What's the stuff that kills plant life in ditches?

Investorguy · Mar 28, 2006

What\'s the stuff that kills plant life in ditches?

It turns everything black. It's not round up, it's mor powerful. Maybe crossbow? And where do you get this stuff? I would love to spray stuff on my ditches so that nothing ever grows there.

markct · Mar 28, 2006

Re: What\'s the stuff that kills plant life in ditches?

i dont think you want something that strong for a drainage ditch, i know the town around here uses some stuff that basicly just kills certain stuff, leaves the low growing stuff for erosion controll, ya kill everything and ya just have a muddy ditch that will wash away real fast

EddieWalker · Mar 28, 2006

Re: What\'s the stuff that kills plant life in ditches?

There are products you can buy designed to kill plant life and sterilize the ground that last for a season, than you do it again every year. Sometimes they don't make it a full year and you get certain weeds growing back again.

The good ole days of a legal plant killer that really works are long gone. Considering that you'll pay $10 to $40 a gallon for these products, it's kind of frustraiting.

There is a product that would be illegal to use, but it's readily available, darn near permanent and sells for around $2.50 a gallon. You probably have some in a five gallon can, especially if you have a tractor.

No need to go into detail here, since I know you wouldn't use anythign for somethng it's not intended for. Just an interesting method that some old timers used to use. Even the military has been known to clear brush with this product, but again, it woudl be illegal for you to use it in this manner.

Good luck with finding a product that will last.

Eddie

LarryD · Mar 28, 2006

Re: What\'s the stuff that kills plant life in ditches?

 I would love to spray stuff on my ditches so that nothing ever grows there. 

That would be shotcrete or gunite...I couldn't resist. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I don't think Crossbow is going to work, it only kills broad leaf plants and won't do anything to grasses, I use it for thistle in the pastures.

Roundup (I use Remuda, cheaper) works well as a general herbicide butit has to be repeated a least once a summer. It is a post emergence chemical and does nothing to seeds. You need to apply a pre-emergence chemical for continued weed control.

Roundup has a new extended control product that may combine post and pre emergence compounds. I saw it at the Depot and haven't really looked into it, should be able to get some specifics at their website.

Good luck, I've resigned myself to a 15gl sprayer towed behind the lawnmower a couple times a year Does that qualify as seat time on this board?

rambler · Mar 28, 2006

Re: What\'s the stuff that kills plant life in ditches?

If you mean road ditches, ok. I would not do it for the erosion it will create 'here', but I don't know what you have 'there'. Sure would look ugly to have black patches along the driveway, but to each their own.

If you mean ditches that have water in them, forget about it. The EPA could fund several months off the fines you would get.

There are very few, very expensive products that can be sprayed on open water. Rodeo is the mix of glysophate (Roundup) that is allowed.

The trouble with killing _everything_ for a year:

Most sprays only act on broadleaves _or_ grasses, so you will need a mix of 2 products.

The longer-lasting products that stay active in the soil are viewed as less environmentally friendly, so are harder to get & use.

Glysophate will work, but does not last in the soil, only contact on the green plants. So, new stuff will come right back as sprouts.

I'd sure work to keep the grasses, and just get rid of the boradleafs. Seems like a real bad idea to turn a ditch into something that washes & is dead. But I suppose I don't understand the situation.....

--->Paul

JerryG · Mar 29, 2006

Re: What\'s the stuff that kills plant life in ditches?

The best total herbicide that I have used is Pramito 25E. It will kill everything and sterilize the ground for a year.

Egon · Mar 29, 2006

Re: What\'s the stuff that kills plant life in ditches?

You would be looking for a soil sterilant. Don't know of any brand names or how available they are over the counter.

Salt water will work extremely well.

Raising the PH of the soil with lime may also work.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

PineRidge · Mar 29, 2006

Re: What\'s the stuff that kills plant life in ditches?

Whatever chemical that you decide to use, read the instructions and use caution, especially if applying on a windy day.

My wife lost a brother because he was spraying DDT from a tractor. This happened when he was but 16 years old. A real tragedy. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

GabeTX · Mar 29, 2006

Re: What\'s the stuff that kills plant life in ditches?

( There is a product that would be illegal to use, but it's readily available, darn near permanent and sells for around $2.50 a gallon. You probably have some in a five gallon can, especially if you have a tractor.)

Are you sure it's illegal? I bought and applied some Pramitol 25E last year to sterilize an area that I covered with landscape fabric and pea gravel, and the instructions that came with the bottle mentioned that it had a faster "burn down" if you mixed it with diesel instead of water. I'd be surprised if the instructions advocated something illegal--but then again, I only remember it because I was so surprised at the suggestion.

I mixed it with water (and dye), and it did the trick. There's only been a little growth where I sprayed it, and all of it was in the gravel itself, which I didn't spray.

If you do go with Pramitol (available at TSC), be careful--the stuff has a reputation for killing trees that have a root near where it's sprayed (even if the tree itself is well away) and if it rains after you apply it the runoff will kill stuff too. It was real easy seeing how the gravel area drained after the first rainstorm, because there was a trail of plant death leading towards a low-lying area. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Farmwithjunk · Mar 29, 2006

Re: What\'s the stuff that kills plant life in ditches?

Guns are legal. Shooting someone with one isn't. Same goes for using diesel IMPROPERLY as a weed killer. It can be used IN LOW CONCENTRATION as a surfactant when spraying weeds and brush UNDER SOME CONDITIONS. I'd exersize extreme caution when using ANY herbicide in a drainage ditch. The best way to rid a ditch of noxious weeds is to keep it mowed and establish a hardy cover of grass.