Lots of Weeds - Ask Extension
Hi. What can I use to kill weeds that are growing my gravel driveway? I don't want to kill the hedge or the flower beds next to it. Was hoping for so...
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Lots of Weeds #878148
Asked July 21, 2024, 4:41 PM EDT
Hi. What can I use to kill weeds that are growing my gravel driveway? I don't want to kill the hedge or the flower beds next to it. Was hoping for something that killed from the leaves to the roots to prevent run off. Any suggestions? Thank you, Linda
Harford County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello Linda,
You could spot-treat them with systemic herbicide if needed, as systemic products kill roots. Commonly-used active ingredients include glyphosate or triclopyr; to avoid having any runoff accidentally contaminate nearby planting beds, glyphosate is preferable to triclopyr because it binds to soil once it comes into contact with it. Even so, you might need to shield desirable plants growing too close to a weed needing treatment, so the spray does not drift onto its foliage. (Scrap cardboard you can dispose of afterwards may suffice.) Either that, or weeds too close to sensitive plantings will need manual removal instead so herbicide doesn't risk damaging them. Avoid use of a herbicide that uses the systemic dicamba, which can sometimes affect the roots of shrubs and trees in a treated area and cause damage that manifests as stunted and distorted foliage which would not be reversible.
Another option, if you prefer to avoid herbicide in general, is to use heat in the form of a flame weeder or steam weeder tool. Granted, this would need to be kept away from any desirable plants whose foliage or branches grow too close to the weeds along the driveway edges. The disadvantage to this approach is that the heat will usually not permeate the soil deep enough to kill roots, so this is best reserved for annual weeds rather than perennial weeds.
Miri
You could spot-treat them with systemic herbicide if needed, as systemic products kill roots. Commonly-used active ingredients include glyphosate or triclopyr; to avoid having any runoff accidentally contaminate nearby planting beds, glyphosate is preferable to triclopyr because it binds to soil once it comes into contact with it. Even so, you might need to shield desirable plants growing too close to a weed needing treatment, so the spray does not drift onto its foliage. (Scrap cardboard you can dispose of afterwards may suffice.) Either that, or weeds too close to sensitive plantings will need manual removal instead so herbicide doesn't risk damaging them. Avoid use of a herbicide that uses the systemic dicamba, which can sometimes affect the roots of shrubs and trees in a treated area and cause damage that manifests as stunted and distorted foliage which would not be reversible.
Another option, if you prefer to avoid herbicide in general, is to use heat in the form of a flame weeder or steam weeder tool. Granted, this would need to be kept away from any desirable plants whose foliage or branches grow too close to the weeds along the driveway edges. The disadvantage to this approach is that the heat will usually not permeate the soil deep enough to kill roots, so this is best reserved for annual weeds rather than perennial weeds.
Miri
