Hi
Forgive me if I am covering old ground.
I am not skilled in web use and find it very difficult to navigate.
I am a retired man living in the West Midlands.
I recently changed churches and I was asked if I would take on the church garden. This was no big problem as it had been quite well maintained.
However, I realised that part of the job involved keeping the patio area weeded.
Now, this is a HUGE area of paving stones and, as the church is about fifty years old, weeds have very seriously established themselves between them.
I have already weeded the patio twice this year. It takes (me anyway) a full day and it is very hard work.
I have never had this problem before so I wonder if anyone would like to make a suggestion - bearing in mind that if a weed-killer is suggested it needs to be cost-effective. A friendly council worker who passed by while I was weeding suggested Roundup. Now, I don't know how good this is - but it is hugely expensive for a pensioner (and, yes, I would like to bear the cost myself as part of my church giving).
Thank you
Keith

"keithwood57" wrote in message
...

Hi
Forgive me if I am covering old ground.
I am not skilled in web use and find it very difficult to navigate.
I am a retired man living in the West Midlands.
I recently changed churches and I was asked if I would take on the
church garden. This was no big problem as it had been quite well
maintained.
However, I realised that part of the job involved keeping the patio area
weeded.
Now, this is a HUGE area of paving stones and, as the church is about
fifty years old, weeds have very seriously established themselves
between them.
I have already weeded the patio twice this year. It takes (me anyway) a
full day and it is very hard work.
I have never had this problem before so I wonder if anyone would like to
make a suggestion - bearing in mind that if a weed-killer is suggested
it needs to be cost-effective. A friendly council worker who passed by
while I was weeding suggested Roundup. Now, I don't know how good this
is - but it is hugely expensive for a pensioner (and, yes, I would like
to bear the cost myself as part of my church giving).
Thank you
Keith

I admire what you're doing. 'cost effective'.....depends what you can
afford. Yes, Roundup or similar might be the answer. Perhaps parisherers
might like to donate some?
Pete C

On 06/15/2012 05:51 PM, Pete C wrote:
"keithwood57" wrote in message
...

Hi
Forgive me if I am covering old ground.
I am not skilled in web use and find it very difficult to navigate.
I am a retired man living in the West Midlands.
I recently changed churches and I was asked if I would take on the
church garden. This was no big problem as it had been quite well
maintained.
However, I realised that part of the job involved keeping the patio area
weeded.
Now, this is a HUGE area of paving stones and, as the church is about
fifty years old, weeds have very seriously established themselves
between them.
I have already weeded the patio twice this year. It takes (me anyway) a
full day and it is very hard work.
I have never had this problem before so I wonder if anyone would like to
make a suggestion - bearing in mind that if a weed-killer is suggested
it needs to be cost-effective. A friendly council worker who passed by
while I was weeding suggested Roundup. Now, I don't know how good this
is - but it is hugely expensive for a pensioner (and, yes, I would like
to bear the cost myself as part of my church giving).
Thank you
Keith

I admire what you're doing. 'cost effective'.....depends what you can
afford. Yes, Roundup or similar might be the answer. Perhaps parisherers
might like to donate some?
Pete C



Hi Keith,

"Generic" Roundup is any weedkiller based on the chemical "Glyphosate."
Buying in the generic form will already be cheaper than Roundup, but if
you need a lot it is worth it to get it from a farmer's coop.
Alternatively if there are farmers in the parish they may be able to
provide it; they often use rather a lot of the stuff.

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 16:51:19 +0100, "Pete C"
wrote:


"keithwood57" wrote in message
...

Hi
Forgive me if I am covering old ground.
I am not skilled in web use and find it very difficult to navigate.
I am a retired man living in the West Midlands.
I recently changed churches and I was asked if I would take on the
church garden. This was no big problem as it had been quite well
maintained.
However, I realised that part of the job involved keeping the patio area
weeded.
Now, this is a HUGE area of paving stones and, as the church is about
fifty years old, weeds have very seriously established themselves
between them.
I have already weeded the patio twice this year. It takes (me anyway) a
full day and it is very hard work.
I have never had this problem before so I wonder if anyone would like to
make a suggestion - bearing in mind that if a weed-killer is suggested
it needs to be cost-effective. A friendly council worker who passed by
while I was weeding suggested Roundup. Now, I don't know how good this
is - but it is hugely expensive for a pensioner (and, yes, I would like
to bear the cost myself as part of my church giving).
Thank you
Keith

I admire what you're doing. 'cost effective'.....depends what you can
afford. Yes, Roundup or similar might be the answer. Perhaps parisherers
might like to donate some?
Pete C

One thing to watch for is that in supermarkets you will often find
sprayer bottles of ready-diluted weedkillers. If you buy these they
are very expensive and you're paying for a lot of water. If you can
get to a garden centre or a DIY place look for concentrate packs. And
get a cheap plastic watering can. This will work out a lot cheaper if
you have a large area to treat. Maybe the PCC/Elders will pay for
these materials for you or there may be a gardener who can spare a
sachet of concentrate and already has a watering can used for
weedkilling (it's not a good idea to use a can for both weedkilling
and normal watering).

Weedkillers are usually applied using a sprinkler bar that slows down
the flow of liquid from the watering can but these bars also spread
the liquid over almost 2 feet wide strips and you only need to treat
the cracks between the pavers. So stick with an ordinary rose on the
can to minimise waste and pour gently.

It may take a few days before the weeds start to die but this is good
- you want the weedkiller to get right down to the roots and kill them
from the bottom up. Don't be tempted to pull any weeds up until
they're really dead.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from Swansea Bay. Dave's at that end; I'm at this end.
Bill G's in the middle. Come to think of it, where is Bill G these days?

"keithwood57" wrote

Forgive me if I am covering old ground.
I am not skilled in web use and find it very difficult to navigate.
I am a retired man living in the West Midlands.
I recently changed churches and I was asked if I would take on the
church garden. This was no big problem as it had been quite well
maintained.
However, I realised that part of the job involved keeping the patio area
weeded.
Now, this is a HUGE area of paving stones and, as the church is about
fifty years old, weeds have very seriously established themselves
between them.
I have already weeded the patio twice this year. It takes (me anyway) a
full day and it is very hard work.
I have never had this problem before so I wonder if anyone would like to
make a suggestion - bearing in mind that if a weed-killer is suggested
it needs to be cost-effective. A friendly council worker who passed by
while I was weeding suggested Roundup. Now, I don't know how good this
is - but it is hugely expensive for a pensioner (and, yes, I would like
to bear the cost myself as part of my church giving).

Roundup is the trade name for Glysophate and like all trade names it's
dearer. Try looking for the generic name Glysophate. I think B & Q sell a
Path and Patio Weedkiller that is actually Glysophate but most Garden
Centres now sell the generic stuff as well as Roundup. Now this will kill
off any growing ( green**) plants but will not stop the weed seeds
germinating so you will need to reapply every so often.
There are other weedkillers out there that will kill and prevent regrowth
for a while, normally called Pathclear or some such but again they are more
expensive.
** works only on green leaves, you spray them and they take it down to the
roots and it then kills the plant. It does become degraded in the soil so
will leave no lasting weedkiller.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 15/06/2012 17:26, Bob Hobden wrote:
"keithwood57" wrote

Forgive me if I am covering old ground.
I am not skilled in web use and find it very difficult to navigate.
I am a retired man living in the West Midlands.
I recently changed churches and I was asked if I would take on the
church garden. This was no big problem as it had been quite well
maintained.
However, I realised that part of the job involved keeping the patio area
weeded.
Now, this is a HUGE area of paving stones and, as the church is about
fifty years old, weeds have very seriously established themselves
between them.
I have already weeded the patio twice this year. It takes (me anyway) a
full day and it is very hard work.
I have never had this problem before so I wonder if anyone would like to
make a suggestion - bearing in mind that if a weed-killer is suggested
it needs to be cost-effective. A friendly council worker who passed by
while I was weeding suggested Roundup. Now, I don't know how good this
is - but it is hugely expensive for a pensioner (and, yes, I would like
to bear the cost myself as part of my church giving).

Roundup is the trade name for Glysophate and like all trade names it's
dearer. Try looking for the generic name Glysophate. I think B & Q sell
a Path and Patio Weedkiller that is actually Glysophate but most Garden
Centres now sell the generic stuff as well as Roundup. Now this will
kill off any growing ( green**) plants but will not stop the weed seeds
germinating so you will need to reapply every so often.
There are other weedkillers out there that will kill and prevent
regrowth for a while, normally called Pathclear or some such but again
they are more expensive.
** works only on green leaves, you spray them and they take it down to
the roots and it then kills the plant. It does become degraded in the
soil so will leave no lasting weedkiller.


What every you use, don't pull up the dead weeds, they will break down
in time, if you do then you disturbe the soil and new weed seed will
germinate.

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:26:08 +0100, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:
[...]
** works only on green leaves, you spray them and they take it down to the
roots and it then kills the plant. It does become degraded in the soil so
will leave no lasting weedkiller.

If I may drift the thread a little, I said very firmly, on a
non-gardening newsgroup in which the subject had arisen for some
reason, that glyphosate worked only on growing green parts of plants.
I was equally firmly told by a couple of posters that they had
successfully used glyphosate to kill leafless stumps. Are we
underestimating the compound's power?

--
Mike.

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 18:45:50 +0100, Mike L wrote:

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:26:08 +0100, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:
[...]
** works only on green leaves, you spray them and they take it down to the
roots and it then kills the plant. It does become degraded in the soil so
will leave no lasting weedkiller.

If I may drift the thread a little, I said very firmly, on a
non-gardening newsgroup in which the subject had arisen for some
reason, that glyphosate worked only on growing green parts of plants.
I was equally firmly told by a couple of posters that they had
successfully used glyphosate to kill leafless stumps. Are we
underestimating the compound's power?

I have successfully injected glyphosate into stems of marestail but,
in general, it has to be absorbed into the plant's "bloodstream" to
get down to the roots and I would not have thought that simply
spraying it onto a stump would achieve that. More likely the plant
died because it didn't have leaves!

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from Swansea Bay. Dave's at that end; I'm at this end.
Bill G's in the middle. Come to think of it, where is Bill G these days?

On 15/06/2012 18:52, Jake wrote:
On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 18:45:50 +0100, Mike wrote:

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:26:08 +0100, "Bob
wrote:
[...]
** works only on green leaves, you spray them and they take it down to the
roots and it then kills the plant. It does become degraded in the soil so
will leave no lasting weedkiller.

If I may drift the thread a little, I said very firmly, on a
non-gardening newsgroup in which the subject had arisen for some
reason, that glyphosate worked only on growing green parts of plants.
I was equally firmly told by a couple of posters that they had
successfully used glyphosate to kill leafless stumps. Are we
underestimating the compound's power?

I have successfully injected glyphosate into stems of marestail but,
in general, it has to be absorbed into the plant's "bloodstream" to
get down to the roots and I would not have thought that simply
spraying it onto a stump would achieve that. More likely the plant
died because it didn't have leaves!

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from Swansea Bay. Dave's at that end; I'm at this end.
Bill G's in the middle. Come to think of it, where is Bill G these days?


Hang on Jake, there was no mention of spraying the stumps, they probably
drilled holes and then filled them with undiluted glyphosate.
david @ the wet end of Swansea Bay

On 15/06/2012 19:30, David Hill wrote:
(snip)

Hang on Jake, there was no mention of spraying the stumps, they probably
drilled holes and then filled them with undiluted glyphosate.
david @ the wet end of Swansea Bay

That's the method I used to kill a Campsis. It worked on the main stem
(cut through about 30 cm above the ground). Still took a couple of
years to kill all the runners. :-(

--

Jeff

"keithwood57" wrote in message
...

Now, this is a HUGE area of paving stones and, as the church is about
fifty years old, weeds have very seriously established themselves
between them. . . . if a weed-killer is suggested
it needs to be cost-effective.

Alternatively, try a propane torch, i.e. just burn up the weeds
(and sweep away the ashes if visible.). The vicar would probably
prefer you to test in an obscure corner, to be sure the heat would
not damage the paving stones.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

In article ,
says...

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:26:08 +0100, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:
[...]
** works only on green leaves, you spray them and they take it down to the
roots and it then kills the plant. It does become degraded in the soil so
will leave no lasting weedkiller.

If I may drift the thread a little, I said very firmly, on a
non-gardening newsgroup in which the subject had arisen for some
reason, that glyphosate worked only on growing green parts of plants.
I was equally firmly told by a couple of posters that they had
successfully used glyphosate to kill leafless stumps.

Many a leafless stump, needs no treatment because that species will
never regenerate anyway. Conifers are just one example.

Janet

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 15:15:36 -0400, Don Phillipson wrote:

Alternatively, try a propane torch, i.e. just burn up the weeds
(and sweep away the ashes if visible.).

You don't need to burn the plants with a "weed burner", just waft the
flame slowly over them, a slight colour change or wilt is all you
need. The cell structure is destroyed and the foliage dies. Note that
this will only kill then top growth unlike glyphosate which will kill
the entire plant.

The small "walking stick" weed burners are too small for fully grown
dandelions but OK for running along the paving joints that only have
small plants growing through. For a large area and lots of growth the
Sheen X300 is probably a better bet. It's pressurised paraffin burner
so can be a bit temperamental but people of a certain age may well
have come across pressurised paraffin devices before... You can get
decent sized gas burners (normally used by roofers) but they will
have a hose to the cylinder so not quite as convenient as the X300.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Well! Thank you! I am amazed at the thoughtfulness of the folks who have taken the time and trouble to post replies to my query.
Er, check this space sometime next year (DV) and I will let you know how I am getting on.
Thanks again,
Keith

In article o.uk,
says...

On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 15:15:36 -0400, Don Phillipson wrote:

Alternatively, try a propane torch, i.e. just burn up the weeds
(and sweep away the ashes if visible.).

You don't need to burn the plants with a "weed burner", just waft the
flame slowly over them, a slight colour change or wilt is all you
need. The cell structure is destroyed and the foliage dies. Note that
this will only kill then top growth unlike glyphosate which will kill
the entire plant.

The small "walking stick" weed burners are too small for fully grown
dandelions but OK for running along the paving joints that only have
small plants growing through. For a large area and lots of growth the
Sheen X300 is probably a better bet. It's pressurised paraffin burner
so can be a bit temperamental but people of a certain age may well
have come across pressurised paraffin devices before...

Yes, if the OP could run a pressurised primus lamp or camp stove he'll
have no problem with a Sheen. He may find he could borrow one; they are so
indestructible owners don't mind lending.

I bought one dirt cheap ex-hire and have used it for 30 years; but the
price of paraffin is now so high that it's no longer the cheap way it once
was to control weeds on drives etc. For economy, he would be better with
professional-strength glyphosate (try a farm supplier, not, the versions
sold in sheds and GC's). Per season, a burner will need several
applications; weedkiller just one .

For weedkiller application, you can buy very cheaply a set of three
weedbars for a dedicated watering can; the smallest is only about 3" wide
so ideal for economic dribbling along the gaps between slabs.

Janet