Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Controlling weeds in gravel driveway.

I'm looking for advice on the best methods of controlling weeds on about 300' of gravel driveway that gets very little use, and also landscape rock around the house. My mother-in-law owns a farm that is just a weekend place and doesn't see a lot of weekends spent on it so the driveway doesn't get much traffic. The care taker lives on the property (but not at the house), claims he sprays all the time and just can't keep up with it and the last couple years it has gotten really bad and then we end up having to do something about. I told my wife that I think he is full of you know what and that her and I need to just take care of it from the get go. It is near 2 hours away so we can't go there every week, We want to treat it with something strong enough that you don't need to spray it every week or two but wont kill the grass and trees around it. I also thought about spreading some salt on it. Has anyone ever tried that? I know no grass grows where I had a salt block in my yard for deer. Thanks for any input!

Bayer Esplanade 200 SC Herbicide.

It ain't cheap, but it will last all season. Follow the label for the application rate religiously. Spray right to the edge of the gravel, but don't go past it or that will die too. If you want to be on the safe side, stay 12" away from the edge of the gravel, then hit the edge of the gravel with glyphosate every trip that you see green things growing in the stones there.

I add pond dye to the spray tank so I can see exactly where I am spraying.

You can also use Alligare Mojave 70 EG Herbicide (Direct replacement for Sahara) but I had problems with Sahara moving in the soil about 3' from where it was applied.

These guys have both, https://www.forestrydistributing.com/ but you may be able to find it a wee bit cheaper somewhere else.

Thanks Esshup, you are right it is pricey. I won't rule it out but I'm also worried about trying to spray it evenly since it doesn't take much of it. All I have is hand sprayers.

Bob,

When I am using powerful or pricey chemicals, I almost always try to err on the side of too light. (Especially if I know I will gear up with that chemical again in a few weeks.)

If you miss a few sections with your hand sprayer, then that will be obvious in a few weeks. Come back in with a spot treatment for those areas. You will then have full coverage for the rest of the season, and you will almost certainly have sprayed less total chemical.

The easy way to maintain a gravel driveway is to just mow it. Mow it high until the sod sequesters the gravel. Then you can mow it shorter. The stone is still there, so it still works as a driveway.
For landscape rocks, I put a permeable root barrier underneath, so the few weeds that germinate are very easy to pull by hand.

10%vinegar works on weeds

Put some pond dye in it so you can see where you are spraying and how heavy the spray is. Problem solved.

Burn it with one of those propane tank torches. It's not permanent, but it lasts awhile. I like the option better than chemicals, not that I am anti-chemcial in the right situations, but if you can achieve the goal a little more organically, why not.

I'm always spraying also. Gly is my go-to for the gravel in the drive and boarders but as mentioned above there are some chemicals that are season long, or that have pre-emergent qualities to keep the seed that's there from germinating.

Us Canadians spray diesel fuel and it works for dust control too.

Rock salt is another way, but I like the option of just letting the grass grow. There are some newer products out there for driveways that is just a plastic grid you lay down. It almost looks like the base of a plastic milk crate. It provides the traction and weight distribution you need to stop potholes, mud, and erosion. The grass just grows in it.