Grass specific "herbicide"?

[Mark Griffiths]

Is there such a thing available to the public in the UK? I have borders with grass ingress..also pots outside and so rock garden plants I've been trying to pull grass out of for years.

[Palustris]

Like Weed out? Sadly there does not appear to be a grass killer available. I could use one.

[Maggi Young]

"RoundUp" was advertised as a grass killer, I think,  and is still available. (I thought it killed everything ) 
The latest RHS leaflet on Weedkillers for Gardeners is here :
http://www.rhs.org.uk/media/pdfs/advice/WeedkillersForGardeners

[Mark Griffiths]

thanks for having a look - unfortunately it does kill everything - it's included in the contact herbicide list

"Systemic herbicides are non-selective and non-residual"

But it might be worth asking the RHS - I am a member

[Palustris]

So how about this?
http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/productTemplate.jsp?proId=prod70094&itemId=cat10030012

[Maggi Young]

Looks promising... but is it available in the UK?

[Palustris]

I don't think so, at least I cannot find it on any British suppliers site. I think it is probably banned in the EU, like all these herbicides.

[ruweiss]

In Germany Kerb 50 W is recommended against as a grass specific
herbicide, but I am not sure if it is available
in your country and for the use by amateur gardeners.
I also would not use it beside tender and valuable plants.

[Lesley Cox]

So it's an American product? I'll see if I can find something here. My usual plan is remove all plants I want then spray with Roundup but realy that's crazy. I need something that can be used in ground, over ornamentals. Grass is one of the worst ever garden weeds. Its amazing that someone hasn't come up with something efficient and safe.

[Ezeiza]

Herbicides specific for grasses of all kinds do exist, the problem is wether they are available in a given country or not. Roundup at 10-20% will kill all grasses; better if the application is during warm weather when the plants are active. It is irrelevant if the plants/weeds are well watered or under drought stress.

Based on the principle that you do not need to spray the whole plant to kill it, it is very effective to use a latex glove as a "paintbrush". Just dip the tip of the fingers in the Roundup solution and gently hold the grass, etc. stem, branch, etc, within reach. Hold it by the base and gently move Up/outwards so the wet fingers of the glove can paint as much of the stem as possible. Of course the Roundup must not touch the plant one wants to protect. With a little practice and patience one can efectively get rid of volunteer grasses and other kinds of weeds in pots and in borders with this method. With bulbs it is very easy to spray the weeds while the bulbs are dormant. Excessive herbiciden concentrations can burn the foliage but not kill the plant giving the false impression that the weed is inmune to tne product.

[rob krejzl]

Grass-B-Gon has the same active ingredient as Fusilade, Fluazifop-P-butyl. I've had to use Fusilade a few times myself in the past year or two. It isn't recommended for the control of things like Poa annua, and it's more expensive than glyphosate-based herbicides. My experience of it (applied at the recommended rates) is that it is rather slow-acting (frustratingly so at times). I've never seen any collateral damage on non-grasses but my advice would be to try glyphosate using Alberto's method first.

[Mark Griffiths]

I went down to Wisely today and asked at the members' advisory desk - the answer was "no, not anymore".

[Maggi Young]

I went down to Wisely today and asked at the members' advisory desk - the answer was "no, not anymore".

That's it then.... back to the donkey work on hands and knees..........

[Mark Griffiths]

wait..I can get a donkey to do this? Brilliant!

And they don't eat everything else?

Can you get them online?

[Maggi Young]

wait..I can get a donkey to do this? Brilliant!

And they don't eat everything else?

Can you get them online?

 There's a sanctuary in Devon I think... with HUNDREDS of 'em.... but yes, they do eat just about everything else.... not as much as a goat, but nearly!