New in Texas! Please help with safe non toxic weed/grass killer.

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to BYC. I have personally tried vinegar with mixed results. Where weeds are in a limited area, I pour boiling water on them. Guess a torch could be used in a controlled burn but, I think that is overkill. Sometimes pouring straight bleach on them works but, if their roots are buried under something like edges of a asphalt driveway, they are able to grow right back.

Some folks will rent out their goats for a certain amount and they bring a portable fence to confine them to the area you want weeded. Of course they will eat whatever they find which could be something you like, as well.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC!

 

[oldhen2345]

OK so I live in East Texas and have a serious outbreak of a bunchgrass in my chicken yard. I certainly do not want it to spread to the dog yard near the house. What can I use to kill it off with out killing off the chickens? I am trying to encourage St. Augustine grass, but have more than enough weeds. In the pics, you can see the difference between the dog yard and the lumpy chicken yard. It is really hard to dig up those bunches with a hoe and the mower really doesn 't do a great job mowing it. Any ideas?

 

[Joeschooks]

Great to have you in the flock

 

[oldhen2345]

Thanks Joeschooks. I have been here awhile and was looking at the New in Texas thread and accidentally posted here instead of in the Gardening for old people thread. My bad, but you are appreciated for the thumbs up.

 

[007Sean]

Howdy neighbor Welcome!

Only non-toxic way I know, is to pull them up! Or as @drumstick diva said, " torch' em".

Anyway, happy to have you here with us at Backyard Chickens.
Thanks for joining us!

 

[drumstick diva]

My backyard looks like yours - lots of bald spaces where I attacked weeds, but, they all come back & spread. It looks as bad mowed or without. You can also try heavy black plastic,held down by bricks to smother the weeds. Then hurry and plant desirable grass or something else, before they come back.

 

[drumstick diva]

Big weed areas can be cleared and then prepared as dust bath areas for your chickens, their activities there will keep the weeds down.

 

[oldhen2345]

Big weed areas can be cleared and then prepared as dust bath areas for your chickens, their activities there will keep the weeds down.

LOL I thought I was preventing so much digging into the grass by giving them a special area to dustbathe. Apparently they like to change the bath area every day