WEED CONTROL AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

[andro]

I thought I remembered reading an article on a Canadian Pacific project for steaming out weeds some years ago, and asked a friend who was in R&D with CPR about it. He reminded me that the polite term for weed killing is "vegetation control", and a bit of googling then came up with this:

http://alaskarailroad.com/Corporate/Environmental/VegetationManagement/TestedAlternatives/tabid/424/Default.aspx

Some interesting model-making possibilities!

Andrew

[Paul of Covington]

   Somewhere, (organic gardening advice, maybe) someone recommended boiling water to kill weeds.

   This reminded me of something I remember seeing about 60 years ago when I was a kid in Honduras.    Making the rounds on my bicycle, checking out railroad action (all steam back then), I saw what I first thought was a huge locomotive, but turned out to be a large boiler on regular trucks coupled to a standard locomotive.    I found out that its purpose was to kill weeds with steam.   I don't remember any details about its design, but I think it would be fun to build some sort of car to blow steam down on the ROW.

[andro]

The traditional weedkillers are banned around here (southern Ontario) too, so I've tried domestic vinegar (5% by volume) and the agricultural version (10%). The 10% type works very well, but the following year it seems that the weeds grow thicker and healthier than ever - maybe it's converted into a fertilizer over that time. This is from several years of trying to keep a gravel driveway clear of weeds, and I'm starting to think dark thoughts about concrete...

Andrew

[mgilger]

If you email me at   [e-mail]    I can email you the write up. Or if you get the Aristo-Craft Insider, it was written up in the September - October 2006 issue.

Mark

[IRB Souther Engineer]

Cool weed control car! Can you give us some more information about it?

[mgilger]

Here is the weed control car I built out of an Aristo single dome tank car. I've been using RoundUp week killer, which does a good job. I wanted to try Bleach this year, but never got around to it. Maybe next.

http://mmg-garden-rr.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=78404660

http://mmg-garden-rr.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=78404661

After RoundUp is applied, I wait a week or two and then go around and pull any weeds that are now DOA.

Mark

[imrnjr]

This post has been out there for a while, and it's beginning to get cold in your neck of the woods so this is really for next spring.

I would assume you should be able to get agricultural strength vinegar (generally 2% acetic acid).  It's roughly twice the strength of kitchen vinegar in the states, and will burn the top off of most weeds, but really doesn't kill most of them. Just spray it directly on the offending plants and they should start yellowing up in a day or two.

What has happen to you is you've disturbed the soil and all the weed seeds that were buried too deep to germinate are now in that zone.  Most seeds cannot be buried more that 5 to 7 times their diameter or they can't push though to the surface, so any below that depth just sit dormant for years.  Here in the southwestern part of Texas we have a plant called broomweed that has been verified to have survived dormant in the pasture for over 20 years.  Your gonna need time and patience.

 

Good luck

[imrnjr]

This post has been out there for a while, and it's beginning to get cold in your neck of the woods so this is really for next spring.

I would assume you should be able to get agricultural strength vinegar (generally 2% acetic acid).  It's roughly twice the strength of kitchen vinegar in the states, and will burn the top off of most weeds, but really doesn't kill most of them. Just spray it directly on the offending plants and they should start yellowing up in a day or two.

What has happen to you is you've disturbed the soil and all the weed seeds that were buried too deep to germinate are now in that zone.  Most seeds cannot be buried more that 5 to 7 times their diameter or they can't push though to the surface, so any below that depth just sit dormant for years.  Here in the southwestern part of Texas we have a plant called broomweed that has been verified to have survived dormant in the pasture for over 20 years.  Your gonna need time and patience.

 

Good luck

[CDise]

this link is shorter

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7726011@N07/2337775574

[CDise]

hmmm,  ever considered your road is prototypical with the weeds & trees?

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/2337775574_a6f6bc056b.jpg&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/7726011%40N07/2337775574&usg=__tnGk88eNv0lfLyXI1EnpYdnymjo=&h=375&w=500&sz=217&hl=en&start=18&zoom=0&itbs=1&tbnid=mv-iuATmuWWE1M:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Deast%2Bbroad%2Btop%2Brailroad%2Btrees%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

[SHINDIG]

 After many years of outside railroading I have found the answer to 3 problems.WEEDS-ANTS THAT WALK ON RAILS- KEEPING TRACK CLEAN.

 LET YOUR TRAIN DO THE WORK FOR YOU.

 Take your tank car that has a hole under it (aristo or lgb etc.) and put kerosene in the tank car fill hole on top. Put a cut seat fome 4 1/2 in. wide and thick enough to just touch your tracks under the tank car in the center. The kerosene will drip on to the seat fome and kill all weeds on and around your tracks plus stop ants that like to walk on your rails plus it keeps your track and wheels clean.

 This will not hurt your track or tank cars,doing it for years plus kerosene will vap. I do it once a week or as needed.

Hope this helps you

SHINDIG

 

[ttrigg]

Give a try using Eucalyptus Bark Mulch, extra fine grind. Eucalyptus bark contains natural oils that inhibit new growth, much like chemical seed germination inhibitors. We use it in the wife’s rose beds and 40 plus roses surrounding the perimeter of the property line we get about 3~5 weeds per year, mostly grasses that send runner branches out to sprout new growth. It will not stop everything, but it will serriously reduce your "combat time".

[IRB Souther Engineer]

Some pictures of my "weed problems":

that one looks almost like a tree...maybe I'm crazy

[tangerine-jack]

I also battled extensively with weeds.  Weed matting or cloth gives the weeds a great root grip on the soil making it nearly impossible to pull them out and should be avoided.  I found the only thing that works for me is to use heavy plastic covered with rocks in areas where I don't want things to grow, and in areas where I do I use several layers of corrigated cardboard covered with mulch.   The trick to fighting a weed is the root, on the plastic and rock covered areas weeds still get started, but the roots have nothing to grip and can be pulled out with the greatest of ease.  In the areas with the cardboard and mulch, the cardboard kills the existing roots and seeds underneath, yet allows water to enter to feed your current plants.  Weeds will get started in the mulch, but again they have nothing to grip with the root and can be pulled out easily.

If niether the plastic nor carboard is appropriate for what you want to do then one trick you can use is to cover an area with heavy plastic and don't do anything with it for a year.  Every seed and shoot will die in the heat of the summer sun leaving you a sterile soil in which to plant the following spring.   Cover the area with mulch and you should get 3-5 years of relatively weed free enjoyment.

 Chemicals only seem to speed weed growth.  Again the key is to kill the seeds and shoots and roots.  You may have to pull up your ballast, underlay with plastic sheet and either bake the ballast or soak in bleach to kill the seeds or just get new ballast.   Good luck

[Iain]

Thanks for the info. I live in Nova Scotia Canada and there is a ban on garden pesticides throughout the province. Can't even buy the weed killers oe those that can be bought seem to have absoulutely no effect. I'll try bleach and maybe the pickling vinegar and put down some of that weed barrier cloth.

 

Cheers,

Iain.

[cacole]

mgilger

Have you tried diluting it?

Mark

No, I always apply it full strength.  Some of the tougher plants may require two or three sprayings.

[mgilger]

Cacole, I keep hearing about bleach, but never have tried it. I'll have to give it a shot here before the end of summer and see if it works in Ohio. I've seen gallons of the generic brands selling for less than $1.Have you tried diluting it?

Mark

[cacole]

Plain bleach, the cheap generic brands from a Dollar Store, seems to work very well here in Arizona.  I've also heard of people using distilled vinegar.  I apply the bleach with a garden sprayer and it turns even tumbleweeds black within a few hours.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

 "Where I live I cannot buy or use weed killers."

 I assume this means you cannot buy or use a chemical that is called a weed killer. So the suggestion to use a chemical is out of the question I assume.

 Salt will kill stuff but pollute the soil.

If you cannot use week killers, maybe burn them with a torch, although near plastic ties is no good.

 Can you explain exactly what you are allowed to use? 

 

Regards, Greg

[cabbage]

The specific weedkiller you are looking for is Ammonium Sulphanoate which keeps killing for 6 weeks after application. It does this by breaking down into Ammonia gas which the plant roots take up as if it where Nitrogen. Much in the same way that Carbon Monoxide is taken up by Haemoglobin -with pretty much the same effect(!) Another good weedkiller is Sodium Glyphosate. This works by causing the root fibrils to stop absorbing water. Two to three weeks is required for this to reach full effect. There is no lasting effect on the soil. I personally find that Sodium Glyphosate irritates my skin and I have to wash very well after having used it. regards ralph

[Anonymous]

Lain

I used  heavey black plastic ,which i laid down before i put my track down , then i put my fine stone  on it and then my track down ,.Ben

[Iain]

I am having a hell of a time with weed control. I have had a garden railroad for over 10 years now. The first one I had no problems with weeds. Then I moved 8 years ago and built a new one. The first few years not much of a problem. As I was a merchant seaman some summers it was basically left to grow over. I have retired now and I am trying to get my railroad licked into shape again. It is just a simple folded  dog bone style of layout with two ponds a small river with waterfall, one turn out for a future "industrial park" (grain elevator and one warehouse).

 I have a lot of creaping thymes which I thought would control weeds but they seem to just grow up out of the thyme plus the thyme swallows up my track if I don't keep it cutback (I can live with this at the moment. However I am having trouble with weeds sprouting up in and around the track. I completely dug up the ballast to get the weeds out and relaid the track about 8 weeks ago but the weeds are back with a vengence (AAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!). How can I contro; the *** things? Where I live I cannot buy or use weed killers. I have heard of some people using pickling vinegar as a plant killer. How would this work for the track? As it is an acid would it damage my brass track? I used screening for ballast over gravel. but the weeds just seem to love the ballast.

I look at many of the railroads in GRR and I am green with envy as I would love to have a railroad like those so any help I can get I would appreciate. I still consider myself to be a relative beginner in this hobby (due to long absences from home at times)

 

Cheers

Iain