I admit it- I have not been using my ring enough. I’ve never had weeds in it like this. I thought about Mag or Cal Chloride, but all I really want to do is make the weeds DIE!
Solar salt is relatively cheap, and I have a spreader I pull behind my gator.
Pros/Cons?
I used sodium chloride, and it worked. I was told water is needed to be effective. Salt is difficult to dissolve because H2O can only hold so much Na. I want to say that I used 1 cup per gallon. Once diluted, I put it into my little ATV sprayer and sprayed the area. The fence line obviously received more solution, since there is nothing growing there. The center of the area sprayed did not receive enough. Weeds and grass are minimal, but a few grew back.
The reason that I didn’t use dry salt is because I was worried about massive run off and dying of plants after the next downpour, where water drains and runs off. By applying in a diluted solution, the Na has a better chance of soaking straight down. In my case, there has not been any die off of plants where my water drains.
Be prepared that Na will change the PH of the soil for a very long time. In an arena, this should be okay, since you aren’t interested in growing plants there.
Why don’t you use a weed killer? If you have a sprayer, you can quickly do the whole ring, fences, for a fairly inexpensive price. I would suggest some kind of electric sprayer, a hand pump one would be hard work.
Any of the generic Glycosophates do a pretty good job of weed killing, then break down in 24 hours so they won’t affect anything after that time. Weed may not LOOK dry and wilted, but it is pretty dead if you got it quite wet during the spraying. Don’t drive fast while spraying, soak the greenery well. You may want markers to aim towards, to insure complete coverage of the greenery, keeping your rows straight in the center. My sprayer is a hand applicator, not the wide spray pipes at the rear like farmers have.
Buying the concentrate, you can mix it as needed, much cheaper than ready-to-use Round-up brand name stuff. For generic, read the chemical label on the bottle, looking for Glycosophate with a high percentage to purchase. Read the instructions for mixing, ususally two ounces to the gallon, and you NEED to mix it accurately. I have a dedicated measuring cup for weed killer, used for nothing else, so I am accurate on proportions.
I put water in sprayer first, because then the water doesn’t get bubbly and overflow the tank. When I have enough water in using gallon marks on the tank, then add the Glycosophate, plus a generous squirt of liquid dish soap which helps the spray stick to plant better. Spray on a calm day, so you get no overspray or weed killer blown away. Wear long sleeves, long pants, gloves, a hat, safety glasses, so you DO NOT get it on you. Glycosophate is among the safest of weed killers, but protective clothing should be worn ALWAYS, as stated on the label warnings.
I recently got a bigger electric sprayer from TSC, 15 gallons for $79 that fits in my Gator. With a plug that goes into the Gator outlet, I can spray all day long now. I had to get the outlet plug separate, but it clips right onto the wiring plug on the sprayer, so it only took a second to change from clamps that come with sprayer to the plug. I didn’t want to mess with clamps on the battery, plug-in type was easier. You can do a LOT of spraying with a full tank! Or you mix less, if you have small jobs.
Spraying weed killer is a lot less work than the handling weight of hauling, mixing and dissolving salt. The weed killer is probably quite well mixed in the ride to the ring, ready to use.
Both salt and weed killer are going to leave roots in the ground, so the footing still has to be worked up a bit. Both will make a bit of soil change by their chemistry just being there. You should have less “greenery in stems” if you run a mower over the ring before spraying or salting. Mow as short as possible, to cut stems really short. Some dry weeds are TOUGH, might be a tripping hazard later if the long stems just fall down. If weeds are still green, mowing might prevent seeds from being viable to sprout again later.
I also spray for weeds. As I only spray 2 gal at a time (one dressage ring), I usually walk it with my hand sprayer. My big sprayer is 25 gal --I only use that one in the spring for broad leaf control but I use a different product. I use Round Up (or something similar) for the hand sprayer --only takes about 20-30 min of walking to do the entire ring and edges thoroughly.
With salt, I’d worry about run off --but then my dressage ring is in the middle of a pasture.
Foxglove
Use a long acting weed killer, not just Roundup which will kill what is there now but not prevent new growth.
Disagree about mowing, with weed killer you often want leaf to remain because most of those products are absorbed through the leaves. Make sure you read up on the exact product you use before you mow short or you might be mowing money down the drain.
I want something that will keep killing them, and grass and weed killer-which I have been using- isn’t doing that. I want them dead. Really dead. Never coming back dead. And all the ones that try to get going after. Dead.
Suggest talking on line or in person with someone who maintains baseball fields. The custodian at our school had a formula that he sprayed so that nothing would ever grow on the baseball diamond where it wasn’t supposed to. I wouldn’t use it in a pasture where runoff could contaminate grass, but I have considered using it along my driveway where I don’t want grass to grow on the edges. Hesitant to post what he used b/c I’m sure it wasn’t “environmentally friendly.” But it worked.
Foxglove
I’d like to know if there is a product that will kill grasses/weeds, but not trees. I have several locations I’d like a long term “no grow” (driveway), but we have several trees I don’t want to kill.
Anybody know what might work in that scenario.
[QUOTE=ASB Stars;8750099]
I want something that will keep killing them, and grass and weed killer-which I have been using- isn’t doing that. I want them dead. Really dead. Never coming back dead. And all the ones that try to get going after. Dead.[/QUOTE]
If you Google “persistent roundup” you’ll get a bunch of options. We used a stuff call Barrier and it worked quite well. It was mostly on fence lines. Saves a LOT of labor!!! 
Call your local County Agent. They can give very specific recommendations for your area.
G.
I would always recommend Round-up or glyphosate … it breaks down. That permanent solution you’re looking for, has far too many downsides.
click here … http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ho/2011/fs1159.pdf
Round up and then rake it once or twice a week. The only time I have ever had any weeds in my ring was when my tractor was broken.
Lots to talk about here!
It will be more cost-effective to go to your local elevator/co-op and get 2.5 gallon jugs of RU and 2,4-D and spray a couple of times a year. (If you do want residual product names, send me a PM.)
Don’t just use “salt” as a weed killer. The amount you would need to kill the weeds, and not just control dust, is significant, and will do bad things. 2,4-D is actually a form of salt - use it instead! It is a salt with a specific purpose! (And don’t get me started on that salt and vinegar “natural” weed killer!!! Grr!)
I have to get back to monitoring my spray planes - hope this helps, OP!
Let me know if you have any herbicide or spray questions! The resident agronomist is here to help! (Between plane loads!)
Da large sycamore, a hickory, a sweet gum (ok,I don’t really care about the sweet gums…they seem to be impossible to get rid of), and an oak. All are mature and about a 12" around for the smallest.
[QUOTE=jawa;8753497]
Da large sycamore, a hickory, a sweet gum (ok,I don’t really care about the sweet gums…they seem to be impossible to get rid of), and an oak. All are mature and about a 12" around for the smallest.[/QUOTE]
On something like a ring or gravel driveway, glyphosate and Prowl. The prowl is a seed sterilizer and will prevent future germination. Be careful with Prowl runoff though.
Be careful with 24d around trees. You want zero drift with 24d.
I only use it early in the morning before wind can get going and also wait till September when trees are starting to get dormant but weeds are still actively taking up what you spray.
Goldenrow, you might want to explain “off label”.
It’s a pretty important concept as I understand it…but I probably cannot explain it fully.
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