Herbicide which kills weeds, but not grass?

[Guitar God]

I've had no luck finding a broad-leaf herbicide for my lawn. Does anyone know of one which works here, and where to buy it?

Where I used to live there were companies who would spray or broadcast a combination of fertilizer and herbicide that would give you a deep green lawn free from weeds for months.

The only thing I found here was glyphosate and one drop of that on the weed core results in a 10cm circle of dead grass.

I heard of a home remedy of vinegar, salt and Dove dish soap but I don't think that wouldn't do well on the grass either.

[GaryB1263]

Spectricide in the US. You can look up the Asian equivalent.

[longball53098]

Good luck finding this. A couple of years ago I spent many hours web searching and emailing Thai companies related to weed killing. I found no one that would or could lead me to a proper weed chemical for broadleaf weeds and other unwanted weeds in the grass. I went so far as sending photos to a company in the US so I could get a recommendation of the chemicals needed. Once armed with this knowledge I started again looking here. Still no luck. I finally gave up and now my original grass has been almost 100 percent been taken over by other unwanted species of green. I went to a local golf course and no one understood what I wanted.

Just the other day my wife mentioned that one of our garden helpers said she knows of a chemical to kill weeds in the grass. I laughed as I said why did she not mention this 2 years ago. SO next month she will go to a local shop to buy some of the stuff and we will give it a try and see what results.

If I have any positive result I will post it here

[canuckamuck]

A problem you will have is that Thais use the word ya (grass) for weeds. So it is difficult to ask for a weed killer (ya kah ya (medicine to kil grass)) that doesn't kill 'ya' (grass).

Edited May 31, 2015 by canuckamuck

[newatthis]

Good luck finding this. A couple of years ago I spent many hours web searching and emailing Thai companies related to weed killing. I found no one that would or could lead me to a proper weed chemical for broadleaf weeds and other unwanted weeds in the grass. I went so far as sending photos to a company in the US so I could get a recommendation of the chemicals needed. Once armed with this knowledge I started again looking here. Still no luck. I finally gave up and now my original grass has been almost 100 percent been taken over by other unwanted species of green. I went to a local golf course and no one understood what I wanted.

Just the other day my wife mentioned that one of our garden helpers said she knows of a chemical to kill weeds in the grass. I laughed as I said why did she not mention this 2 years ago. SO next month she will go to a local shop to buy some of the stuff and we will give it a try and see what results.

If I have any positive result I will post it here

Thanks longball53098. I would be very interested in hearing how it went.

[xen]

What type of turf are you wanting to use a weed killer on ? Malaysia grass (Axonopus compressus ) is also a broadleaf grass so if you use commercial broad leaf herbicide you will also knock around if not kill Malaysia grass. Other turf types will be better and you should look for is MCPA and Dicamba as the active ingredients for a broadleaved weeds herbicide.

[overherebc]

Good luck finding this. A couple of years ago I spent many hours web searching and emailing Thai companies related to weed killing. I found no one that would or could lead me to a proper weed chemical for broadleaf weeds and other unwanted weeds in the grass. I went so far as sending photos to a company in the US so I could get a recommendation of the chemicals needed. Once armed with this knowledge I started again looking here. Still no luck. I finally gave up and now my original grass has been almost 100 percent been taken over by other unwanted species of green. I went to a local golf course and no one understood what I wanted.

Just the other day my wife mentioned that one of our garden helpers said she knows of a chemical to kill weeds in the grass. I laughed as I said why did she not mention this 2 years ago. SO next month she will go to a local shop to buy some of the stuff and we will give it a try and see what results.

If I have any positive result I will post it here

Thanks longball53098. I would be very interested in hearing how it went.

This one works for me. Make sure you follow instructions for dilution, all in Thai I'm afraid. It's used for killing weeds etc in rice crops, rice just being a grass type plant.

You can google it.

[Muhendis]

You need 2,4D selective, systemic weed killer (google 2,4D weed killer) It is available at most agricultural shops in the centre of Buriram. If you are a long way from there then you could have a look at agricultural shops used by rice growers near you. They tend to sell it in bulk concentrate but its not expensive.

[connda]

Hire a labourer for 250 day to pick your weeds. Then you're not poisoning the grass or yourself.

[overherebc]

Hire a labourer for 250 day to pick your weeds. Then you're not poisoning the grass or yourself.

Crab grass roots have horizontal root shoots,every time you pull one up you leave two roots and you get two new plants, soon you have a really nice crab grass garden that needs cutting every day as it grows about an inch an hour after a rain shower.

[charliebadenhop]

What about a weed killer for weeds that come up through the gravel in our parking lot?

Is there anything that is not toxic?

[connda]

Hire a labourer for 250 day to pick your weeds. Then you're not poisoning the grass or yourself.

Crab grass roots have horizontal root shoots,every time you pull one up you leave two roots and you get two new plants, soon you have a really nice crab grass garden that needs cutting every day as it grows about an inch an hour after a rain shower.

N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine doesn't go anywhere near food I product. If you're a fan -- your garden, your gut.

With a spade and a weeding tool, I can get most of this stuff out during the growing season, at least prior to it starting to seed. But also, during the hot season, spreading out clear or black plastic over the area you're planning to plant in will kill most of the seeds, sprouts, and micro-organisms off.

[cracker1]

What about a weed killer for weeds that come up through the gravel in our parking lot?

Is there anything that is not toxic?

Glyphos 360 (Roundup) will kill the driveway weeds but you will probably need to spray each 3 months. If you mean "Toxic: this is safe for all animals but you need about 6 hours of dry weather after spraying. Don't use it on the lawn as it will kill the grass.

[maidee]

if you love your health & that of your family, stay as far away as possible of those chemicals

[cooked]

These comments about using chemicals are the usual knee jerk comments that you get. I don't really care about reports about possible harmful effects, I lived for years driving a truck and otherwise burning fossil fuels to keep warm. I also used washing powder and drank alcohol.

Anyway. There are plenty of treatments for eliminating weeds from lawns, but I suspect that the absence of these products in Thailand is not due to ignorance but to the high temperatures here. I have done lawn treatments in Farangland in the past when it was hot and worried about yellowing of the grass.

Most of the answers here refer to total herbicides, meaning that after treatment you will have to remake your lawn.

2,4D will probably do it but you need to try a small corner before proceeding. The grass will need to be adequately watered and fertilised before and after application, and I would avoid the hottest times of the year.

[overherebc]

Only problem I have is the local cat pissing on the grass. I've seen it 7 times so it'got 2 goes left.

[masuk]

What about a weed killer for weeds that come up through the gravel in our parking lot?

Is there anything that is not toxic?

You could try a kettle full of boiling water, and just dose the cracks, with no problems on surrounding lawns. Trouble is with glyphosphate that it runs off into the nearby lawn and kills that too.

The lawns I've seen here look rather broad leaved, and while the fine leaf lawns we have in cooler climates might be ok with MCPA, beware of what you use here.

[GaryB1263]

What about a weed killer for weeds that come up through the gravel in our parking lot?

Is there anything that is not toxic?

You could try a kettle full of boiling water, and just dose the cracks, with no problems on surrounding lawns. Trouble is with glyphosphate that it runs off into the nearby lawn and kills that too.

The lawns I've seen here look rather broad leaved, and while the fine leaf lawns we have in cooler climates might be ok with MCPA, beware of what you use here.

Back in the US I would use a ground sterilent. I don't remember the name of the herbicide. It is cheap compared to Roundup and nothing would grow for a year.

Round Up is expensive and everything grows after two weeks.

[Meeone]

You need 2,4D selective, systemic weed killer (google 2,4D weed killer) It is available at most agricultural shops in the centre of Buriram. If you are a long way from there then you could have a look at agricultural shops used by rice growers near you. They tend to sell it in bulk concentrate but its not expensive.

+1

I have used 2,4D four decades ago when I had a lawn - unfortunately not now.

It works nicely with the thin leaved grass, but will kill any broad leaved variety.

Water the lawn one day after spraying. Repeat spray after a week.

Newer chemicals may have been developed by now that I do not know of, someone who has used them can enlighten you.

[F4UCorsair]

There's a product available in Australia named 'Weed and Feed', granular and liquid forms

You could try for that there.

The principal component is nitrogen in 'UREA' form. Weeds prefer low nitrogen soild, but grasses love it. Nitrogen gives plants their green foliage

A high dose of nitrogen will kill the weeds, but also burn the grass. The grass will recover but weeds won't.

Urea comes in granular form, and looks a little like coarse sugar.

[frank0424]

If you cant find a selective herbicide, get an artist's paintbrush and brush the weed individually instead of spraying. Tedious but works.

[cooked]

If you cant find a selective herbicide, get an artist's paintbrush and brush the weed individually instead of spraying. Tedious but works.

yes, or you can go around with a needle poking out the growing tips od the weeds. Tedious but it doesn't work either.

[canuckamuck]

The paint brush method does work, I have done it with roundup. You can select the weeds you want to kill. Not a good option for a large yard though.

[Gsxrnz]

What about a weed killer for weeds that come up through the gravel in our parking lot?

Is there anything that is not toxic?

You need something with Simazine, Dicamba, and Amitrole in it. years ago there was a brand called Permazol SDA but doubt you'll see that here.

The three chemicals above are all used independently for different things so you could make your own brew up if you can find them.

It kills everything in sight for a long time and prevents anything new from germinating.

Just be careful there is no run off to your lawn or if it rains and runs there, the lawn will soon become a desert. Don't ask me how I know.

[Daniel Boon]

Hire a labourer for 250 day to pick your weeds. Then you're not poisoning the grass or yourself.

probably the best advice I've seen ... non-toxic, envirojment frindly and creating employment

[wpcoe]

What about a weed killer for weeds that come up through the gravel in our parking lot?

Is there anything that is not toxic?

I've read (but not tried) that spraying vinegar on weeds is effective. Worth a try?

[sandyf]

Hire a labourer for 250 day to pick your weeds. Then you're not poisoning the grass or yourself.

probably the best advice I've seen ... non-toxic, envirojment frindly and creating employment

In theory maybe, but not always in practice. I really could be doing with help in the garden but it is a non starter, the family haven't taught the dogs the difference between a labourer and an intruder.

[Guitar God]

Here's the type of turf, I don't know the name of the strain or if it would be considered a broad-leaf grass or not. The second photo is what happens when I spray the weeds with a mixture of white vinegar, salt and a little dishwasher soap as a surfactant . So far it seems to have the opposite effect that what I was looking for.

[Guitar God]

Here's the results

[cooked]

Hire a labourer for 250 day to pick your weeds. Then you're not poisoning the grass or yourself.

No way will you be getting the weeds extracted together with the roots by a ฿250.- a day man. This arduous work has to be done by your good self or not at all, using the correct tool. The lawn will subsequently look a mess.

Also, no way do you have any chance of eliminating the weeds 100%, left over bits of roots will resprout, seeds also. Pulling out the occasional weed by hand is ok but for any larger surface you have to use chemicals, otherwise forget about having a nice English style lawn here in Thailand.

You also need to mow regularly , water and fertilise, all of which helps to keep the weeds down. I let the neighbours cows on to our land when the vegetation gets high.