Landscape and Garden Weed Control
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extension.usu.edu LANDSCAPE AND GARDEN WEED CONTROL Steven Dewey, Extension Weed Specialist Dan Drost, Extension Vegetable Specialist Larry Rupp, Extension Ornamental Horticulture Specialist Larry Sagers, Extension Horticulturist April 1997 HG 508 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction...................................................................... 1 Herbicide Application Equipment...................................................... 1 Sprayer Calibration ................................................................ 2 Lawn Weed Control ............................................................... 4 Weed Control Methods ....................................................... 4 List of Lawn Herbicides ...................................................... 5 Weed Response to Lawn Herbicides . 6 Lawn Herbicide Descriptions................................................... 7 Ornamental Weed Control .......................................................... 10 List of Ornamental Herbicides ................................................. 11 Weed Response to Ornamental Herbicides . 12 Ornamental Herbicide Descriptions . 13 Vegetable Garden Weed Control ..................................................... 18 Weed Control Methods ...................................................... 18 Vegetable Garden Herbicide Descriptions . 19 Weed Control in Fruit Trees, Grapes, and Berries . 21 Weed Control in Parking Areas and Driveways . 24 Brush, Tree, and Stump Removal..................................................... 25 Chemical Names of Selected Active Ingredients . 26 General Rules for Weed Control ..................................................... 27 ALWAYS READ THE LABEL Always read and follow precisely all instructions on the label when using any herbicide product. To do otherwise is a violation of federal law. Sometimes products containing the same active ingredient(s) will specify different uses, restrictions, etc. INTRODUCTION Weeds around the home are a general or injury. Often a veterinarian is needed to nuisance, mar the natural beauty of a landscape, remove the seeds. and decrease the value or marketability of Weeds cost Utah farmers millions of dollars residential properties. Weeds ruin lawns, each year in damage to both crops and livestock. gardens, and flowerbeds. Some weeds even grow The consumer pays more for food because of through blacktop. Weeds may cause hayfever, be these losses. a fire hazard, and harbor insects or diseases. Much of the damage caused by weeds They cause flat tires, puncture bare feet, and around homes can be prevented, but considerable cause skin irritation. effort is required. Persistence and patience are Pets also are affected by weeds. Seeds or the keys to successful weed control. burs tangled in a pet’s hair are unsightly and This pamphlet will help you identify those irritating. Sharp or barbed weed seeds may enter techniques and tools most effective in managing their ears, nose, or eyes causing great discomfort your own landscape and garden weeds. HERBICIDE APPLICATION EQUIPMENT There are several types of sprayers suitable (similar to window cleaner spray bottles). They for residential weed control. They range from are used for spot treating small areas or inexpensive plastic sprayers to elaborate and individual weeds. expensive power sprayers. To find a sprayer suitable for your situation, HOSE END SPRAYERS: choose one that is dependable and gives the These sprayers attach to the end of a garden coverage needed. hose and are acceptable for insecticides, but are Do not to use the same sprayer for both not recommended for herbicides. They are insect and weed control. Some herbicides such as difficult to calibrate and do not apply herbicides 2,4-D are difficult to completely remove from uniformly. sprayers. Damage to desirable plants could result from a herbicide-contaminated sprayer used to COMPRESSED AIR SPRAYERS: apply insecticides. If you decide to use the same One to three-gallon canister compressed air sprayer, wash it with detergent after herbicide use. sprayers are the most common sprayers used by Then fill the tank and prime the system with a homeowners. Some are made of metal, but solution of 1 pint of household ammonia in 10 plastic models are effective and less expensive. pints of water and let stand. After 12 to 24 hours, rinse and purge the sprayer several times with BACKPACK SPRAYERS: clean water to totally remove ammonia solution. There are several models of backpack sprayers on the market. These are usually more HAND SPRAY BOTTLES: expensive than canister sprayers, but are more Several herbicides now come ready-to-use versatile. They have up to a 5 gallon capacity (RTU) in disposable applicator spray bottles and maintain a more uniform pressure. 1 POWER SPRAYERS: WICK-WIPERS: If you have large areas to spray, a power Various makes and models of “wiper” sprayer can be a good investment. These sprayers applicators are available, primarily for use in have a pump and regulator that provide constant applying herbicides like Roundup. A herbicide- pressure, and deliver a more uniform spray soaked sponge or other absorbent material in the pattern. Some models are designed to mount on a applicator tool allows direct and accurate 4-wheel ATV or small garden tractor. placement of herbicide on unwanted plants, without the hazard of spray drift. SPRAYER CALIBRATION CALIBRATION OF YOUR SPRAYER IS ESSENTIAL Many people do not calibrate their sprayers, (ounces) the water in the bucket. This and then wonder why they do not obtain good represents the amount of liquid solution weed control. Calibration is easy. The following your sprayer will deliver on a 1000 method will work for any kind of hand-held square foot area. sprayer. Step 5. Empty your sprayer, then refill it with Step 1. Select an open flat area (such as the lawn the amount of water needed to cover or driveway) for a sprayer calibration 1,000 square feet. From instructions on plot. Measure an area 25 feet wide by 40 the herbicide label, determine the amount feet long (1,000 square feet). Use a of herbicide concentrate that is to be string or garden hose to mark the borders applied on 1,000 square feet. Add that of your plot. amount to the water in the sprayer. Mix the herbicide and water together Step 2. Using clean water only (no herbicide), thoroughly. You are now ready to spray uniformly spray the entire calibration a 1,000 square foot area for weed plot. Walk the same speed and use the control. same sprayer pressure and settings as you will later when actually spraying Example: If you used 128 ounces of with herbicide. Remember, you only need water to spray your calibration plot, and to lightly wet the plants. Don’t spray to if the herbicide label said to apply 3 the point that water drips off. ounces of herbicide concentrate per 1,000 square feet, you would put 125 Record the time it takes to spray the ounces of water into your sprayer and calibration area. add 3 ounces of herbicide concentrate (for a total of 128 ounces), and then Step 3. Repeat step 2 until your spray times spray that mixture on a 1,000 square becomes fairly consistent (plus or minus foot area. 10 percent of the average time it takes to spray the area). (Note: If your sprayer capacity is large enough, you may add two or three times Step 4. Refill the sprayer with water and spray the amount of both water and herbicide into an empty bucket for the average concentrate needed per 1,000 square feet. amount of time it took to spray the This allows you to spray 2,000 or 3,000 calibration plot. Collect and measure square feet between refills.) 2 Step 6. Apply the spray solution (water + settings). Check yourself periodically to make herbicide) exactly as you sprayed your sure you are covering the correct square footage calibration plot (use same walking speed, with each spray load. sprayer pressure, and equipment If a herbicide label recommendation is in gallons or pounds per acre, use Table 1 to convert to amount per 1,000 square feet. Table l. Conversion of Herbicide Rate/Acre to Rate/1,000 Square Feet. LIQUID MATERIALS Rate of Commercial Formulation Per Acre Approximate Rate Per 1,000 Square Feet 1 pint ¾ tablespoon 1 quart 1½ tablespoons 2 quarts 3 tablespoons 1 gallon 6 tablespoons DRY MATERIALS Rate of Commercial Formulation Per Acre Approximate Rate Per 1,000 Square Feet Wettable Powder Granular Materials 1 pound 5 teaspoons 2 ¼ teaspoons 2 pounds 3 tablespoons 4 ½ teaspoons 3 pounds 5 tablespoons 2 ¼ tablespoons 4 pounds 6 tablespoons 3 tablespoons 5 pounds 8 tablespoons 4 tablespoons 10 pounds 1 cup ½ cup 100 pounds 5 cups TABLE OF USEFUL EQUIVALENTS Liquid Dry 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 128 ounces 1 pound = 16 ounces = 454 grams 1 quart = 2 pints = 32 ounces 1 ounce = 28.25 grams 1 pint = 2 cups = 16 ounces 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons 16 tablespoons = 1 cup = 8 ounces Area 1 ounce = 29.5 milliliters 1 acre = 43,560 square feet 1 tablespoon = 15 milliliters = ½ ounce 3 LAWN WEED CONTROL WEED CONTROL METHODS A smooth, dark green, weed-free lawn adds 4. Irrigation to a beautiful landscape. Follow these basic Water according to weather and soil type. A management practices to create quality turf mostly-clay soil would probably do well with one areas. watering per week. Sandier soils may need two or three waterings per week. Allow the top half inch of soil to dry out between waterings to PROMOTE HEALTHY LAWN discourage weed seed germination. Light, frequent waterings encourage weed growth. 1. Weed-free Seed The sources of weed contamination in lawn CONTROL