The telescope garage is beginning to get a dangerous growth of grasses around it, so it is time to do a weed barrier and rock, to reduce fire hazard. The particular weed killer we use, KillzAll, works best when sprayed with a hose -- but we did not have a long enough hose. I decided that it made more sense to buy a 100 foot hose to add to our current hose, rather than rent some sort of sprayer.
When we reached Horseshoe Hardware, there was a100 foot hose for $30 -- but it was labeled "light duty" for gardening. When something is labeled "light duty" I assume that means, "won't survive the season." When was the last time you saw anything sold as "light duty?"
But there was a 100 foot hose that claimed "Industrial Strength for Commercial Use" and 3/4" diameter interior. It had mental springs where it attaches to the faucet to prevent kinking there. It was also advertised as "500 psi burst strength." Obviously, we only have 65 psi water pressure, but my hope was that being 6 ply, it would resist expanding under pressure, allowing more pressure to get through the hose to the far end. It was also $75.
"Right tool for the job" is my motto, so I bought it. And it is indeed a very well-made garden tool. Even better: Gilmour makes it in America.
Killzall is 41% Glyphosate, or generic Round Up.
ReplyDeleteYou could have bought a 2 gallon sprayer for $22, and sprayed a diluted mixture of Glyphosate. It would have been cheaper, and easier than dragging a 100 foot hose.
The hose has other uses as well. We have not had good luck with hand pumped sprayers -- they doesn't seem to last.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information about Killzall.
costco has 100' construction grade hoses for less than 1/2 what you paid, with lifetime warranties that I have used successfully twice in the past 15 years.
ReplyDeleteGlyphosate is the active chemical (same as round up) and D&B is the cheapest I have found. About $55 for 2.5 gallon of concentrate.
Buy a 15 or 25 gallon 12volt ATV (you do have an ATV??) sprayer for $100-$125 dollars. Works double duty as a weed sprayer and also for fire control(mix some dish detergent in it and you might be surprised how well it works on small brush/grass fire).
+1 on the 12 volt sprayer. I put mine on the back of my golf cart, get someone else to drive, and I can do everything that needs done in less than an hour.
ReplyDeleteFWIW: I use Roundup.
Glyphosate is something that kills existing plants when it is absorbed through the leaves and stems.
ReplyDeleteBut you have wind and birds constantly dropping new seeds onto your well-prepared (from weed seed point of view) earth. The Roundup would do nothing to stop those from germinating, even if it didn't start to decompose within seconds of hitting the soil.
For longer term keeping an area clear, you have two choices -- something that makes the earth barren, or something that just stops the germination of new seeds.
For the first, solutions of Imazapyr(in Arsenal and GroundClear) will kill everything both desired and not within range of where it is applied, and stay in the soil to so severely stunt the grown of anything new that it can't survive -- it does tend to migrate a bit, so keep it well away from anything you want to keep.
For the second, gardeners who are transplanting established plants swear by Preen, which is a "pre-emergent" that stops the newly added seed from germinating.
Talk to your local ag extension about this problem, they probably have good suggestions on products that will be best for the weeds common in your area. They will also be the best guide on when to apply them for maximum effectiveness.