, it will travel to other parts of your yard, or even your neighbor's yard.
If you have pets, or kids, keep them well away from it.
If the cement pads are small (the footpath kind) you can pull them up and set down landscape fabric undeneath & between them.
But if you're talking about your driveway - how big is it? I get a few from time to time in mine (it's gravel, oh well) and vinegar works well - you may have to apply it twice, and pick hot, dry days. But it works!
Roundup takes a loooooong time to leave the soil. It doesn't magically vanish, it takes months. If you do use it (it is banned from my yard) do not use it if there is a breeze, it will travel to other parts of your yard, or even your neighbor's yard.
If you have pets, or kids, keep them well away from it.
If the cement pads are small (the footpath kind) you can pull them up and set down landscape fabric undeneath & between them.
But if you're talking about your driveway - how big is it? I get a few from time to time in mine (it's gravel, oh well) and vinegar works well - you may have to apply it twice, and pick hot, dry days. But it works!
Last edited by Grey on Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:48 am, edited 2 times in total.
As a Licensed Pesticide Applicator in the State of Illinois since 1982 I can tell you that roundup has a half life of 7 days in the soil. It is neutralized by the soil. When ever we do a lawn renovation we spray the area with roundup first. In seven days we power rake the area and then re seed. All our lawn renovations come out great and we get great germination.
The number one thing to remember when usinging any pesticide is read the label.
As I mentioned the brand name roundup is just one of the glysophate products out there
The number one thing to remember when usinging any pesticide is read the label.
As I mentioned the brand name roundup is just one of the glysophate products out there
Compiled by Caroline Cox, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides- (NCAP)
Roundup, and related herbicides with glyphosate as an active ingredient, are advertised as products that can "eradicate weeds and unwanted grasses effectively with a high level of environmental safety." However, an independent, accurate evaluation of their health and environmental hazards can draw conclusions very different from those presented in the ads. Consider these facts:
1. Glyphosate can be persistent. In tests conducted by Monsanto, manufacturer of glyphosate-containing herbicides, up to 140 days were required for half of the applied glyphosate to break down or disappear from agricultural soils. At harvest, residues of glyphosate were found in lettuce, carrots, and barley planted one year after glyphosate treatment.
2. Glyphosate can drift. Test conducted by the University of California, Davis, found that glyphosate drifted up to 400 meters (1300 feet) durng ground applications and 800 meters 12600 feet) during aerial applications.
3. Glyphosate is acutely toxic to humans. Ingesting about 3/4 of a cup can be lethal. Symptoms include eye and skin irritation, lung congestion, and erosion of the intestinal tract. Between 1984 and 1990 in California, glyphosate was the third most frequently reported cause of illness related to agricultural pesticide use.
4. Glyphosate has shown a wide spectrum of chronic toxicity in laboratory tests. The National Toxicology Program found that chronic feeding of glyphosate caused salivary gland lesions, reduced sperm counts, and a lengthened estrous cycle (how often an individual comes into heat). Other chronic effects found in laboratory tests include an increase in the frequency of lethal mutations in fruit flies, an increase in frequency of pancreas and liver tumors in male rats along with an increase in the frequency of thyroid tumors in females, and cataracts. (ne fruit fly study used Roundup; the other studies used glyphosate.)
5. Roundup contains toxic trade secret ingredients. These include polyethoxylated tallowamines, causing nausea and diarrhea, and isopropylamine, causing chemical pneumonia, laryngitis, headache, and bums.
6. Roundup kills beneficial insects. Tests conducted by The International Organization for Biological Control showed that Roundup caused mortality of live beneficial species: a Thrichgramma, a predatory mite, a lacewing, a ladybug, and a predatory beetle.
7. Glyphosate is hazardous to earthworms, Tests using New Zealand's most common earthworm showed that glyphosate, in amounts as low as 1/20 of standard application rates, reduced its growth and slowed its development.
8. Roundup inhibits mycorrhizal fungi. Canadian studies have shown that as little as 1 part per million of Roundup can reduce the growth or colonization of mycorrhizal fungi.
9. Glyphosate reduces nitrogen fixation. Amounts as small as 2 parts per million have had significant effects, and effects have been measured up to 120 days after treatment. Nitrogen- fixing bacteria shown to be impacted by glyphosate include a species found on soybeans and several species found on clover.
10. Roundup can increase the spread or severity of plant diseases. Treatment with roundup increased the severity of Rhizoctonia root rot in barley, increased the amount and growth of take-all fungus, a wheat disease), and reduced the ability of bean plants to defend themselves against anthracnose.
These facts about Roundup are taken From a two-part article about the health and environmental hazards of glyphosate published in NCAP's Journal of Pesticide Reform. Copies of the article, with complete references for all of .the information presented, are available from NCAP for $2.00. NCAP, PO Box 1391; Eugene, OR 97440; (541) 344-5044.
Roundup, and related herbicides with glyphosate as an active ingredient, are advertised as products that can "eradicate weeds and unwanted grasses effectively with a high level of environmental safety." However, an independent, accurate evaluation of their health and environmental hazards can draw conclusions very different from those presented in the ads. Consider these facts:
1. Glyphosate can be persistent. In tests conducted by Monsanto, manufacturer of glyphosate-containing herbicides, up to 140 days were required for half of the applied glyphosate to break down or disappear from agricultural soils. At harvest, residues of glyphosate were found in lettuce, carrots, and barley planted one year after glyphosate treatment.
2. Glyphosate can drift. Test conducted by the University of California, Davis, found that glyphosate drifted up to 400 meters (1300 feet) durng ground applications and 800 meters 12600 feet) during aerial applications.
3. Glyphosate is acutely toxic to humans. Ingesting about 3/4 of a cup can be lethal. Symptoms include eye and skin irritation, lung congestion, and erosion of the intestinal tract. Between 1984 and 1990 in California, glyphosate was the third most frequently reported cause of illness related to agricultural pesticide use.
4. Glyphosate has shown a wide spectrum of chronic toxicity in laboratory tests. The National Toxicology Program found that chronic feeding of glyphosate caused salivary gland lesions, reduced sperm counts, and a lengthened estrous cycle (how often an individual comes into heat). Other chronic effects found in laboratory tests include an increase in the frequency of lethal mutations in fruit flies, an increase in frequency of pancreas and liver tumors in male rats along with an increase in the frequency of thyroid tumors in females, and cataracts. (ne fruit fly study used Roundup; the other studies used glyphosate.)
5. Roundup contains toxic trade secret ingredients. These include polyethoxylated tallowamines, causing nausea and diarrhea, and isopropylamine, causing chemical pneumonia, laryngitis, headache, and bums.
6. Roundup kills beneficial insects. Tests conducted by The International Organization for Biological Control showed that Roundup caused mortality of live beneficial species: a Thrichgramma, a predatory mite, a lacewing, a ladybug, and a predatory beetle.
7. Glyphosate is hazardous to earthworms, Tests using New Zealand's most common earthworm showed that glyphosate, in amounts as low as 1/20 of standard application rates, reduced its growth and slowed its development.
8. Roundup inhibits mycorrhizal fungi. Canadian studies have shown that as little as 1 part per million of Roundup can reduce the growth or colonization of mycorrhizal fungi.
9. Glyphosate reduces nitrogen fixation. Amounts as small as 2 parts per million have had significant effects, and effects have been measured up to 120 days after treatment. Nitrogen- fixing bacteria shown to be impacted by glyphosate include a species found on soybeans and several species found on clover.
10. Roundup can increase the spread or severity of plant diseases. Treatment with roundup increased the severity of Rhizoctonia root rot in barley, increased the amount and growth of take-all fungus, a wheat disease), and reduced the ability of bean plants to defend themselves against anthracnose.
These facts about Roundup are taken From a two-part article about the health and environmental hazards of glyphosate published in NCAP's Journal of Pesticide Reform. Copies of the article, with complete references for all of .the information presented, are available from NCAP for $2.00. NCAP, PO Box 1391; Eugene, OR 97440; (541) 344-5044.
I just want to say I know that pesticides are bad and I will only use it if that is the last resort, I will try every thing and if they don't work then I resort to pesticides but I rarely do as I had a bad experiance with pesticides and my peach tree. But I still use Chemical fertilizers because I figure every thing including natural products are made up of chemical even we humans are technically made of chemicals so I see no harm in chemical fertilizers but when it come to pesticides you should try something else like maybe vingar it works at killing weeds and might help in your case. ALl you have to do is spray them with 100% vingar a couple times and they should die.
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grandpasrose
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I'm with you Grey! Chemicals never cross my lot line. I use straight vinegar sprayed directly on the weeds and grass in my extremely large gravel driveway, until they are soaking wet, on a very hot sunny day, and within a couple of days they are FRIED!! No chemical residue either - no matter how long.
Val
Val
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grandpasrose
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- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:21 pm
- Location: Quesnel, BC, Canada - Zone 4a