Just put premier one fence around my whole coop!

[Howard E]

I'm finding the vinegar and detergent is causing the foliage to wilt, turn brown and die, which was my only goal. I just don't want anything green growing under the wire to short things out. Those dandelions and that crab grass are both pretty persistent. It may take a several treatments to kill things completely. I am aware that adding two cups of table salt to a gallon of vinegar is supposed to help sterilize the soil to retard future growth, but I"m not concerned about that, as I may want to move my fence. But a gallon of vinegar is about $2, so pretty cheap weed control.

 

[aart]

I'm finding the vinegar and detergent is causing the foliage to wilt, turn brown and die, which was my only goal. I just don't want anything green growing under the wire to short things out. Those dandelions and that crab grass are both pretty persistent. It may take a several treatments to kill things completely. I am aware that adding two cups of table salt to a gallon of vinegar is supposed to help sterilize the soil to retard future growth, but I"m not concerned about that, as I may want to move my fence. But a gallon of vinegar is about $2, so pretty cheap weed control.

White vinegar?
What was the timing between spraying to wilting to death of plants?
What was height of foliage when sprayed?
Was weather dry during application and death?
Would think rain could wash away solution before effect was realized.
Probably too soon to see any regrowth.

I used to use RU, then a weed torch, to clear my permanent fence lines every couple years. That was after I got sick of weed-wacking them for 4-6 years. Now they have been neglected and am thinking RU again but think I will try vinegar instead...maybe get weed torch fixed so I can burn after death and drying.

 

[Howard E]

How long to wilt? You notice things in less than an hour. It is mostly burning down the leaves, not systemic into the root as Roundup would be. How effective it is seems to depend on how well you coat it. But large or small, if you hose it down pretty good, it gives it up pretty fast.

BTW, there are some other harsher options. Gasoline and diesel fuel will both kill any plants they get on, and there is some residual affect......at least with diesel fuel. So it you have some old fuel you don't know what to do with, that may be an option for it. No need to light it, just spray it on and leave it. Fire hazard goes away within minutes. BTW, both of those will also kill wasps, hornets, etc. and is safe enough provided you are not smoking at the time. Found a can of leaking can of turpentine the other day and sprayed what was left of that on my driveway weeds and they are all dead, dead and gone, and that showed up within minutes as would be the case with gasoline, diesel fuel or kerosene.

 

[Howard E]

Back to electric fencing...........recently decided to expand the area inside the electric fence and was once again reminded of a different version of chicken math. I expanded the enclosed area of about 75' x 75' to 150' x 150'. So essentially I doubled the length of linear feet of fence required to surround the enclosure, but that expanded the enclosed area about 4X. The point being you get the most bang for your buck if you make the enclosed area larger. Good rule of thumb is 850 SF of yard area per bird if you want them to be able to run around with no long lasting affect on the plants within from manure. Roughly 50 birds per acre, so an electric fence is one way of protecting that much area.

Second, I did the math and it seems to me my 4 wire electric fence costs me roughly 1/4th as much as the taller poultry netting, and in my mind, is easier to maintain and keep clear. And is also highly effective. So for a large area, I'd consider the 4 wire system as my first choice.