Weed and brush killer

[sam in mo]

A while back someone posted on here that they mixed bleach and something togather to kill weeds and such. How ever they didnt mention what ratio they used. Does anyone know what the ratio is? Thanks Sam

 

[GordoSD]

Are you sure you want to add chlorine to your soil?

 

[Tim Barnes]

Google says...Using bleach to kill weeds is not a good idea. Bleach is sodium hypochlorite. It has a pH of about 11. Application of bleach to weeds will raise the pH of your soil and adds sodium to the soil as the bleach drips off leaves. Both of these circumstances make it harder to grow desirable plants in the treated area.

If you want to use something from your household to kill weeds, it would be much better to try vinegar. Sprayed on leaves of weeds, vinegar dissolves the cuticle ("skin") of the leaf, allowing the plant to dry out. This works well on annual weeds. Perennial weeds like dandelion, bindweed and Canada thistle will recover from this treatment to send up new shoots and leaves.

Ultimately, it is usually better to use an herbicide according to label directions than to use a household product not intended for that use. Many herbicides are intended and able to alter or interrupt a specific plant physiological process, thus killing the plant.

I use the vinegar and have good results with a four part water, one part vinegar solution in my small sprayer. Some folks dissolve about 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of solution but that adds sodium and will raise the ph of your soil as noted above. It's been working well in my wifes flower beds too.

 

[sam in mo]

I am being over run with honey suckel. The vine type and the bush type. Its going to take a lot of spray. Trying to cut expensis.I wouldnt think bleach would hurt the soil since any public water system is full of clorine. I don't know for sure just thinking out loud. Thanks for the help. Sam

 

[Dean]

Good luck with that on Chinese Honeysuckle.

Dean

 

[Gun guru]

That might have been me.

What I have done is use about 4 ounces of roundup with maybe 10 ounces or so of Bleach, the cheap stuff cause I dont need it to smell like crisp lemons. And then use about a quart of water and it really kills the grass in the gravel driveway.
WARNING: The stench of this mixture is like poison gas and if you get a good whiff of it you WILL be choking. (dont ask me how I know this) Stand up wind when spraying.

 

[sam in mo]

thanks everyone for the help. The way it sounds I am going to be spending a lot of time and money on spray to get rid of thease plants. To think I thought retirement ment that I could do what I wanted when I wanted. Next thing ya know someone will tell me that there is no easter bunny.

 

[Earl Gray]

Why not just use a generic roundup mixed a little strong, it's considered safe. Maybe 2-4D is better for broad leaf.

 

[eastexan]

How does that work on poison ivy? My fences are covered with that in places.

I also have honeysuckle but I won't spray that. It smells too good.

 

[KYfarm]

get you some Crossbow and have at it

 

[glennster]

like earl gray said, generic roundup. the 41 percent glyphosate runs about 35-40 dollars for a 2 1/2 gallon jug. grab a gallon jug of amine 2-4d. not the LV. mix 6 or 8 oz of roundup with 6 oz of 2-4d in a 2-1/2 gallon spot sprayer, add a squirt of dish soap and have at it. does a real nice burndown. works great on poison ivy, curly dock, multiflora rose,thistles,just about any thing you dont want growing. not as nasty as crossbow either.

 

[Gun guru]

I killed the easter bunny several years ago.....Shot his azz dead. Life is tough, of course you know that now if you are retired.

 

[rustyfarmall]

How does that work on poison ivy? My fences are covered with that in places.

I also have honeysuckle but I won't spray that. It smells too good.[/quote]

2,4d will work on poison ivy, but even better is a brush killer labled for poison ivy. Your farm store will have it.

 

[johndeerefan]

I mix crossbow, 2-4-D, and roundup together killing everything in a single spray. I know people who add just a touch of diesel fuel to make it stick to the leaves and grass also.

 

[rustyfarmall]

(quoted from post at 14:17:54 04/19/12) I mix crossbow, 2-4-D, and roundup together killing everything in a single spray. I know people who add just a touch of diesel fuel to make it stick to the leaves and grass also.

I've even used a little bit of liquid laundry detergent to help break down the surface tension of the water so it will soak into the leaves instead of just running off.

 

[Ludwig]

Chlorine breaks down and gasses off pretty quickly. Most water systems us it for that very reason.

In most locations the raising of the PH isn"t a worry, most places you spread lime for that very reason.
The sodium might be a concern but how much are you going to spread and how often? What is the regular rainfall amount? It makes a big difference. In New England it"d take a lot of sodium to really hurt anything because we get so much rain. In California its a different story.