It does not matter to me how one keeps down the weeds, or even if one does keep down the weeds, but I would like to see landscapers and other people who work with these chemicals wearing an appropriate mask. I shudder when I see my Massey guys spraying all manner of stuff on my lawn and they have no protection. No OSHA here!

I think the exact same thing. Not good to breathe for sure.

Now consider all those dogs that get walked on the lawns of people who can't stand having the pesticide signs ruining the perfection of their grassy expanses, and remove them within hours of them being placed. And those dogs lick their paws. Or even your own feet stepping on the edge of the property where the spray has drifted, then tracking it back into your home for Rover to roll around in.

We had a guy doing herbicide in the garden and front of the house, everything looked very pretty when we first bought the property. We didn't move in right away though. A month later we came down and it was overgrown with weeds. It took me a couple hours, for each of a couple of days, to pull the weeds out.

We were only there a week. Two months later we came down again - overgrown again.

When we finally moved in, I waited for the guy to come and started doing the herbicide again. I told him never mind that, just keep up with the pesticide and herbicide on the lawn, and leave the garden and front alone, I'll just do it by hand since whatever he's been doing, hasn't done any good anyway.

It takes me around two hours, once every 10-14 days. It's good exercise, it gets me out in fresh air, and it's one less set of chemicals I'll have to worry about when I start setting out herb pots.

As I am now in my 70's, I use what's left of me doing what I enjoy, and that is NOT pulling weeds. Remember, we only get so many bend overs, mine are running out. One final thought on this subject, I have learned that, eventually, WEEDS WIN!!!

My recipe for a weed killer, natural and no chemicals. It is:
1 gallon of vinegar
1 lb of Epsom salts
1/4 cup of blue Dawn
Mix well, and fill up a spray bottle. Spray weeds in the am and they are dead in the pm. Can make a smaller amount, just cut the ingredients in half.

Vinegar at 20 percent in a sprayer. Never use chemicals that HD and Lowes loves to sell but will not carry the vinegar which needs to be ordered on line. They make more money on the chemicals. Usually pull by hand. I spend a lot of time in the garden keeping up host and nectar plants for butterflies. The weeds in the ground cover are the worst. I cannot spray them so they must be hand pulled ugh!

If anyone gets a few weeds, there is a lovely, friendly, person who takes pics, sends you a scathing letter with them. The poor lady next door had recently been diagnosed with CA, and fell a little behind, in weeding, so came the letter. She was in tears, she could hardly sit up much less weed.
Thanks to many who are not so mean, they stop and weed her flowers when out for a walk. It’s good to have helpful neighbors.

Someone did that in your neighborhood? That is awful.

I think 99% fall into the "not so mean" category and also fall into high standards from being raised at a certain time and place.

We were raised (like you) to keep a clean home and to bake and cook and sew and repair and do a lot of things that younger people do not have time for because both working full time.

In my eighty years I have never met a person that would do such a thing as send a note to someone about something like this. I bet you were shocked and saddened and surprised as well.

Merry Christmas Asian Three. (to each and all of you) I never know who is posting...…….

I gave the way that you described a chance. 3 chances actually. I live in the Historical Section and although the ingredients did kill the weeds the weeds were doing weed exercises underground and came back quickly. At least we gave it a chance.

We had to go the less popular route. It's coming up on the 5-month mark in the section we did with an Ortho Product and some grass, not weeds are popping through the decorative wood chips. :popcorn:

Weeds happen. You can not fight Mother Nature and win. The "Weed Police" need to chill out and get a life; upsetting neighbors over some living plants is just plain mean. After all, it IS Florida. (1) Expecting senior citizens to slave over their yards is a heat stroke or heart attack waiting to happen. (2) Not everyone has oodles of disposable income to spend on professional services to make the yards look perfect.
Just saying.

We don't have a rock yard but we do have rocks in beds/landscaping with the weed mat stuff. IT DOESN'T WORK, we still get weeds just have to pull and or spray to keep it looking good.

Somewhere in the middle is a viable option for the vast majority of residents, while also complying with the deed restrictions.

Nothing says it has to be perfect. It just has to be maintained. If you have a few weeds here and there, oh well, they'll be gone next time you or whoever does your lawn goes through it. If you (or they) miss one, I'm sure it's no effort to yank it up from the lawn on your way to setting the trash down at the end of your driveway.

And if it IS an effort, there's probably a nosy neighbor who loves nothing more than to mind YOUR business, who would be chomping at the bit to pull it out on your behalf. Invite them to do so, it'll make their day.

How much soap and how much vinegar? Thanks

Just remember - natural does not necessarily mean safe OR eco-friendly. Vinegar and salt will kill weeds. It will also destroy the soil by sucking the nutrients from it. Then you'd have to add more fertilizer. And that would make the soil more fertile, which would grow more weeds, etc. etc.

As NavyVet said - you will never eradicate weeds. Weeds will always win. Maintain however you want, but it will never be effortless no matter what method you try. Either you, family/friends/neighbors, or someone you hire, will have to work a bit of physical labor on a regular basis to keep the weeds under control. Like it or not, humans are no match for Mother Nature.