No herbicide, too steep to mow, can't mulch........I'm not sure what you think any alternative may be :-)) Renting a brush hog (can handle 20 degree slope) or using a machete or similar manual tool on at least an annual basis can be effective but a lot of work.

I'd consider looking at wood chips. Very often can be obtained free from tree services or utility right of way trimming services (Asplundh) and a very good and long lasting weed suppressing mulch, if applied often enough and to a sufficient depth.

A dirt path or trail such as you described probably makes for a pretty good weed bed. Not only will you be fighting against weed seeds already preset in the soil, you will also be fighting against those that spread by rhizomes. and wind blown seed into the trail. Even with a mulch or gravel you will be fighting, but it may be reduced appreciably if you have enough depth. "Weed free" won't be an option, so the issue is control.

Herbicides, the right ones used properly, can be a real asset. Some may suggest salt, but that probably poses greeter risk than well controlled use of the proper herbicides. If you wish to avoid the chemical approach altogether, then you are left pretty much to mechanical means. Those would include mowing, pulling, cultivating, burning, etc. You've ruled out mowing, and that probably excludes machine cultivating as well, which would probably make matters worse anyway by improving the seed bed. I believe you are left with wear-and-tear pruning and possibly burning via a weed burner.

Your best bet for long-term weed suppression would probably be compaction, followed by gravel, which will still require regular maintenance to keep weeds from eventually taking over. As an intermediate step, you might look around for native materials that will make a dense weed suppressive mulch, like a thick layer of pine needles.

High volume traffic would help keep "weed" growth under control, but leaving soil bare and exposed to the ravages of the wind, rain, and sun means you will experience erosion. Ma Nature is trying to grow plants, what you call "weeds" there to help keep the soil in place. If the slope is too steep to mow it is too steep to use as a path.

" If the slope is too steep to mow it is too steep to use as a path."

I've been in the Appalachian Mountain Club for 40 years and I've hiked most of the trails in the Northeast, so I definitely don't agree with this. But here's the thing - I've been on many trails that are seldom used, not just the popular ones near the AT, And some of them remain pristine with little or no maintenance. Something about the soil chemistry or the light or the nearby vegetation or what I don't know.

Light, heavy non-human traffic, and possibly more maintenance than you realize, depending on the exact condition of the trail. I do know people who do volunteer trail maintenance in the Catskills, and for the most part their main issue is blowdowns, but erosion can also be a problem.

It definitely isn't near by vegetation, or soil chemistry. Solid rock can be an issue, but that really is it for soil.

"Herbicides, the right ones used properly, can be a real asset. Some may suggest salt, but that probably poses greeter risk than well controlled use of the proper herbicides. "

Well, as I said, I used glyphosphate successfully the FIRST time but when new weeds appeared they didn't respond to a second application. So it appears I have "Roundup-Ready" weeds.

The slopes downhill from these paths are covered with brush and tall grass, which provide cover for the woodchucks that constantly raid my garden, even though the garden fence goes a foot below ground and is topped by a 4500-volt strand of electric deer fence wire.

Since one of the objections to salt is that it tends to spread I wouldn't be averse if it spread downslope from the path itself to clear some of the groundhog cover. Right now the only good weapon I have against the groundhogs is "Revenge" (brand) gopher bombs and I've managed to kill 3 woodchucks so far that way but finding the entrances to their burrows is well-nigh impossible in mid summer with all the vegetation.

I assume halite (rock salt) would be the cheapest way to buy it in quantity - how much do I need per square foot?

I have no clue what amount of salt might be needed. The approach would be to make the soil so saline that nothing would grow there. A big issue is it won't break down with time, just maybe leach out and end up downstream somewhere. My SWAG is doing so would probably be a violation of some environmental reg. As I tried to suggest, I don't think that's a good idea.

There are many weeds that don't respond well to Roundup, with Nutsedge being just one very common example. A couple of other options you might want to consider:

Crossbow or Pramitol or maybe both in successsion.

Crossbow is a mix of 2,4-D and triclopyr. It is very effective as a burn-down herbicide for most weedy stuff. It would be a good option for taking out stuff that is growing.

Pramitol is a non-selective bare-ground herbicide. It is used to keep bare ground weed free, and works for about one year following one application. It would be a good choice for keeping things from growing.

You can get information and read the labels via the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vegetation Management

A late thought ... you stated that the trail was "packed dirt". If the hillside slope is as great as it sounds, my guess is that you have serious erosion potential. Without something to stabilize the soil your trail may just end up a washed out gully as the soil erodes away over time. Rather than trying to keep it bare, would you consider planting it in a low-growing perennial groundcover? A couple of possibilities are creeping red fescue and white Dutch clover, or maybe a mix of the two??

if you did decide salt, i dont think one huge truckload would be a good idea because it would just go down the hill, maybe just everytime you walk through it a handfull or two every couple feet and eventually the weeds will die

Another option if you truly want to avoid synthetic herbicides - horticultural or agricultural vinegar, aka 20% vinegar. It is becoming fairly widely available. You can check at a local organic gardening supplier, and it's also available from Amazon - see link below. Some users will add orange oil and/or a bit of liquid dishwashing soap as a surfactant. It's effectiveness has been reported variably. Forget the usual household vinegar (5% acetic acid).

Salt - I just looked and there are numerous web references on using salt to kill weeds. Google "how to kill weeds with salt". You'll find various opinions on the suitability, but it is widely use as an ice melter (as you well know).

Here is a link that might be useful: 20% Vinegar

TX, not to steal the thread, but any idea how long normal kitchen vinegar "poisons" the land? i got a bed of weeds i wish to kill, and a black tarp just aint doing it fast enough

I haven't tried it, but reports are that ordinary household vinegar (5% acetic acid or 50 grain vinegar) doesn't do much against weeds. Hence, the move to 20% vinegar. Impact on the soil should be fairly short lived (days to weeks). The acidification should be a short term effect as the acetic acid or acetate will be converted by soil microbes back to CO2. Exactly how long will depend on how much you apply to a given area, the amount of carbonate currently in the soil, and the organic health of the soil.

I would maintain the trail with a good string trimmer with a good head and line. I use a Honda 35cc machine with an Oregon Jet Fit head and .15 Flexiblade line to deal with acres of weeds some on steep slopes.

I would find a way to kill the Round Up ready weed. Then use generic glyphosate and the string trimmer.

Zeuspaul

This post was edited by zeuspaul on Fri, Sep 6, 13 at 2:34