Grass In Cracks Arghhh!!!

jtpro

I have the age old problem off grass coming up through the concrete joints that separate the walkway and separate pads of the driveway.(OBVIOUSLY no form of weed blocking was installed prior to the pour yeas ago.)

I have dug out the dirt pulled out as much of the old grass to as much of the root could be grabbed by a needle nose pliers AMPLY dosed the area with white vinegar then on the bigger gaps used Dap big gap filler and on the smaller just DAP concrete caulking.

THE GRASS IS GROWING THROUGH!!!! I realize the caulking remains flexible but COME ON!!The grass looks like little middle fingers FLIPPING ME OFF!!!

Is there a product or method(short of tearing up the concrete lol) to rectify this? or should I just succumb to spraying weed killer periodically and seing a therapist for my apparent OCD!

Thank you in advance for your POSITIVE feedback. as for the othersFK OFF J.K.

BobsLandscaping

This is a pretty easy fix.

First you need the right tool for the job. Get a pavement scraper.


Available here: http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/products/79036.aspx

Get all the grass out of the cracks. Scrape it down to dirt.

Next pour salt into the cracks. Be generous. Salt will kill the soil so nothing grows in it. Wet the salt down and let it soak into the soil. Do 3 applications to be sure you got it. Be generous with the salt. Mortons with the easy pour top works fine.

Then patch the cracks.

TxElectrician

I thought this was a plumbers question.

ScaryLari

I always use gas seems to kill it

jtpro

That much I did even used a sawsall (I know Fking construction worker has to use something with a trigger and power cord attached LOL)

But SALT! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU BOB !!!!!!!

BobsLandscaping

I learned that trick on the History Channel. The ancient Romans would burn and salt the fields of their enemies to starve them into submission. Crops wouldn't grow for generations. Neat trick, and relatively cheap.

We Fix Houses

That's what Round Up is - Glysophate of Salts. But I get the generic Glysophate at the farm supply for about 1/4 of the price and 8x the concentration. An application lasts about 4 - 6 weeks.

Addl - 8x the concentration ? -- more like 40x the concentration of the HO stuff. You can still get 32 oz at the farm supply. I paid $56 for this 2.5 gal. The Round Up Pro (its 41% too *corrected*) was $117 . I've seen the Pro for up to $200.

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BobsLandscaping

If I'm putting in a rock garden or paver patio I'll spread salt and then put on the weedbarrier. A 50lb bag of salt is less than $20. Good cheap trick.

I never knew what exactly was in Round Up. Thanks for the info.

ChainsawCharlie

That's not the same thing as the table salt Bob mentioned. Isopropylamine salt is just the base which carries the glyphosate. Table or rock hat salt can stay in the soil for very long times affecting future growth, and can migrate to other areas with water runoff.

Glyphosphate (Roundup, Kleenup, Honcho...) goes inert after after 24-48 hours. You can even plant veggie crops in soil treated with Roundup after 72 hours.

Glyphosate also only works on actively growing weeds. Is does nothing for prevention. There are other chemicals you can use such as 2,4d (Trimec) or imazapyr (Ground Clear), which will prevent weeds for up to a year as they don't readily break down in the soil and remain there to kill new weeds as they germinate. They can also travel to other areas with runoff, so choose wisely.

Personally, I would use a glyphosate herbicide and repeat as necessary.

BobsLandscaping

Thanks for reminding me about water run off Charlie. You definetely want to keep an eye on which way the water will flow after a rain.

jtpro

So Mr. C.C. then if I'm understanding the combined advise of you and Bob: Do the above crack cleaning(I Know an easy one their wisenheimers ) and then apply the glyphosate herbicide, caulk and then if and when the little Baturds start poking throw hit them periodically? and that's because the salt and one year stuff will eventually get into my yard and flower bed right?

Thank you again in advance!

ChainsawCharlie

If there is anything growing, spray it. Wait 7-10 days before cleaning it out. This will ensure death to the root soots. If there is no growth, spraying glyphosate is a waste of time and money.

If you have flowerbeds nearby, or anything you DO NOT want to kill, I would skip the salt or the more severe chemicals.

Caulking...don't know if I would do that or not in the expansion joints. It may eventually come out. (but I'm no concrete guy...)

And then when you see future green, spray it.

The problem likely isn't weed/seeds under the concrete. It's the wind. Weeds are a fact of life, and will always blow in. Anywhere there are cracks or crevices, dust will accumulate and eventually trap drifting seeds, which in turn, will germinate eventually.

Another alternative just came to mind-corn gluten meal. It affects newly germinated growth. Somehow interferes with root development, I believe, but is safe for established plants. And best of all, it's organic. No chemicals!! (insert corn and crack joke here ) Google it. I'm still trying to research it in my spare time.

ChainsawCharlie

CGM:

http://www.hort.iastate.edu/gluten/?

http://www.eartheasy.com/article_corn_gluten.htm

http://www.techtransfer.iastate.edu/..._licensees.cfm

From the EPA:

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopes...htm#registrant

nEighter

I did not know! Awesome!

ChainsawCharlie

It is!!

And you can use the leftovers in your cornbread.


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nEighter

/\ yeah. I used to try with the lawn.. but now as longas the mower is low enough that it hits the top of the mounds in the yard (read: I don't want to have to mow that often) I am cool with that.. I just blame it on moles and gophers

ChainsawCharlie

Links added to post #13

Teetorbilt

Just another consideration. I'm on a well here, all of my neighbors are too.

Many of them have company sprayed insecticides and fertilizers on their lawns. How long is it before we find it in our well?

Locally we've had one area north of here with neuroblastomas in children. Naturally, everybody is doing the tap-dance as to who is responsible.

This made the national news a few years ago since then the issue has been squelched. ??? What Up?

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

CTDiesel

Good thread. I have a lot of cracks around my place that are growing wild and I'm getting pretty tired of it. Gonna get me some salt.

ChainsawCharlie

I don't know enough to answer those. I wish I did. But it's questions that I can't answer that get me to researching. I will rarely use anything more than glyphosate. And I won't spray around streams or waterways.

Here a some sites I visit frequently:

http://www.panna.org/
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/
http://www.fadinap.org/

This is from one of the above (I haven't checked it out myself):

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Docs/re...atersheds.html