Best time of day or weather to spray weed control like Round up or Weed B Gon.
I remember someone mentioning there was a better time to spray so that the green leaves absorb the liquid but I cannot seem to find it in the archives.
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So time of day does not matter? Plants are not more likely to say absorb moisture through leaves in morning vs evening vs noon? Just asking. I've sprayed some a few times but trying to get the most "kill" for my effort.
We always recommend spraying weed killer after the morning dew has dissipated. That way you are not diluting the chemicals even more than they already are. The temperature is also important and we suggest the same as Four Season Nursery did above.
The best time of day to spray weed killer is NEVER! Pesticides are carcinogens and neurotoxins and do not belong where other living things are. Investigate alternative weed controllers, such as vinegar, boiling water or mulch.
Never! This stuff is not selective on plants that it kills and though it says otherwise, it can be toxic to pets and humans. Consider mixing a gallon of strong vinegar with 2 ounces of orange oil plus a squirt of dish detergent. This is a natural herbicide that may take more than one application but is much safer than chemical herbicides. It works best during the sunniest, hottest part of the day.
Ideally - never. There are better ways to control weeds.
If you do use lawn weeds killers (most contain 2,4d) follow precautions and use when the temperatures are between 70 F & 90 F. Below 70 F they won't work well and above 90 F they can damage your lawn. I would recommend keeping all people and pets off for at least 24 hours. http://gardeninspire.webs.com/pesticidesher...
Please be kind to the earth and don't use Round Up or similar products. With all the info online recently about the evils of these products and what Monsanto is doing, please research and be a responsible gardener.
Post from Pinterest- 34 oz. spray bottle-1/2 c. salt, squirt of dishwashing liquid,fill up the balance of bottle with PICKLING vinegar.SHAKE SHAKE Shake. KIlls weeds, but also grass and other vegetation. So best to use in areas that you want to eliminate everything.
Kevin, looks like you are a lawyer so you may appreciate hearing that the law requires you to read the label and the label tells you the conditions under which you should spray. I'm not trying to be the weed control police or anything and of course we all know the cops aren't going to show up to bust you for not reading a label. But there is a liability issue you might appreciate. If the label tells you not to spray when it's windy, but you go ahead and spray on a windy day because you
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didn't know that & the pesticide spreads over to your neighbors prize roses and kills them (or worse yet, you do damage in an agricultural area or to ground water) you are liable. Knowledge is power and I really recommend reading the label for your own safety as well as the sake of everything around you. If the label on the container isn't readable they are all available on the net these days.
Vinegar users also need to be careful. Just because it is natural doesn't mean it can't hurt you if you have sensitive skin. Do not use more than 5% acidity (normal household stuff). Vinegar is broad spectrum which means it kills whatever it comes in contact with, including shrubs & grass. Vinegar only kills topically. Spray it on a leaf, especially in the sun, and it will burn the area it contacts. It will not spread to the roots or to other leaves and kill them, but sometimes the death of the leaf will lead to starvation of the rest of the weed; sometimes not.
@Angela K- BAD NEWS...Your Hands ! I put a book on cd and sit down and commune with nature ! LOL It is a pain but when done thoroughly at the beginning of the season, that takes care of it, for the most part. I always wait and put down my new mulch afterwards, then DONE! I have gravel paths around my flower beds. That is where I use it. Also where you would have pavers.
You can use the 5% or 9% white pickling vinegar found on grocery store shelves. It will probably be plant based. You can also find 20% strength which will probably be petroleum based but is still better to use than Round Up. Add 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of orange oil plus a squirt of liquid dish detergent. (That helps it stick to the plant.) Use in the hottest part of the day.
I used a bottle each of white and brown vinegar in a garden sprayer yesterday. It was in the 80's here, and within two hours the weeds were turning yellow. Haven't looked yet this morning. So far so good though.
The temp info is great. Thanks!
If you do use lawn weeds killers (most contain 2,4d) follow precautions and use when the temperatures are between 70 F & 90 F. Below 70 F they won't work well and above 90 F they can damage your lawn. I would recommend keeping all people and pets off for at least 24 hours. http://gardeninspire.webs.com/pesticidesher...
Vinegar users also need to be careful. Just because it is natural doesn't mean it can't hurt you if you have sensitive skin. Do not use more than 5% acidity (normal household stuff). Vinegar is broad spectrum which means it kills whatever it comes in contact with, including shrubs & grass. Vinegar only kills topically. Spray it on a leaf, especially in the sun, and it will burn the area it contacts. It will not spread to the roots or to other leaves and kill them, but sometimes the death of the leaf will lead to starvation of the rest of the weed; sometimes not.