Hello there! First Timer here.. an issue around my property that has been bugging me for sometime and I'd like some opinions/feedback on a remedy I want to do, but a most effective economical way of doing it. I've got a gravel driveway that gets overrun with grass/weeds every rainy/winter season. In the summer, I've hit it with Roundup, and then weedeat it, and blow it into my yard area so that its cleaner. But the method I'm more inclined for is salting the ground. Last spring I had gotten a bag of coarse salt from a nearby feed tack store, and I used an walk-behind fertilizer spreader for distributing spreading it out in the area in question. I rather like this idea, but here's the bad the worst of what happened to me; 1)I didn't know that after distributing the salt on the grass for it to die it needs a good lot of water/moisture for it to really work, 2)The spreader I used had the plastic teeth in the hopper that rotate as you push the spreader, and the salt was really rough on the teeth they broke to smithereens.
However, I do have a theory, and thats where I hope the community will provide a bit of input as to whether this might be a viable option or if there's another way of skinning this cat.....
I would like to do it the same way with the salt spreader, but would a Broadcast type spreader be an effective means of getting my driveway area salted to kill the weeds?? From what I can see in photos that this type of spreader, it seems to flick the material out, rather than like a grinding like I had used previously. Would I be somewhat correct in my theory? Any thoughts?
I'd use one of the weed killers with future control
Roundup makes one, I think they call it Max
My gravel driveway is almost .3 mile long and the only area that ever has grass growth is near the house
I don't think I've ever spread any salt on it [at least not for weed control] but I've always found brush killer to be the most effective if you can spray it thoroughly in the spring. Applying the weed killer later in the year always seems to be short lived and need frequent reapplication
I'm not a fan of salting. For one, it takes a lot of salt to achieve good control and rain leaches it out of the area and can kill adjoining lawn. And as you've found spreading salt it tough on equipment. A drop spreader has the most control but a happy homeowner model cannot withstand the abuse. Broadcast spreading is fast and easy but it's almost impossible to accurately control the width of spread.
I use Glyfos, a glyphosate herbicide. It is the slow acting, root killing part of RoundUp and it's considerably less expensive. You can get it from farm seed/chemical suppliers.
When a driveway is out of control with weeds you need to be vigilant. Not all weeds emerge at the same time, and not all seeds germinate at the same time. You may spray and kill what has already emerged but the seeds remain untouched and can sprout the next day. It's not a failure of the herbicide. It's just nature being very good at surviving. You may have to spray once every week or two until you get things under control. Then it may just take spot treatment once a month to keep things under control. Again, It's just nature trying to survive. Every time the wind blows or it rains new seeds are sown and will sprout up in your driveway.
Many future control herbicides leave a thin layer on the surface that prevents the germination of new plants. Great for a field or your lawn but the constant crunching and agitation of driving disturbs this layer so it's usefulness is reduced in a driveway. It helps but it's not a foolproof silver bullet.
Weeds are like ants and cockroaches. I don't think we will ever eradicate or dominate them and the buggers will out live us all.
on the cheap and friendly note, 10% vinegar kills everything. just like roundup. 2 gallons cost $3+ at sam's. quality backpack sprayer or broadcast sprayer will do.
yes, you can use broadcast spreader. it's good for anything chunky or granular.
Tags: grass, gravel, driveway, area that, future control, just nature, most effective, same time, things under, things under control, type spreader, under control
