WEED CONTROL

    This article is about WEED control.
It will explain why weeds are a problem and what
needs to be done for controlling random growth.
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   Weeds are plants which grow in areas where they are
not wanted. One mans "weed" is another man's "flower"
so there is no definitive physical characteristic or
quality that makes any one plant a "weed". Clearly there
are many cases where a "weed" is something desirable
and not a true weed; conversely there are many times 
when flowers, vines or grasses may grow where they are
not wanted and thus referred to as a "weed". The purpose 
of this article is not to categorize or to pass judgment
on plant life. The purpose of this article is to explain
treatment strategies and then list options available to
put those strategies into action. These actions will
allow you to get growing "what you want where you want".
   Any one that has attempted weed control knows this 
subject is both subjective and confusing. Just take a 
trip to your local nursery or home center and walk down
any of the many aisles they commonly have for yard and
garden weed control. There are literally thousands of 
active ingredients available. To further complicate
matters, there are thousands of manufacturers sharing
many of the same chemicals. This leads to many products
as being somewhat similar yet inherently different. And
since so many are targeting a wide range of weeds, it is
virtually impossible to determine which active ingredient
would be best suited for any one application. The end
result for many people is to try several and hope that 
one works as advertised. Well, the author of this article
intends on taking away this "guess work". He intends
on enabling you to make sound decisions based on what it
is you want to accomplish. In this article you will find
the best materials available for any given job; all you
need to do is decide what you want to do and then choose
what level of protection you want to employ. As you will
soon see, there are many, many products available. Some
will prevent weeds, some will kill weeds, some will be
able to target specific weeds and yet others will be
able to kill certain weeds without impacting other plants
which are directly sprayed. For most situations there 
will be a choice or two that needs to be made but these
choices will be based largely on what you are targeting
and how long you want to keep it targeted.
   First, there is some basic language or verbiage commonly
discussed when discussing weed control. Understanding 
these words will make comprehending product labels easier.
The following is a short list of the more common words
you may expect to find while reading product labels.

Square Footage: This refers to a measurement, generally
calculated in "feet", and is critical when determining
how much of a particular product will be needed for any
given application. You must first know the "sq/ft" of
the lawn, garden bed, island, etc. which is being treated
if you intend on doing a good job. This number is acquired
by multiplying the length times the width of ground involved.
An area having a 10 foot length and a 10 foot width would
have 100 sq/ft of area. Yards around the home are commonly
in the 5,000 to 10,000 sq/ft range. An acre is approximately
44,000 sq/ft and though homes commonly sit on 1/4 or 1/2 
acre, it is important to realize that the house, concrete
and other structures take up some of this space. When
measuring grass, flower beds or other turf, you need to
do just that: measure it. Don't think that just because
it says .5 acre on your property deed that you have 1/2 
acre of grass. In fact, most areas are much smaller then
people imagine which can lead to over applications. Over
applying herbicides can be deadly for turf and other 
plants so don't make this mistake. Measure before you treat
and once this data is recorded accurately, keep it logged
somewhere for future reference. If you don't feel like
dragging a tape measure all around, use a MEASURING WHEEL
which basically adds up distances as you walk. Once
you acquire the length and width of turf involved you
can calculate the sq/footage.

Broadleaf Weeds: This type of general categorization refers 
to the type of plant being targeted. Most plant life falls
into one of two types; broad leaf or grassy type. Broadleaf
is generally the type which looks like it is described; they
tend to have a leaf which is flat and wide. Shrubs, trees, 
most flowering plants, vines in general all are susceptible 
to weed killers that target broadleaf plants. These type 
of herbicides are commonly referred to as "broadleaf killers".
And remember, Poison Ivy, Sumac and Oak are broadleaf weeds are
all broadleaf weeds and can be easily killed. The key to 
dealing with these plants is knowing which product is best
to apply based on where they are growing. 

Fungicide: A type of Herbicide used to control fungus on
plant life.

Grassy Weeds: This type of weed tends to grow more like grass.
The structure of the plant will be long and slender, like
a blade of grass, and is somewhat harder to see when it grows
in the lawn. Crabgrass is an easy grassy weed to see. This
is true because it grows in a flat circular pattern. Other
grassy weeds like "goose grass" or "wild fescue" is not
so easy to see and sometimes gets well established before
protective measures are put in place.

Growth Regulator: Product that controls the growth of plants.
Fertilizers can impact growth patterns and generally will
cause plants to grow faster than normal but fertilizers
are not considered to be growth regulators. Most true
regulators are used to help slow growth patterns. This 
keeps targeted plants alive and healthy but not out of control.

Herbicide: General term used to categorized most anything
that is applied to plant life.

Pre Emerge: A type of chemical that is applied to turf which
prohibits the proper development of seeds. Essentially "birth
control" for plants, the use of pre emerge can be the single
most powerful tool for weed control. Applying this product
during the "off season" can many times prevent weeds from
ever growing and in the long run save time, money and
cost. However, pre emergent materials are rarely used by
home owners. 

Post Emerge: A type of chemical that works on targets which
are currently growing and above ground. Though selective
active ingredients are available, it is important to make
sure you don't apply a post emerge over a plant which may 
be susceptible to the material being applied. In most cases
the targeted weed will be but there could be other near
by plants also vulnerable so care must be taken when used.
This is clearly the most common type herbicide that home
owners will use. Most people use the "wait and spray"
thought process hoping the weeds won't find their yard.
Once seen, aggressive post emergent material is acquired
to knock out the unwanted growth.

Over Spray: What can happen when spraying. Generally a bad
thing, if overspray gets on non-target plants, they could
die or at the very least be adversely affected. One should
do applications while attempting to minimize overspray.
This can be done by spraying when wind is either light or
non-existent. Special equipment can also be used that will
help prevent such misapplication. For example, the use
of a FOAMER will enable you to apply precise amounts of
herbicide to a specific plant thus minimizing the chance
of overspray and cross contamination. This is a very
effective tool and will enable the applicator to treat
weed problems without jeopardizing the health of his
"good" plants. Just "foam" the weed and leave all other
plants alone.


Total Vegetation Kill: Something like Roundup would be a 
material that can produce a "total vegetation kill" but
there are other materials that can accomplish such results.
In fact, there are better working less costly alternatives
so if you are someone that finds themselves applying a lot
of Roundup during the course of any growing season, pay
attention to this article. Chances are the author will
identify several choices for any one target site that will
be both fast working and longer lasting then using the
old standby most people know as "roundup".

Soil Sterilents: Like pre emerge type products but different
in that the soil is being affected instead of the seeds from
which plants grow.

Selective Weed Control: A product that targets a specific 
weed or type of weed control. 

Spreader Sticker: Also known as adjuvants or surfactants,
Spreader Sticker is almost always needed when treating
plants. It will enhance the performance of your effort so
you can get the "most bang for your buck". By adding
Spreader Sticker to your tank mix, you can get applications
to coat targeted plants more effectively.

   Once you have a basic understanding of the terminology
that will be used while considering weed control options,
you can then start to analyze the different treatment
sites or locations where you plan on doing applications.
In most situations, there will be a mixture of materials
needed for any one treatment location. The exact combination
used will depend largely on what you are targeting. However,
the range of products available may be limited. For example,
crab grass control in parking lots along cracks and seams in 
the cement can generally be accomplished with most any material. 
Such treatment sights are prime locations for soil sterilents 
and total vegetation kill. However, if you wanted to kill this
same type of weed (crab grass) in your fescue or bermuda 
lawn, you wouldn't want to use these same products! That's
a recipe for disaster. So sensitive are some plants to certain
materials that it is often best to have at least two types
of sprayers available. One can be used for total vegetation
killers and the other for selective products. Such a strategy
can often times minimize the risk of cross contamination
which can occur even if sprayers are rinsed.

  DIFFERENT TREATMENT SITES THAT COMMONLY NEED WEED CONTROL

   There are many types of sights that commonly need weed
control. Though most people think of their grass first, 
common sites include the following:

DRIVEWAYS
PARKING LOTS
FENCE ROWS
PINE ISLANDS
FLOWER BEDS
GROUND COVER LANDSCAPING
GRASS (YARDS)
PONDS and LAKES

   The above listed areas can all be subject to unwanted
weed growth. Fortunately there are many products available
to do good weed control. Lets take a look at some
of these options.


             PARKING LOTS AND DRIVEWAYS

   Though parking lots and drive ways are mostly made of
either cement or asphalt, they do not provide a shield
through which weeds cannot grow. Cement will crack, seams
will appear and weeds will prosper. If you have a small
area like a front stoop, patio or small walkway, you may
be able to keep the weeds under control using a ready to
spray product like KNOCKOUT AEROSOL WEED KILLER. It's fast
acting, will kill anything sprayed and is very easy to use. 
However, it won't prove efficient or cost effective for
most jobs around the home. Anytime there is a lot of ground
to cover and a lot of weeds involved, you will get better
results using a concentrate. The key is choosing the right
one and with all the options available today, this can be
a hard choice. One of the best is PRAMITOL. It will work on 
any weed living above ground but it's real strength lies in 
it' ability to work as a Soil Sterilent. This means that
when applied at the right rate, you can stop anything
from growing on treated areas. Depending on the region
where you reside, this residual could last 6-12 months.
If you have a really bad population of established weeds,
use a couple of products in your spray tank at the same
time. Add Pramitol for long term control but then add some
ERASER to the tank. This product is similar to Roundup but 
includes a Spreader Sticker so you get better performance. 
Remember, Spreader Sticker is what should be mixed with
any turf product enabling the treatment to work that much
better. If the current weed growth is minimal and you are 
only going to use Pramitol by itself, add SPREADER STICKER 
to the mix. This will insure the Pramitol does its job on
both the above ground weeds and the soil below. Use one of
our SPRAYERS for the job.
   If the drive way is more of a dirt type with gravel 
or loose stones, weeds can still be a problem. Though liquids
can be applied over such areas, granules will do better as
they won't get absorbed by the loose rock or gravel. If you
have a lot of above ground growth, you still should use 
the Eraser for a fast kill. Next, apply PRAMITOL GRANULES
if you want long term protection. Use a GRANULE SPREADER 
to make the application. If this area tends to be moist
and you are fighting moss or algae growth, the best
material to apply will be MOSS AND ALGAE KILLER. Apply
it as needed, which is generally twice a year, to stop
unsightly moss or algae growth.

                      FENCE ROWS
					  
   Since cutting the grass up against fence rows is hard,
such locations are ideal for weeds to grow if left unchecked.
If your fence row is removed from turf which is growing
grass, flowers, shrubs or anything important, you may 
choose to apply both Eraser and Pramitol. Again, the 
Eraser will provide the immediate kill of everything
growing and the Pramitol will keep the soil plant free
for long periods of time. However, if you have sensitive
plants close by, the chance of runoff, overspray or
leaching could make such applications not worth the risk.
There are specialized chemicals which may be work better
under these conditions.
   If the area along the fence row is currently growing
wild plants that serve to prevent ground erosion, you
shouldn't kill them. However, since most wild plants will
grow out of control if left unchecked, the use of a 
growth regulator may be warranted. EMBARK is such a 
product. Applied to the ground this product will slow
the growth of most any plant including both broad leaf
and grassy plants. It's ideal for use on plants that
tend to grow fast and uncontrollably but where you need
to have some growth and not a soil sterilization. 
   If the fence row runs through Pine Isles, Flower Beds
or Ground Cover which you want to keep healthy, proceed
to one of the sections below that best describes your 
environment. The following sections will detail many
other treatment options currently available. There
are several choices that will both kill or slow fence
row plant growth and if needed, specialized chemicals
that can be used that will eliminate the need to 
jeopardize the health of your other near by plants.

                    PINE ISLES
					
   The term Pine Isles is being used by the author to
describe any type of island where nothing is generally
growing or where maybe only a tree or two exists. For
the most part, established trees will have root systems
in place making them largely unaffected by the treatments
discussed in this article. Though concern is warranted,
it is generally not easy to adversely affect a tree
unless you spray their leaves or inject material deep 
into the ground. Ordinary top soil applications discussed
here will rarely go more than a few inches down in the
soil and therefore won't threaten healthy large trees.
Clearly saplings, diseased and small or newly installed
trees will be more vulnerable and care should be taken 
if and when you need to treat around them. Use common sense 
and if you are unsure, give us a call or e-mail to get
any question you may have before you proceed.
   Many people will have islands around their home. These
are sometimes referred to as "wild areas" or "mulch"
and almost all will grow weeds if left untreated. If 
this growth is not wanted and erosion is not an issue, 
Pramitol may be applied to keep it plant free. Though
the use of a "weed barrier" may seem like a good choice,
rarely do they last more then a season. Most will do 
an OK job of keeping the roots of plant growth from 
reaching the dirt below. However, the mulch above the
barrier can easily serve as soil. Plants will be quick 
to take root in this covering. Pine straw, wood chips and 
even stone will prove more than adequate for the growth 
of most weeds so don't be surprised if you have spent a 
lot of time and money laying a weed barrier only to find
plenty of weed growth over these areas a few months
after you did your install. This is to be expected. The
real question here is what product will best keep the
area free of this unwanted growth.
   If these islands are barren and bare, the Pramitol
may be the best long lasting material to apply. If you
have a lot of weed growth, add the Eraser to help knock
down the established growth. You may even want to give a 
"face lift" to the mulch by adding some MULCH MAGIC to
the tank mix. This brown "paint" is perfectly safe and
completely biodegradeable so it won't hurt any living plant
However, it's brown color is natural and bright making even 
the oldest pine straw or wood chips look new again. If
you don't feel like replacing all your mulch just yet,
use the Mulch Magic to brighten up the area. It will
certainly extend the life of what you have out and
postpone the cost of new material. Now if you have a 
lot of ground cover or flowers in these islands, read 
the next section which will list several more products 
that can be used when such plants are present and you 
don't want to risk hurting them while treating for the 
weed growth.

         FLOWER BEDS/GROUND COVER ISLANDS
		 
   Since most islands or mulch have some type of plant
growth besides weed, it is important to use products in
such areas that will target the weeds and not the plants
you want to keep. There are several options available for
such applications. Some will target broadleaf plants while
others will only affect grassy weeds. The unique quality
of these specialized herbicides is that they can be applied
over established plants such as flowers, shrubs and other
beneficial plants without harm. Lastly, there are Pre Emerge 
products that can be applied throughout the year so weeds
can never start to grow. These Pre Emerge products will 
last many months, stop all weed seeds from growing and yet
established flowers and other plants will not be affected.
It is strongly advisable to use such materials whenever
possible. Such products are less acutely toxic to plants
in general so the risk of overspray or danger to other
beneficial plants is kept minimal. Treating established
plants will require stronger more costly products in the
long run take more time to employ.
   If you have established shrubs like Azalea or any other
common low growing bush or plant, care must be taken if you
want to spray some type of weed killing agent. Products like 
Pramitol or Eraser would be deadly on such plants and cannot 
be used. However, there are special chemicals, called
Selective Herbicides, made specifically for such applications.
For example, BASAGRAN can be sprayed directly on many shrubs 
like Holly and other commonly found ground cover. Amazingly,
it won't impact the ground cover you want to keep but it
will kill off the weed. It can even be applied over many
types of flowers so if you have a lot of broadleaf type weeds, 
Basagran would be a selective herbicide that could be used.
   If the unwanted weed is some type of grass like Bermuda
or Crab Grass, POAST would be the Selective Herbicide of choice.
Poast will target just the grass and like Basagran, won't
impact most flowers or ground cover shrubs. With both Basagran
and Poast, you can now spray weeds that are growing in
established flower beds or pine isles without presenting
any risk to the beneficial plants. To get the best results,
be sure to add some Spreader Sticker to the tank mix as this
will allow the active to better adhere to targeted weeds. 
   Another product you should consider adding to the tank
mix when using either Poast or Basagran is some SURFLAN. 
This material is a true Pre Emerge. Preemergent products
are used when you want to stop seeds from germinating. 
In other words, Surflan won't do anything to growing
weeds but by stopping their seeds, new ones won't be
able to start. Whats even more important is that you can 
use it in flower beds where you either have flowers growing
or where you intend on planting some seasonal color. Even
new shrubs, old shrubs, new trees or old trees won't be
affected. Surflan won't hurt anything already established. 
Since it will stop all seeds from growing, you don't want
to use it where you will be planting seeds in the near future.
Most Surflan applications will remain active for 3-4
months so take this into consideration when deciding where
to use it.

     GRASS LAWNS LIKE FESCUE, BERMUDA and BENTGRASS
	 
   Anyone that has attempted to grow grass knows that weeds
are a constant threat. They're unsightly, persistent and
fast growing. Each spring they magically appear and seem to
want to "take over". If given the chance, several species are
capable of this feat. They will systematically kill off the
beneficial grass. This will happen gradually and over time 
as they steal vital nutrients and water your native grass 
needs. Within one season their presence will become well 
established and some species can become the major plant
in as little as three years. There are many reasons why
weeds, both grassy and broadleaf, are able to "muscle in"
and take over but these reasons are beyond the scope of
this article. What's important to realize is that if you
want green, healthy grass that is mostly weed free, you 
will have to care for it accordingly. The factors that
allow for a successful lawn include four maintenance
programs and is commonly known as "integrated turf 
management". Keeping a healthy green lawn will be
easy if you adhere to the guidelines set forth in our
articles. If you haven't already read these articles,
the author strongly advises you to spend the time
reading through them as soon as possible. Once you
understand what it will take to get your turf looking
as good as possible, it will be easier to know where
to start, what to do and if you are even willing to
do the work in the first place!

The Four Steps to a healthy lawn....

   To get your grass looking as good as possible, you 
must first have good soil in which the grass can grow.
You can cover a slab of rock with 10,000 sq/ft of
the finest Bermuda and though it may look good for a
few days, rest assured it will all die within a
a short time. The kind of grass we like in our yards
starts with the soil that lies underneath the sod. And
to know how to best prepare and maintain that soil,
you need to read our on line article about PH Control.
This article can be found here:

CLICK HERE FOR OUR ON LINE ARTICLE ABOUT PH TURF CONTROL

   Once you have the PH of the turf in check, you need
to understand what it will take to feed and nurture the
grass you want to grow. This is a big investment of time
and effort so be prepared to work. Our on line article
about Fertilizers and Lawn feeding explains all you need
to know and can be found on line here:

CLICK HERE FOR OUR ON LINE ARTICLE ABOUT FERTILZING LAWNS

   Now once you have the right soil in place with the proper
PH, the right food fed to grass should yield a good healthy 
lawn. However, most any lawn will be vulnerable to fungus
so you need to protect it against this common enemy. Fungus
loves to attack healthy well fed grass and if you are in 
a region that seems to have an ongoing fungus problem, you're
not alone. Fungus is one of the more common reasons why
people struggle with keeping their grass looking great and
once the fungus moves in, weeds commonly follow. Since
fungus tends to make the native plant weak and vulnerable,
other plants are able to prosper - especially species which
aren't too affected by the local fungus. To learn how to 
keep lawn fungus under control, read through our on line
fungus control article featured here:

CLICK HERE FOR OUR ON LINE ARTICLE ABOUT LAWN FUNGUS CONTROL

   Once you have the above handled and addressed, weed 
control will be easy. In fact, if all yards had ideal
PH, excellent soil and food and were kept fungus free,
few if any weeds would be given the chance to grow. The
author is so sure of this because over the years of 
keeping a yard, he has learned that healthy turf with
healthy grass tends to keep weeds at bay. There simply
aren't enough spaces for weeds to grow since the native
grass is using all the soil. He was able to notice that
any section of his yard that had a fungus almost 
immediately gave birth to several types of weeds. These
weeds were clearly not susceptible to whatever fungus
was growing and active. Sections of the lawn that didn't 
have enough water or food would dry out and all the
grass would die off. These same areas would somehow
become infested with yet some other type of weed.
Clearly these were species that were drought resistant.
And if the soil had a PH that was out of whack, grass
won't stand a chance at growing right. Yet this same
soil can be ideal for many other weed species just
waiting to take advantage of the offering. The bottom
line is that one of the most effective forms of weed
control is weed prevention. The regular maintenance
programs detailed in our Lawn PH, Fertilizer and Lawn
Fungus articles will obviously help to enable your
grass to look as good as possible. What isn't so
obvious is that these same programs will create
environments in which weeds don't stand a good chance
of growing. By implementing these programs and sticking
to them throughout the growing season, weeds will
find it hard to move in and take over. Ultimately 
this leads to less weed control chemicals needing
to be applied, less work to get rid of weeds and
healthier grass. Clearly following a good maintenance
program for your grass makes sense.
   Yet even the most cared for lawns will have outbreaks
of some type of weed from time to time. There are various
methods available to both prevent weeds and to kill them
off once they start growing. The key is identifying
what approach you would like to use and then stick to it.
For some people, they prefer to do their work ahead of
the problem. They would rather do what they can to prevent
weeds from ever growing. These people are more apt to
follow maintenance programs and probably have their 
soil PH in check, fertilizer applied on a fixed
schedule to insure the grass is fed and little to 
no problem with any lawn fungus. For these people, the
use of a Pre Emerge like Surflan fits their approach.
Surflan can be sprayed over most any grass and won't 
hurt established turf. The only time you wouldn't want
to use it would be in the fall just prior to seeding
the yard. Most Fescue lawns are seeded annually and
Surflan will prevent these seeds from growing if applied
before the seed has germinated and established itself.
However, after the newly planted seeds have hatched and
begun to grow, Surflan can be applied. Do this late fall 
to early winter, usually November or December, and your
application will help to prevent spring outbreaks of
many types of weeds. It's generally smart to apply some 
more in the spring and then again during the beginning 
of the summer. 2-3 treatments a year will probably keep
all weed growth in check and should stop virtually all
species.
   If you are of the other mind set of people that seem
to wait till the problem is prevalent and established,
the use of post emergent materials will be required. 
Fortunately there are many products available for just
this need. Just which one to use will depend largely
on what type of weed you are targeting. For example,
if you have nothing but excessive crab grass, the 
use of MSMA and some Spreader Sticker would be all
that is needed. This combination is excellent for
crabgrass, goose grass and several species of grassy
weeds and MSMA can be applied over most any type of
grass. However, St. Augustine and Centipede are two
types of grass which are sensitive to this material
so don't use MSMA on either of them. Instead, opt for
ATRAZINE as the active; its the best general material
for Centipede and St. Augustine and though mostly
targeting grassy weeds, Atrazine will work on some
broadleaf species as well. And if you have
some stubborn Nutsedge popping up, you're best
product choice will be IMAGE. Be sure to add some
TURF MARKER to the tank mix so you can see just
which weeds you have sprayed and which ones you missed.
This blue marker will fad in a day or two so it's blue
hue won't linger long. However, it's really handy at
letting you know exactly where you have sprayed.
Knowing this can help to prevent you from spraying
a weed two or more times. Such overspraying or over 
applications can be damaging to Centipede or St. 
Augustine grass so take extra care when doing weed
control on this species of grass. Turf Marker will
take away any doubt and make sure you get where you
need to treat and at the same time make sure you don't
carelessly overapply something. For selective broadleaf
weed control on the more common Bermuda or Fescue lawns,
there are a lot of options as well. For small yards,
some BROADLEAF WEED KILLER RTS will do the job. It
will target any leafy weed and not hurt the grass. If
Poison Ivy or Brush is your main concern and it's a
small area, BRUSH KILLER PTS or BRUSH KILLER QTS will
do the job. It uses a couple of actives and works fast.
The pint treats just over 5,000 sq/ft; the qt over 10,000.
If you have large areas to treat, basic 2-4 D is the
old standby. Commonly used in fields by farmers, 2-4 D
is excellent for use in wooded areas as well where 
you wish to kill off wild ground cover like Poison 
Ivy, Sumac or Oak. These nuisance weeds are easy 
to kill when you have the right material but as
always, be careful when working around them. If
you are sensitive to their sap, it's always best
to apply some POISON IVY-SUMAC-OAK PREVENTIVE LOTION
before you venture out where these weeds are growing. 
And remember, 2-4 D won't work on all broadleaf
plants. If you have a wide range of weeds growing,
you may need the stronger product called TRIMEC. This
formulation has 2-4 D but it also includes Propionic
Acid and some Dicamba. This trio of weed killers
are enough to handle most any broadleaf weed. And
if you have some grassy weeds in the mix as well,
go for the TRIMEC PLUS. It uses the basic Trimec
formulation and then adds MSMA so it will also work
on grassy weeds like crabgrass, goose grass, etc. 
Use some Spreader Sticker with any of these products
to help promote better coverage and faster results.
Remember, selective weed control takes longer. It is
not uncommon for treated weeds to look fine 1-2 weeks
following an application. Wait at least three weeks
before re applying any of the products listed above.
This insures you don't hurt any of the "good grass".

              PONDS and LAKES
			  
   Ponds and lakes are areas where weeds can take over if
given the chance. Since weeds need water like most plants, 
it's only natural for them to do well in such environments.
Doing weed control at the waters edge can be tricky at best
and requires special products which won't contaminate the
water. As a general rule, it is suggested that you don't
make applications within 10-20 feet of any water when doing
weed control with the products listed above. Liquid applications
may drift into the water causing issues; granular products
can leach during heavy rains and find their way to the pond
or lake. This would be bad for fish and other aquatic life
so keep a healthy buffer zone to help minimize or eliminate
this risk.
   But weed control along the shoreline and sometimes in the
water itself may be needed and necessary. One of the best
products available that is safe for the water yet highly
effective for all kinds of weed control is ERASER AQ. Like
the other form of Eraser, it works by getting absorbed into
the plant via the plants surface on which it's sprayed. Use
it along the waters edge for weed control as well as for any
weed growing up out of the water. It won't hurt frogs, fish
or other aquatic life and can be used as often as needed. For
best results, add some of the Spreader Sticker we list above.

   Weeds are everywhere. They are opportunistic, fast
growing, generally unattractive and unwanted. Yet they
seem to appear anywhere we attempt to grow our garden
or grass. There are many weed control options available
in this day and age so most any problem has a resolution.
The key is identifying just which product to use for
any given situation. Pre emerge products will prove to
be the most efficient material since they address the
problem before it ever grows. Once weeds are established,
it will take stronger products which could cause a hazard
to beneficial plants so be careful when making applications.
Avoid overspray and run off and generally less is more.
Remember, you can always go back and retreat any weed
that you missed the first time spraying. However, you
can't go back and regenerate dead plants you have killed
by over application so don't do it. Be sure to have good
soil in place to help native or desirable plants grow
healthy and strong. Good soil means soil that is properly
balanced, has a good food supply for the plants you
are trying to grow and is free from fungus. Such soil
will enable desirable plants to prosper which in turn
will keep unwanted weeds away. Match the right product
to your target sight and weed control is easy. The
products listed above should allow you to do just that
but if you find you need something not listed, please
give us a call. Chances are we can get whatever you
need if we don't have it already.

To see these products or any of the other weed control 
products we sell, follow the link below.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR PRODUCTS PAGE

CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR CHEMICAL INDEX PAGE

CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO OUR ARTICLE SELECTION PAGE

CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR MAIN PAGE

Our toll free number is 1-800-877-7290.

E-Mail us at uspray@bugspray.com


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4653 Highway 78
Lilburn, Georgia  30047
Phone:  (770)985-9392
Fax:  (770)985-9319
Toll Free:  1-800-877-7290

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