First,
consider your goal
Is it necessary that your
driveway be totally weed free? To some people, green plants on the
edges or in the center ridge of a driveway appear attractive and natural,
especially if you have a casual or country look to your landscape.
Brown strips of herbicide-killed weeds along a drive are unsightly
to many people. Harmful chemical residues can be picked up by your
pets, or tracked into the house where they can remain in the carpet
for years.
Prevention
If a neat look is a requirement,
consider edging your driveway with wood, brick or other material to
keep the crushed rock contained, then keep the rock replenished so
weeds do not have a chance to encroach.
Just a few weeds?
Use boiling water. A few
tea kettles full can scald a lot of weeds, and this is much less harmful
to people than chemicals, and helps keep the environment clean for
salmon and other creatures. Also, your pets won't be exposed to chemical
residues.
If you have broad-leaved
weeds, as opposed to grassy ones, how about trying one of the weed
pulling tools which can be used from a standing position, so you can
nip those dandelions, root and all, without strain to your back muscles.
If your driveway is too hard for a puller, consider one of the specialized
hoes such as a scuffle hoe or collinear hoe, both designed to cut
off weeds just below the surface.
Examples of weed pullers
and flamers are shown at
http://www.pesticide.org/dandelions.pdf
and http://www.gardeners.com
Both Newport Rental
Service and Alsea Bay Power Products rent out a variety of gardening
tools, ranging from little handheld pruners, to tractor mowers, to
flame weeders. Check out our Coastal
Resources page for their addresses and phone numbers.
A major job?
Use a weed whacker (string
trimmer) as needed. Consider using it just before the dry summer weather
starts, when the weeds' growth spurt is ending, usually mid- or late
June. Regular use of a weed eater (3 to 5 cuts per year) prevents
the weeds from re-seeding.
Another option is hoeing
to create an edge. This kills small weeds by uprooting them. It cuts
larger weeds at the top of the root, so repeat this two months later.
If you want to have the
weeds killed, not just cut, use a propane weed flamer. These are available
from local rental shops (see our Coastal
Resources page), or you can purchase your own. A model called
the Weed Dragon sells for about $66 (1-888-388-6724 or go to http://www.flameengineering.com/Weed_Dragon.html).
Flame Engineering gives
an excellent synopsis of the benefits and the how to's of a flame
weeder on their Flame Weeding 101 page at
http://www.flameengineering.com/Flame_Weeding.html.
An example of a smaller
flame weeder can be seen at The Gardener's Supply Company at http://www.gardeners.com.
These flame weeders can be purchased online for about $55.
When using a flamer, hold
it about six inches above the plant. The burned plants won't immediately
collapse, but they will die within a few hours or days. After flaming,
gently pinch a leaf; if that results in a water-soaked appearance,
the leaf has been sufficiently treated. Weed flamers are unbelievably
effective, not to mention fun to use. But make sure you are careful,
since after all, it is a flame.
If the urge to spray weeds
is irresistible, use Safer's SuperFast or other insecticidal soap,
which will cause weeds to shrivel quickly. It is made from coconut
oil and considered a least toxic herbicide. If you choose to use this,
make sure there is no wind, and no children or pets around. Make sure
you protect yourself while using this product (gloves, boots, a mask),
and take a shower and change clothes right away afterwards.
Our volunteers will be
testing other non-toxic weeding options. Please share your ideas by
e-mailing us.
