Weed killer recommendations please?

Eldrax

I read that salt water or vinegar sprayed onto them works.  I tried some white vinegar on weeds on driveway a few days ago and the leaves are yellowing. Worth a try, as its cheap and not as harmful to the environment

Woolsery

Eldrax said:

I read that salt water or vinegar sprayed onto them works.  I tried some white vinegar on weeds on driveway a few days ago and the leaves are yellowing. Worth a try, as its cheap and not as harmful to the environment

Have you a reference for that claim? Glyphosate is singularly the weedkiller approved for waterways in the UK. I agree salt and vinegar are cheap and white vinegar is more effective, but neither is especially 'good' for the environment. Unless people buy organic in the shops, it's possible glyphosate was used in the production of the fruit and veg they buy. That's not 'good' either, but it's what happens.

OP the second picture is your difficult weed, being ground elder with a network of roots underground which won't be affected by anything other than a systemic product. Even then, they will re-grow, so you must let them, then spray again, and so on. It's a game of persistence, Remember systemics don't work via the soil, only the leaves. When they're in small quantities, you can reduce wastage by just dabbing then with a thin brush or similar. That's what I do with dandelions in the garden lawns where I'd not want to spray.

Bendy_House

I'd be cautious of using salt in the OP's situation too, as I understand it works via the roots, so could also affect the trees/shrubs they wish to keep.

Woolsery

Yes, a small amount of salt might not be too problematic, but as we know from places like the Nile delta, a build-up isn't good for plants not adapted to it.

pollypenny

Woolsery said:

Eldrax said:

I read that salt water or vinegar sprayed onto them works.  I tried some white vinegar on weeds on driveway a few days ago and the leaves are yellowing. Worth a try, as its cheap and not as harmful to the environment

Have you a reference for that claim? Glyphosate is singularly the weedkiller approved for waterways in the UK. I agree salt and vinegar are cheap and white vinegar is more effective, but neither is especially 'good' for the environment. Unless people buy organic in the shops, it's possible glyphosate was used in the production of the fruit and veg they buy. That's not 'good' either, but it's what happens.

OP the second picture is your difficult weed, being ground elder with a network of roots underground which won't be affected by anything other than a systemic product. Even then, they will re-grow, so you must let them, then spray again, and so on. It's a game of persistence, Remember systemics don't work via the soil, only the leaves. When they're in small quantities, you can reduce wastage by just dabbing then with a thin brush or similar. That's what I do with dandelions in the garden lawns where I'd not want to spray.

Using a paintbrush and strong weed killer is my method, especially where there are plants I want nearby  an example would be killing lords and ladies under my hydrangeas. 

Chloe_G

My ground elder which I've been fighting with for decades now has the upper hand and is in full flower.  My formerly manicured rockery has now gone in for re-wilding in a big way - at least I'm on trend.

Woolsery

Chloe_G said:

My ground elder which I've been fighting with for decades now has the upper hand and is in full flower.  My formerly manicured rockery has now gone in for re-wilding in a big way - at least I'm on trend.

There are plants which resist the repeated use of certain weedkillers over time, rather like over-prescription can lead to reduced effectiveness in antibiotics. On my plot, American willow herb gets ill, but doesn't necessarily die from an application of glyphosate.

Must admit, when I got rid of the ground elder at my old place, I dug it out. A rock garden makes that a little tricky!

Ergates

Glyphosate is very effective, but it will kill *all* the plants it lands on, so is not suitable for using in lawns.   There are lawn safe weedkilles (I've used a "Resolva" branded one in the past) that only kill broad-leaved plants.

Another option is to use a paste on weedkiller rather than a spray on one (these can be like deodorant sticks - you wipe the directly onto the leaves of the plants.

Salt water (quite concentrated) can work on drives, but don't use it on any ground you want other plants to grow in  (ever) - if you recall the phrase "Salting the earth".

Weed burners are not effective against dandelions as they only kill the leaves and dandelions are very good at coming back from that.

You can get rid of a dandelion by digging it up - but you have to get the whole root - or at least several inches of underground root - for it to work.   It's better to get them whilst they're small.

jrawle

The weed with small, round leaves does indeed look like mind your own business (Soleirolia soleirolii). For this, I recommend SBK Brushwood Killer (triclopyr). This is more effective for this weed than glyphosate, and has the advantage that it doesn't necessarily kill grass (I say "necessarily" as it doesn't do lawns much good if it's too concentrated, but in most cases grass will recover). MYOB is a nightmare to eliminate, though; except to treat patches of regrowth for years to come.

Chloe_G

Woolsery said:

Chloe_G said:

My ground elder which I've been fighting with for decades now has the upper hand and is in full flower.  My formerly manicured rockery has now gone in for re-wilding in a big way - at least I'm on trend.

There are plants which resist the repeated use of certain weedkillers over time, rather like over-prescription can lead to reduced effectiveness in antibiotics. On my plot, American willow herb gets ill, but doesn't necessarily die from an application of glyphosate.

Must admit, when I got rid of the ground elder at my old place, I dug it out. A rock garden makes that a little tricky!

Yes, I've never really tried weedkiller on it as there's too many other plants around it, just repeated digging out but it's got the better of me now!