[miadford@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Paula Pinney

I use one gallon white vinegar, one cup salt, and tablespoon on Dawn to kill my weeds. Safe and it works!

How long does the vinegar solution work?

[nn0wheremann]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

I want to have my rock bedding redone around the house. The weeds are winning. Any reasonable suggestions?

I used to use Preen as a pre-emergent, and Roundup as a post emergent. I found a sale on Roundup Pre-emergent, and it has worked better than anything else. I read somewhere that plain old table salt will dry up weeds in rocks too. I am going to try sowing some rock salt on the rocks next. All of this has been almost asmuch fun as defeating the dandelions when we lived in Chicagoland.

[nn0wheremann]

Originally Posted by miadford@gmail.com

How long does the vinegar solution work?

Vinegar drys up the leaves, but lets the weed’s root live. It seems to work for a couple of weeks at a time.

[DonnaNi4os]

Try a weed torch. I’ve found it to be a quick and easy solution without using chemicals

[DonnaNi4os]

I love mine and run the sprinklers for five minutes when I’m done…just in case.

[yellowtownhouse]

Originally Posted by Bomarsh

Roofing felt, roll it out, cut width to size , replace rock and you will not see another weed there again. I did mine 4 yrs. ago still no weeds.

Where can you purchase roofing felt? Thanks

[bobeaston]

Originally Posted by yellowtownhouse

Where can you purchase roofing felt? Thanks

Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

[waterflower]

EPA is a unit of the industry they represent, to protect their profits not your health.Since you feel that roundup is safe, drink a cup every day. See if they are telling the truth.The government or any affiliate corporation does not care about your health.

[Pdesensi]

Did that. Then the wind blows in debris and dirt and the weeds appear again. Ugh

[brianherlihy]

i put rock down 2 years i have one or two in a month i have weed block and plastic i put the stone down my self dont have them du it hear ripe you off bad

[merrymini]

30 per cent vinegar diluted with water for a 50/50 mix with some dish soap, no salt. I am a gardener and the rocks heat up in the sun and can damage the roots and dirt accumulates between the rocks and the weeds will grow. The mats do not allow water to get to the roots properly and that includes fertilizer. I have a large garden and am out there almost every day. Every box or bag of weeds is a battle won but, if you think you can win the war, you are mistaken, but I do love my coreopsis, milkweed and echinacea and all the bees and butterflies they bring.

[Glowing Horizon]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Choice Maintenance.

If you like the rocks, all you need is for them to remove the rocks, replace the black weed barrier and reinstall the rocks.

EASIEST & CHEAPEST METHOD
Step 1: spray weeds with (liquid) Roundup
Wait 2 weeks
Step 2: spray weeds with Roundup again (repeat until they are completely dead)
Step 3: Apply Preen (granular) pre-emergent weed killer
Step 4+: re-apply Preen every
6 months

[Glowing Horizon]

Originally Posted by Maker

Dirt will still accumulate on top of weed barrier fabrics. Weeds will grow. It is not very effective as it ages.

How are you getting rid of weeds now? Pulling them? They will grow back because parts of the roots will break off. Every broken off part will grow into an entirely new weed. So pulling them makes them grow back worse.

Here is the way to solve the weed problem. As suggested, spray a weed killer such as round up. That kills the weed all the way to the root. Only spray on a very calm day. Wind will blow it onto things you don't want to kill. Now wait a week for it to work. Then pull what remains, but you can leave it and it will shrivel up and disappear.

Highly caution against using salt or vinegar solutions. They may kill the weeds, but it also contaminates the soil. As those migrate with rain or irrigation, they will kill shrubs and flowers. Replacements plants will also die once their roots are exposed to them.

There are 2 versions of weed killers.
The one you want for your garden is active for a few hours after being applied. Once exposed to sunlight it becomes benign.
The other type is a long lasting type. You want that for driveway cracks where you never want things to grow. Never use that in a flower bed because water will spread it around (just like salt or vinegar) and kills grass, shrubs, flowers, etc, for a year or longer.

Weed barriers encourage some very undesirable insects & mold. Soil underneath never gets compost so weed barriers like black fabric or plastic destroy the natural biome.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

I want to have my rock bedding redone around the house. The weeds are winning. Any reasonable suggestions?

Weeds and grass increase tremendously in these summer months with the longer sunlight and more rain. That is to be expected. So for those with low maintenance rock areas, it is good to remember their great usefulness in the winter months because of the need for no grass cutting. Also there is no need for fertilizer on those areas so they keep the fertilizer runoff into the lakes at a minimum, which keeps the lake cleaner. So, during the summer months there is just a little more effort required to keep a rock area looking good. Round-up can be used on a dry day and after a rain storm the weeds are easily pulled.

[jimjamuser]

Unfortunately the more grass, the more constant grass cutting and the fertilizer and chemicals end up in the local lakes. Personally, I think that Florida grass is ugly and not soft like northern grass. I like landscaping rocks better and it adds a more unique style to a house, whereas grass is unexceptional and requires too much maintenance.