weed killer

[Steam Engine Dan]

Hi Guys, what is the best weed killer I can use for spraying weeds on tracks and property. that is not dangerous to my health. pictures of brand names are welcome as well anything I can easily pick up at Walmart, home depot, lowes and tractor supply. cost not an issue. just as long as it won't kill me but is strong in killing the weeds.

[Bill Shields]

pramitol / glyphosate

whether or not they will kill you is subjective...and depends on how you handle it....and what lawyer you talk to.

were it not for these chemicals...we could not feed the world...

[hoppercar]

I pour 20 pounds of water softener salt into a five gallon bucket, fill.it with water, and let it set a few days...stir it occasionally...dissolve all the salt you can....also, add a small bottle of dish detergent as a surfacctant.....then put it in a hand pump sprayer...and soak"em down.....it's cheap, and it kept weeds out of are track all summer

[Greg_Lewis]

While we don't have track, my wife, who is the groundskeeper, uses a pre-emergent in the fall and spring and then Roundup when needed. As Bill says, it's debatable as to the carcinogenic effects of Roundup. She says you can mix the Roundup with the pre-emergent but the latter needs at least a half-inch of rain with three weeks. The best answer would to be to consult with your county ag home and farm adviser for what's best for your area.

[BAdams]

Just to add a bit to Greg's post. Pre-emergents generally work by creating a vapor barrier in the soil that doesn't allow the germinating seed to push shoots up through it. That barrier is good until the soil is disturbed in that area. In addition to liquid there are also granular pre-emergents as well.

[FLSTEAM]

Pre-emergents

Learn something new every day....

JB

[Pontiacguy1]

You CAN mix the pre-emergent with your glyphosate and spray it one time. A pre-emergent won't work forever, as it will finally go away with enough rain. If you have heavy rainfalls, nothing is really going to last that long. Pre-emergents also are usually a broad leaf killer as well, and will kill stuff that your glyphosate alone won't kill or has trouble with. They work well together. Most of your pre-emergents will come in a granular form, and these must be agitated before spraying. Make sure to clean out your tank and not have any type of old stuff in there. After some time it will form a slime across the top of it that does an extremely good job of blinding over all your filters and nozzles! Only mix what you need, and use it up unless you are going to use it in the next few days or maybe 1 week or so.
Also: USE Surfactant! Your glyphosate contains some surfactants so that it will dissolve, but not really enough. The surfactant will make your mix much more effective. I've also seen that most people apply too much. They soak a weed down. As long as you mixed your mixture properly, if there is any mist or moisture on the plant, and it can set for 4 hours without the rain washing it off, it will take and will kill the weed.
My thoughts on chemical exposure and weed spraying: How much and how often are you doing this? Moderation in anything is the key. If I use pre-emergent, surfactant, and Glyphosate mixed to spray, then I only have to do it about 3 times per year. Takes a couple of hours or more, not too bad. That's not too much exposure given the location, space, etc... If I only smoke 2 packs of cigarettes in a year, it probably won't give me any ill side effects. If I smoke 2 packs a day... well, you know what's likely to happen.

[Berkman]

Just take basic commonsense precautions when using chemicals like this.

If you want to be extra safe: Wear rubber gloves, don't let your face get near the mixture or spray so as not to breath it especially if windy. Change clothes if you get a lot on your shirt of jeans somehow. Thoroughly wash your hands after regardless of using gloves or not.

The closer the nozzle is to the ground the less likely vapors will get in the air as well.

Pontiacguy's mixture suggestion is a great recommendation and will work very well.

[Steam Engine Dan]

thanks everyone, I appreciate it.

[SteveM]

Many of the studies on glyphosate say it's OK. The lawyers point to one that says it's not.

The problem is that the alternatives include things like copper sulfate and permythrin. Both of those have health issues, but because the are naturally occurring, they are allowed in organic farming.

My wife uses Preen on landscape rocks to keep the weeds from coming up.

Steve

[pat1027]

Any of the weed killers you can spray on your track are hazardous to your health. Some are less hazardous but they all come with safety precautions.

[SteveM]

Any of the weed killers you can spray on your track are hazardous to your health. Some are less hazardous but they all come with safety precautions.

EVERYTHING has a health issue.

You drink too much water and it can kill you.

Steve