Poisoning weeds in HPP

[ef9]

Is it a bad idea to poison the weeds in HPP being that I am on catchment water?

Stan

[JerryCarr]

Aloha, ef9. You should be OK as long as you don't let the spray drift onto any openings of the tank or onto the roof or gutters. It is always best to spray on a not-too-windy day. The products have variable rain tolerance, with some requiring as much as 12 rainless hours to be effective, while others only need 30 minutes. ALWAYS read the label thoroughly, and it goes withoug saying that extreme caution should be used around desirable plants. I try to minimize my use of herbicides, and I NEVER use them around my vegetable garden.

Cheers,
Jerry



Edited by - JerryCarr on 06/24/2007 08:16:49

[Mitzi M]

Depending on the size of the weedy area,(and the weed) you can also try spraying 100% white vinegar on a dry day, and/or covering the area with old carpet, boards or roofing materials(the lazy person's weed wacker). Bear in mind that once you kill the weeds you'll need to plant something else right away or else you'll get more lovely weeds. If you're not ready to plant the area with what you ultimately want there, then grass is a good, easily maintained, place holder. One last thought...if one of your "weeds" is the native uluhe fern (the sprawling, viney fern you see on a lot of roadsides in Puna) consider leaving it where you don't immediately want to plant something else. It builds soil, provides soil nutrients, and does a great job keeping weeds out. Its a keystone species in Hawai'i, which covers disturbed ground and prepares the way for 'ohias and other natives. It's a good idea to keep it a little distance from structures, as it can pose some fire risk in drought times.

Happy weeding!
Mitzi

Uluhe Design
Restoration Based Landscape Design for Hawai'i
uluhedesign@yahoo.com

[ef9]

Awesome replies! Thank you very much!

I am expected to close escrow in a week, and have a ton of weeding to do. I was debating on using a weedwacker, or to use poison, but thought since I am on catchment, that maybe I can't use the poison.

The area that I need to tend to is somewhat large, so I think I may need to buy a lot of poison.

Is there a recommended poison to use? (other than the suggested white vinegar)

Thanks in advanced,

Stan

[JerryCarr]

Round-Up is widely available and is most effective against grasses and softer stemmed weeds. It also only requires about an hour without rain to work well, but it may take up to a week to see full results. For woody scrub I have used a product called Crossbow. It really stinks (for hours) and needs much longer without rain (12 hours or more,) but it works on young invasive guava or waivee (sp.?) For established waivee, I find that cutting it down and then spraying the inevitable resprouts with Crossbow works, with significant die-back within 24-36 hours. I have concerns about the toxicity of Crossbow, but still use it sparingly. And did I mention that Crossbow really smells bad? Yes, I did. Twice.

Cheers,
Jerry

[ef9]

Hi Jerry,

Thanks for the reply of the Round Up.

I have an approximate area of 50' x 100' to remove weeds. Do you think it's best to just poison, or to weedwack it, or do one then the other?

Stan

[emorata]

Mitzi,

when you talk about vinegar is this the basic white wine vinegar or another variety....the cheaper the better....

[JerryCarr]

Hi Stan,
The method would probably depend on a couple of things. First,how high are the weeds? The higher and thicker the weeds, the more product will be needed to do a thorough job, ergo higher cost and more difficulty in getting them all. Second, what are you planning to do with the space and how soon? Round-Up requires at least a week to work and then a waiting period to replant, depending on what it is. I am not certain about the waiting period, so you should read the label or go to their website for more details.

Some folks use a combination method on really thick, high weeds. Weed whack to reduce the volume of plant material, rake and compost the cut weeds, wait a week or so for the inevitable regrowth from the roots, and then spray. This not only saves money, but makes the removal of the dead plant material somewhat easier and reduces the amount of chemical put into the environment. It is not only hard to thoroughly spray waist-high weeds, but removing them after they die is a pain.

I wish it was easy, cheap, and simple. Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Jerry



Edited by - JerryCarr on 06/26/2007 08:23:39

[Mitzi M]

Yeah, the cheaper the better for vinegar. Any kind that's full acidity will do. I have used it with success on softer weeds and grasses but on woody stuff like sensititve plant, it only kills back the leaves.

Mitzi

Uluhe Design
Restoration Based Landscape Design for Hawai'i
uluhedesign@yahoo.com

[Kapohocat]

You can get Glystar (or is it Glcol?) - same thing as round up but 25% cheaper? And there are some products that can make the round up stick to vegetation in the rain...