Cheap but effective alternatives to Roundup

I need to kill off both grass and weeds from a rather weedy lawn roughly about 25m2 and would appreciate any recommendations.

Richard

Reply to
Tricky Dicky
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If OP doesn't want Roundup I assume it's because he doesn't want glyphosate.

I'm not aware of any others still licensed.

Reply to
Scott

Glyphosate is OK, it's just that down the garden centre Roundup always seems the most expensive and I was just questioning whether other brands are just as effective or are there different concentration levels and thus different levels of effectiveness?

Richard

Reply to
Tricky Dicky

Roundup is glyphosate is Roundup.

TBH, these days most weedkillers contain glyphosate. That's because there are few, if any 'cheap but effective' alternatives. But why not use it? Pay no attention to the nonsense about glyphosate being carcinogenic; it isn't. Just get on and use it; you'll come to no harm.

But if you really don't want to use it, household vinegar with a little salt and detergent is used, but it doesn't kill deep-rooted weeds, just burns off the top growth and the roots re-grow. More, fairly ineffective solutions here

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(I can think of better things to do with Vodka than spraying it on weeds!) Some similar ideas here
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In early summer, farmers around here used to spray their early potato crops with strong sulphuric acid (yes, really). It was a cheap and traditional way of killing the haulms very fast, but the tubers remain unaffected and safe from potato blight being transmitted down the stems now the tops have been killed. But that's the point: it burns the foliage but doesn't affect the roots, like most of the non-glyphosate weedkillers. The practice is now banned.

Then there's this from the RHS

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but a lot are for killing weeds IN grass, not killing everything. Section 3, contact herbicides, is what you want.

Reply to
Chris Hogg

Fair point, borne out by subsequent responses.

Active ingredients contained in weedkillers.

Reply to
Scott

Ammonium sulphamate can still be purchased as compost accelerator (Ebay or Amazon) but the EU has banned its use as a herbicide.

So you mustn't dilute it approx 200g/l (ISTR) and spray on the weedy grass.

But as others have said, just get 5l of glyphosate 360 on Ebay; it's safe and probably cheaper in the long run.

Reply to
Reentrant

I have used it for what I term 'in situ composting' i.e. converting weeds to compost where they are growing.

Reply to
Chris Hogg

I would imagine it was a little off putting reproduction wise to be squirted with acid just when the creepy crawlies were getting amorous :-(

AB

Reply to
Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp

It's only worth buying at the 360gm/lt concentration, or more. If you want to avoid ebay, you can get the 360 from the likes of B&Q for £40 or so, and then dilute in at 10cc Roundup to a litre of water for actual use. Such a bottle lasts me 5 years at least.

Others here have reported getting 5 lt drums but I'm not sure what they paid or where they got it from.

Either way, you'll pay through the nose for the "ready to spray now" stuff.

Reply to
Tim Streater

Weedol killed the weeds on my yet again failed flower bed. It also kills the grass on my lawn as I unfortunately found out. Doh! About 15 quid oneline for 3lts which goes quite a long way.

Reply to
Mr Pounder Esquire

Interesting. Are those guys to be trusted? Seems the 360 is in great demand from weed growers.

Reply to
Tim Streater

Tim Streater has brought this to us :

Ebay, around £27 delivered, for the 5ltr highly concentrated. I expect it to last me many years.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Glyphostate.

Just spray off the lot.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

The Natural Philosopher was thinking very hard :

It needs predicted dry weather, before attempting to spray, the drier the more effective it is likely to be. It also only works where there are leaves or grass. No point in spraying bare ground to kill the roots, it becomes ineffective once in contact with soil - it needs green growth to be absorbed into the plant. Then it can take a few days for them to begin to drop. It is not much use on the likes of bramble.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

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Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

In message , Chris Hogg writes

Farmers Weekly story at the time said a walker found her nylons disintegrating after following a path through a treated potato crop.

Reply to
Tim Lamb

+++1 Can take at least several days for any signs of its effectiveness to appear.
Reply to
Robert

The active ingredient in Roundup.

Go to an agricultral supplies place, probably able to get a fairly hefty concentrate, small quantity might be an issue.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Hire a turf skimmer and pile up the scalpings around some dry timber and have a good bonfire. This will steralise the soil. While you have a nice hot fire, go over the scalped soil and loosen it and make sure any tap roots go on the fire.

Then spread the steralised soil and wood ash all over and reseed or turf.

Reply to
Andrew

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Reply to
JoeJoe

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