AboutLong Island Gardener Expertise How to grow the Perfect Lawn? If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I have intelligent answers on grass selection, fertilizers, soil care, weed control, and lawnmowers. Although I have degrees in related fields, a person's real gardening skills are learned from trial and error. More important, I am strict about not using chemicals in the garden. Organic gardening is not just earth friendly and healthier for you, your children and your pets. It's less expensive and easier. You read that right. Less expensive and easier.
Experience Homeowner for 15 years, 30 years of gardening for personal pleasure, college credits in horticulture and botany, volunteer docent at the local botanical gardens, and a whole library of gardening and landscaping books at home some 100 years old.
Expert: Long Island Gardener Date: 7/3/2008 Subject: How to kill weeds before planting
Question I have a 1/2 acre of weeds right now, I can't plant grass seed until the temperature cools down, it's been around a 100 degrees for a few weeks and will continue like this for a while. But the weeds still grow, what things can I do so that my weeds go away but i can still plant grass when the temperature cools down? I've heard that tilling it up may be a bad idea before planting seed and I'd rather not use roundup since it'll take a long time and money to spray such a large area and roundup also doesn't work as well in high heats. any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to help. Another question. I have a large gravel driveway, is there something I can put down such that nothing will ever grow?
Answer Depending on where in the planet you are growing this 1/2 acre of Grass, Solarization might or might not work.
Your other option: Cover the vegetation with sheets of black plastic garbage bags and/or newspaper to block light from reaching them. This happens to be my favorite and works very well on Long Island.
But it may not work as well for you since you might live somewhere that solarization would be the preferred choice. And more effective.
Mow down all vegetation, discard clippings, and lay out newspaper sheets everywhere, then top it all off with Black Plastic all over. Secure with rocks and leave for a month. Till, remove debris, and watch for growth -- then repeat for foolproof Weed-free karma.
The great thing about this is, when you're done, the microbial populations in the Soil and all the other elements that you need for the ultimate Grass are STILL THERE, undisturbed, waiting for your new Grass roots to reach down and get the show on the road. And it's cheap! Which is nice when gas is headed toward $5 a gallon.
As for your gravel driveway, handfuls of rock Salt or any other Sodium will inhibit growth of Weeds. But I prefer hand held flame-throwers to singe the vegetation. This is quite effective and fun as well. Sort of like heat vacuuming.
