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Re: weeds in gravel

The only "product" I know of - and I've been weeding hundreds of feet
of gravel drive for over 25 years - that will clean up existing weeds
is the gardener's hands; one with a digging knife to pry out the root
and the other to pull the weed.

There is no miracle product - at least not available to the home
gardener.  And, of course, just what weeds are growing in that gravel
makes a lot of difference in how you deal with them.  If they are
what I call the early weeds - who sprout when weather turns cool in
fall, continuing in mild winters and heavily in early spring; now
flowering and simultaneously setting seed - you can pull them now and
then try a pre-emergent so they don't sprout again come cool
weather....might help tho' Preen did little for me.  Herbicides
aren't all that effective against weeds who form seeds as they bloom,
which ripen and fall instantly, it seems....by the time the plant is
dead, the seeds have fallen to sprout next year.

If they are perennial weeds with strong tap roots, you need to dig
them out - and all the root; pre-emergents won't get rid of
established perennial weeds...just keeps seeds of many (not all)
varieties from sprouting.  Pre-emergents won't do a thing for Poa
annua, who will sprout anyway....one of my most hated weeds...and
don't seem to do a lot of good in stopping species Asters from
sprouting, either.

Large expanses of gravel require *considerable* time and effort to
keep weed-free.  In my experience, all plants that seed prefer to
seed into gravel.

If it's totally covered, the only thing to do is take a sturdy
digging fork and dig it over to get them out.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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----------
> From: ez@acmeplant.com
> 
> At the risk of starting something, can anyone recommend a product
to get
> rid of weeds in gravel?  I have a client who wants to clean up some
> badly overrun gravel.  Burning and Round-Up have been ineffective
and
> this is NOT my area of expertise.
> 
> Thanks,
> Ellen Zachos

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