Overwhelmed! Supplemental

[Bobs69]

I have an Overwhelmed thread in the engine and transmission section, but this one is meant to look for help with everything else there is to do in life and being a home owner that distracts me from working on my car.


I'm looking for tips on how to simplify my life.  For example............. I have a large shed in my back yard.  It has barn doors in the front and back.  I  have gravel ramps leading up to them, they are smoothed out nicely so I can ride the lawnmower right over them and keep cutting grass.   No other then the fact I have weeds galore coming up this was a pretty sweet tip someone gave me.  So for starters.  How can I kill these weeds and still be a friend to the environment and not hurt my pets?


Also, flower beds in front of my house.  Do I really need it there?  What can I do instead?  A nice fresh piece of stone?

[RallyeMike]

Pave it all. Time problem solved, safe for pets, lots of parking.

[Todd Wilson]

Diesel fuel!!!!!!!!


Todd

[Daytona R/T SE]

Diesel fuel!!!!!!!!


Todd

I was gonna go with waste oil, but Diesel works, too!

[Old Moparz]

I read that vinegar & soap works well. It's cheap & it isn't full of chemicals.

http://www.garden-counselor-lawn-care.com/vinegar-weed-killer.html

[Lennard]

Diesel fuel!!!!!!!!
Todd

I was gonna go with waste oil, but Diesel works, too!

How can I kill these weeds and still be a friend to the environment and not hurt my pets?

[tan top]

Pave it all. Time problem solved, safe for pets, lots of parking.

good plan 

[b5blue]

"Horticultural vinegar" is @ a 20% or greater concentration and can be mixed with orange oil for a 100% natural Herbicide. Search online for sales. The crappy 4% in the supermarket is too weak to do much good. The "oil" is used to increase contact time as it evaporates fairly fast.   

[ITSA426]

Boiling water works well on weeds and somewhat on ant colonies.  Of course you have to heat the water with gas, oil, coal or wood unless you've got an awesome solar collector.

[Bobs69]

"Horticultural vinegar" is @ a 20% or greater concentration and can be mixed with orange oil for a 100% natural Herbicide. Search online for sales. The crappy 4% in the supermarket is too weak to do much good. The "oil" is used to increase contact time as it evaporates fairly fast.   

I will look into this.  I've tried regular white vinegar.  No wonder it was a major disappointment.  I also never heard of the orange oil addition.  I like it. 

I've tried boiling water before too.  It was disappointing too.  Time consuming.

[b5blue]

There was a place in TX. that had best pricing and shipping last time I checked online. 

[Bobs69]

I forgot today.  Sunday tomorrow so I don't know what my chances are.  I'm in Ontario Canada.

[Rolling_Thunder]

pave everything with concrete...        EVERYTHING...   the yard, flowerbeds, etc...     then just paint it green.   

[b5blue]

AG Organics 17.99 per gal. 

[Bobs69]

Okay B5 I found some.  I was heading over to New York from Ontario Canada to see a guy for some Charger parts and hit the breaks when I seen a AGWAY.  They are the first I've talked to that heard of it.   The guy did say it worked, but everything grew back.  But he never mixed it with the orange oil.  That will be the next search and rescue I perform.  It was $27bucks, and he gave be three jugs.  never checked the size.  I think it's a gallon.   Looks to be shy of 4 litres which is a gallon.

$27 bucks for 1 but he threw in the other 2.  I asked if he just wanted it gone!haha.  he suggested something else, I politely told him I believed him but I MUST TRY THE VINEGAR!  Once I find the orange oil I'll check the web for the mixing ingredients.

He did say the drive way will smell like pickles and I may have cravings for fish & chips.

[Bobs69]

Any ideas on where to get the orange oil?  I'll start looking for it tomorrow.

[jar1292]

salt works great... the 25# bags you get for the soft water! spread that out and nothing will grow

[Bobs69]

Actually I did that at another house to a "sumac".   So I was told that's what it was.  Couldn't kill it or get rid of it.  It's on the neighbours side of the fence, so I like to empty my water softners reservoir so the salt doesn't turn hard like cement.  Anyhow, that stuff has killed it.  And if this vinegar doesn't work I'll take rock salt that you use in the winter time and lay it down. 

Tell me tho, if I'm being paranoid, I don't want to put the salt down because I'm afraid of it getting on the car!  Plus I'm on a well so why pollute it.

[b5blue]

Check online as that's where I found the mix. (Can't remember where) 

[Bobs69]

Allright I used 3 gallons of horticultural vinegar tonight.  Lets see what that does.

[sunfire69]

Beat me to it.....a good layer of rock salt then hose it down a little or do it just before a rain.....it will kill off the weeds and keep them away for a while.....you may still have to reapply from time to time.....a cheap plastic drop spreader that you pick up at a yard sale works great......good for icy driveways in the winter too....

[b5blue]

Wow 3 gallons, did you search online for oils? Probably vegetable oil would work....to slow evaporation. 
  Let me know what happens, I searched everywhere around here and nobody has any, I'd have to have it shipped.   

[Bobs69]

Yes I did.  And I wasn't getting a clear answer.   No one around here seamed to know what the hell I was talking about.  I got some "essential oils".  Wife brought it home.  I said what the hell I'm tired of looking at it.  And it is working.


I will look into it again.  Will I have to pull the dead stuff or just leave it.  Please say leave it.

I won't go thru great lenghts to post before and after but here is some after shots.  The stuff works.  I put it on thursday night I think it was.  when I woke up it was a little dewy but I came home later in the day and wow.  Not I did put extra on this first picture of the barn/shed.  Alot extra.  I actually thru in some molases and salt.  Too much off both and had to keep taking the aspirator off the end of the wand.  I added that becaue I seen it on the web and ran out of orange oil.  Nex time I get this stuff I'll order it all off the net so I don't have to go on a search and rescue.

So, I guess this is one problem solved.....................thanks B5










You say I could use cooking oil?  You'd think so.  I'm going to do that next time.  I will either find an excuse or something else to buy for the car in the States or order more vinegar.  You read the warning label and it makes you think it belongs in the corn wisky family.

[Bobs69]

looking at those pictures.  You see the barn, the back/side door is a double door that opens outwards.  the Gravel (weeds) is there to put a ramp on so I can drive my lawn tractor out.   Now, I wanted to cut the doors even with the sheds floor so I wouldn't have to put a lame ramp down.  but then snow may blow in??  I'd need some sort of rubber sweepers on the doors?  Gravel is there in such a way I can drive right over it with the tractor and continue cutting.  althought looking at the pic, I need to re-grade that gravel.


What do you think about the doors?  Live with it or put a sweeper on shortened doors?

[Bobs69]

Oh another thing.  The shed has double doors on the front and the back.  That's why you see the brown rectangular patch in front.   good stuff.