Weed abatement HELP!
- Thread starter eggrookie2010
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patandchickens
Crazy Cat Lady
It *is* important to keep weeds out of gravel drives, on many soil types anyhow, because if you let them get going they will bury the gravel in soil and then it is muddy and rutty in wet weather and you have lost most of the POINT of having the gravel driveway in the first place.
On our property this only takes 4-5 years or so (we are on clay, and ahve lots of moisture much of the year so grass etc grows pretty fast).
Having spent almost $2k the other year to have half our barn driveway redone (top 6" removed, which was mostly turf and dirt, and replaced with crushed asphalt mix and rolled down), I can tell you it would have been WAY smarter for us to have kept up with it over the preceding years, as the O.P. is proposing to do
I'd suggest agricultural vinegar too, just like the above posters. Although for a smaller area you can hand-weed, use boiling water (that's how I control weeds in the regular driveway nr the house's front door - I empty my waterbath canner on 'em), or use clear plastic to solarize young weeds for a few days on a regular basis.
I would *not* suggest salting the driveway, as you will also be poisoning the soil for some ways out away from the drive as well.
You really really really want to get them BEFORE they get large or numerous though, b/c by that time they've put down enough root system that even if you kill the thing you've added a bunch of humus and 'loosening' to the gravel pack, and it has been started down the path returning it to turf.
Pat
On our property this only takes 4-5 years or so (we are on clay, and ahve lots of moisture much of the year so grass etc grows pretty fast).
Having spent almost $2k the other year to have half our barn driveway redone (top 6" removed, which was mostly turf and dirt, and replaced with crushed asphalt mix and rolled down), I can tell you it would have been WAY smarter for us to have kept up with it over the preceding years, as the O.P. is proposing to do
I'd suggest agricultural vinegar too, just like the above posters. Although for a smaller area you can hand-weed, use boiling water (that's how I control weeds in the regular driveway nr the house's front door - I empty my waterbath canner on 'em
), or use clear plastic to solarize young weeds for a few days on a regular basis.I would *not* suggest salting the driveway, as you will also be poisoning the soil for some ways out away from the drive as well.
You really really really want to get them BEFORE they get large or numerous though, b/c by that time they've put down enough root system that even if you kill the thing you've added a bunch of humus and 'loosening' to the gravel pack, and it has been started down the path returning it to turf.
Pat
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eggrookie2010
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Yes we spent about 2k on all that rock and tractor work. We have had about 40% more rain than normal here and it is so muddy the truck sank up to the axles when I was out mending a fence 2 weeks ago so keeping the integrity of this driveway is very important not just aesthetics (although I AM a freak about that) I kinda have to get over it though-it isnt like I am in town, I have a huge pile of construction materials, a barn that looks like it will fall over in a high wind....but I wouldnt trade it for anything now. I like the idea of the vinegar and I think I may have a few areas the salt may work. I will investigate further how long lasting the effects of the salt are on the soil. I really like this forum already. So helpful
Let us know what works. Our actual driveway stays clear but the border grasses are encroaching and the parking area that we don't use is now all grass with gravel underneath it. We have a lot of clay so the only time we ever had a problem with holes was when the snow was too deep and we got stuck and tried to power out. Just dug a big hole that was hard to get out of. Wish I had the money to put a real asphalt instead of crushed asphalt driveway in. Of course I've seen a lot of those that have heave cracks in them. I assume from faulty installation.
Can't blame you for being anal. I hate it when my place gets messy. Can't stand neighbors that leave junk all over the place. Don't mind when it's organized, but hate it when it gets that white trash look about it. I have piles of old fencing materials and wood too. Never throw that stuff away. It always comes in handy. I keep it on pallets though so it doesn't get tangled in weeds and looks halfway organized.We have areas down south of us near Colorado Springs where people buy an old trailer and live in it until it starts falling apart then bring in another old trailer and live in it till it falls apart. Glad they aren't my neighbors.
Have fun with your new place. You'll never be sitting around with nothing to do.
Can't blame you for being anal. I hate it when my place gets messy. Can't stand neighbors that leave junk all over the place. Don't mind when it's organized, but hate it when it gets that white trash look about it. I have piles of old fencing materials and wood too. Never throw that stuff away. It always comes in handy. I keep it on pallets though so it doesn't get tangled in weeds and looks halfway organized.We have areas down south of us near Colorado Springs where people buy an old trailer and live in it until it starts falling apart then bring in another old trailer and live in it till it falls apart. Glad they aren't my neighbors.
Have fun with your new place. You'll never be sitting around with nothing to do.
patandchickens
Crazy Cat Lady
That is a good point -- if you HAVE a weed-burning torch, and a climate where it is not likely to start major fires 
, it can be very useful. I wish I had one! Not enough to actually GET one of course, but if the weed torch fairy visited someday I would be glad of it <g>
The key with any method though is to get the weeds when they first start to sprout up, not wait til they are well-grown and numerous.
Pat
, it can be very useful. I wish I had one! Not enough to actually GET one of course, but if the weed torch fairy visited someday I would be glad of it <g>The key with any method though is to get the weeds when they first start to sprout up, not wait til they are well-grown and numerous.
Pat
Well I have one in fact I have managed to set my lawn on fire twice with it. I would not recommend one. Pardon me but did you even think about puting down a weed barrier BEFORE you got all the stone? Old newspapers are a cheap weed barrier if you couldn't afford the stuff that the pros use.Javamama said:What about burning them? I've seen those weed torch things but I have no idea how well it works.
I think driveway goats may be the best answer
Heh. We had a fire up on the property, about 10 acres.
That spring, we had more morel mushrooms that you could shake a stick at. I'm talking bags and bags of them. You couldn't walk without nearly stepping on them.
In a few months, you couldn't tell there was a fire, everything was so green and lush.
That spring, we had more morel mushrooms that you could shake a stick at. I'm talking bags and bags of them. You couldn't walk without nearly stepping on them.
In a few months, you couldn't tell there was a fire, everything was so green and lush.
patandchickens
Crazy Cat Lady
In my observation weed barriers do not do all that much to keep grass/weeds from invading a properly-built gravel driveway. (Tho a good, meaning expensive, geotextile laid down under the gravel *will* help keep the gravel from sinking/disappearing into the soil over time, in very wet and clayey areas, or from having the clay squoodge up thru the gravel, or however it is that happens)
IME even if you have something under the gravel, you still get grass/weeds seeding and horizontally-runnering into the driveway, their roots spread thru the gravel and expand and die and so forth, and you get about the same thing happening.
JME,
Pat
IME even if you have something under the gravel, you still get grass/weeds seeding and horizontally-runnering into the driveway, their roots spread thru the gravel and expand and die and so forth, and you get about the same thing happening.
JME,
Pat
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eggrookie2010
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Yes I was planning to put down the barrier but all the folks who live up here said it is such a terrible mess once it deteriorates...it works it way up through the rocks and is half sticking out and gets mashed into the dirt and the whole operation is a trash pile look. So I didnt use it. THEY all spray Roundup and use pre emergent. Not only is that expensive but not eco friendly.
