Weed Control
 

Our provincial government has implemented a total ban on pesticides for our lawns here in Ontario. I have always prided myself on a nice green lawn. I do pick as many weeds as I can by hand, however since I have neighbours that believe in being "NATURAL" and only cutting their lawns once a year if at all it is sometimes hard to keep up with the weeds. Currently I am having an issue with creeping charlie. Any advice on dealing with this. I am travelling to Michigan in the next month and was wondering if they have a ban in place or not. I would love to buy a few bottles for emergencies.

Thanks

Agent orange! for the neighbors.

I've actually thought of doing the opposite to Agent orange. Since his yard is covered in weeds my thought was to pick up a 50lb bag of grass seed and spread it out before a week of rain. Its funny watching him and his young son eat the raspberries that are growing wild out of his septic field. Asked me once if he should give them any fertilizer, I just laughed and told him to flush the toilet a little more often

Do they allow fertilizer?

Not to be a smartas$ but pesticides control bugs, not weeds. Assume you mean they banned herbicides ??

Correction noted, the ban is actually on both as well. We can use a fertilizer so I am trying to keep it as healthy as possible to choke out weeds that way, but sometimes you do need a little extra help.

when herbicides are outlawed, only outlaws will have herbicides....

If they banned pesticides, you best hope that fireants never make it that far north. :eek:

they are all considered pesticides -- at least by some...

I use tiny drops of Roundup - which is relatively benign (of course, you never know...) BUT I don't see why in the world you risk having the province come down on your ass after your neighbors report you -- and don't you think they will??

I suggest getting together with your neighbors and maybe asking for the province or city, etc. to have a consultant/exert offer advice at the meeting.

Many many "weeds" are annuals. If you all mow and pull out tyhe weeds BEFORE they set seed then they cannot propagate (that year). The next year there will be some seeds that from 2 years ago and further that survived in the soil (the soil bank). Get them too. The 3rd year there will be fewer & fewer to deal with.

There are lots of such clever and organic things you can do, but everybody within dispersal distance for the seeds has to do it.

So the provincial government is the president of your HOA ;)

Weed and Feed is a great broadcast agent that you may be able to get away with...very little weed killer in it but noisy neighbors would probably notice.

Another option is to get a hose end sprayer for your garden hose to apply liquid fertilizers.

I use liquid fertilizers applied from a tow behind tank sprayer and the results are great. The link below details many reasons why liquid application of fertilizer is best.

Then, go get some Weed-Be-Gone liquid herbicide...it comes in small bottles that you could then pore into your fertilizer hose end sprayer out of the view of prying eyes and then spray. Better yet, pore the Weed-be-Gone in an empty liquid fertilizer bottle in your garage and then pore into hose end sprayer in front of the neighbors :)

I use WBG and it is great. No muss, no fuss.

http://www.outsidepride.com/catalog/Liquid-Lawn-Fertilizer-p-17898.html

turflon ester.

Paul those are all products that I have used up until this year. It is illegal to sell them now in the province of Ontario. The only exceptions are golf courses and farmers. Hopefully on my roadtrip to Michigan I can pick up a few cases. Applying it is no problem as my neighbors are all cottages and only here on weekends.

Excellent...good luck:cool:

Michigan has no ban on the herbicides you need. Look for an ag supply business and pick-up a tri-mec or 24d product and you will be set. Cost is around $35/gal...will be enough for about 2 acres. It will get rid of broadleafs and creeping weeds and not affect the grass.

Thanks Steve, my wife and I are heading to upstate in the next few weeks and I was really hoping to be able to pick up some. Imagine, I will be a criminal sneaking weed killer over the border! Our local paper has been running an ad in the classified section paid for by the provincial government concerning the ban. Right below it has been an ad from our town concerning the noxious weed by-law and the fines you face for having them on your property. This whole can of worms started back in April and I can only see it getting worse as time goes on

Go for it. Such B/S. The dandelions here are ridiculous.

I am not a property owner right now, but I would be 'spraying' if I was one.

I think the restriction is on 'use' not on 'sales', so I doubt you have to go to MI, just look around....

1) get yourself a great big bag of Miricle Grow or other fertilizer

2) get some herbacide and proceed to mix in a tank sprayer or hose-end sprayer

3) put the Miricle Grow bag on the sidwalk so that everyone can see you are in the process of fertilizing.

4) proceed to kill weeds with the herbacide that is in the tank sprayer.

Optional) sneak over to your neighbors after midnight and kill their weeds too.


Personally, I prefer to use Ortho Lawn Weed Killer in a hose-end sprayer. This is the type that can be sprayed on your lawn and only kills the weeds. I also plant winter rye (in the winter) which keeps the lawn looking nice all winter and also prevents weeds from creeping in when the summae grass is dormant - however, that may not be an option in a colder climate like Canada.