What do you think? Will work?

[Black Hills Gardener]

I have a parkway between my sidewalk and the street. It's filled with 4 inches of rocks and nothing underneath. No ground cover. Keep getting weeds growing out of it. It's a constant battle. Some people here have just let the weeds and grass grow there and they mow it.
I'm considering throwing some seeds out there. See if they grow. Overtake the weeds from growing.
I have Buckwheat, Lacy Phacelia, Learned those two work out great together. Moss Rose, Purple Creeping Thyme. Strongly considering getting Russian Sage, Blanket Flowers, Black Eyed Susan, Cone Flowers, Walkers Low Catmint, Hens and Chicks. Just throw all those seeds into the rocks. Water some to get them going. Then see?
I'm sick and tired of the weeds. Ground killer doesn't stop them.

 

[Meadowlark]

It's a good idea to first determine what you like and then out of that pick what works best for your climate....and perhaps you have already done that.

I know here I could "throw out" seeds of coneflower, blanket flowers, black-eyed susans, and they would germinate and do fine...add in zinnias, garden phlox, wild bergamont, and some milkweed for the butterflies. Also, the others you mentioned seem like they can be overseeded, but further checking would be in order.

4 inches of rock is a bit much but if weeds are finding a way, I'd bet several of those others would also.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

It sounds a lot better than mowed weeds.

 

[Black Hills Gardener]

I admit the Ortho weed killer and ground killer didn't work worth a darn.
I just found out from that Amish guy on youtube. He had several good weed kill ways. One is to just boil water in a pot. ... I'm glad he warned me. I heard about this before but that person didn't include warning. Using 20% or greater vinegar. When you add salt. Need to be careful. That will flow with the rain or leach into the ground. Will kill any plant or tree it comes into contact with. I think probably better to use just vinegar.
With all this considered. Gee....a mess of nice looking growth out there will still be a big mess. I think I'm gonna try the boiling water for now. I'll keep thinking. Maybe still do it....
Neighbor across the street. Her garden in front. She admits it becomes a mess. But as I said; It becomes a beautiful mess.
BTW: I bought the Amish guys eBook. Got some great ideas in there.

 

[Meadowlark]

... When you add salt. Need to be careful. That will flow with the rain or leach into the ground. Will kill any plant or tree it comes into contact with.

Agree, but I will use salt every day of the week over those herbicides. My climate normally gets a lot of rain and that rain will usually completely wash out the salt in a couple of months. I have never had it kill unwanted stuff. For difficult fencerow spots, salt is my best friend.

 

[Black Hills Gardener]

Agree, but I will use salt every day of the week over those herbicides. My climate normally gets a lot of rain and that rain will usually completely wash out the salt in a couple of months. I have never had it kill unwanted stuff. For difficult fencerow spots, salt is my best friend.

I don't know? He said he's seen that leach into the ground. Kill a big tree 40 feet away. ??????
Yup....I know about the rain. Gee...Houston is so humid. When it rains, the humidity drops.

 

[Sluggy]

You could also buy a weed burner. Rather like a mini flame thrower. Great fun to use but watch your toes and anything you do not want to burn down.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have never had it kill unwanted stuff.

Isn't that the whole idea, kill the unwanted stuff

 

[Meadowlark]

Isn't that the whole idea, kill the unwanted stuff

Clearly, you do not understand my Texan use of the English language. Hence, I will translate it in pictures for you.

A tree I did not wish to kill...unwanted...on the left of a tree I wanted to kill on the right...

The separation distance between the two was less than 3 ft.

The tree I wanted to kill was growing dangerously close to power lines obviating the use of chain saw.

About two months ago, I applied about 20 pounds of cattle salt to base of the tree I wanted to kill. The result was a deader than dead tree I wanted to kill, no residue visible, and no damage, zero to the tree that was unwanted to kill.

I would never claim that salt use can be surgical, but I would also say used properly there is very little risk of drift anywhere like the risk of herbicide drift. Salt is cheap...took that tree out for less than $2, QED.

 

[Black Hills Gardener]

I wish I knew about that salt and taking out a tree. The lady who owned this place. She went and put in a Cottonwood tree in the front yard. That thing had broken off twice before. Good 4 and 6 inches across. I could tell when I dug it up. I used Roundup to take it out.
I couldn't believe she would do that? Cottonwoods get huge. In this little front yard? It was the only actual tree around. The winds hit it hard.

 

[Meadowlark]

... I used Roundup to take it out.

I guarantee you that the Roundup used was residual in the area affecting who knows long after any trace of salt had disappeared. Salt is very effective when used judiciously in the right location.

 

[dirty hands]

I guarantee you that the Roundup used was residual in the area affecting who knows long after any trace of salt had disappeared. Salt is very effective when used judiciously in the right location.

 

[dirty hands]

You could also buy a weed burner. Rather like a mini flame thrower. Great fun to use but watch your toes and anything you do not want to burn down.

I almost bought this because it looked like it woukd be fun to use.

 

[Meadowlark]

So, two months later, grass is growing where 20 pounds of salt was applied, as if nothing happened.... photos don't lie but AI makes it sound like a death sentence "Months to years". Two months does qualify as "months". Here it just is not a lasting effect using salt and hundreds of times safer and better than herbicides.

grass is growing

 

[Black Hills Gardener]

I'm rationalizing. When the Amish guy warned about the salt and a tree 40 feet away. They had been dumping salt along the base of that fence row for many many years. Probably from before your Grandfather was born.