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Jul 28, 2013 5:59 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Kathy Lococo
Sharon, WI
I have these weeds that are growing under my deck I have tried round up and all kinds of killers but nothing will kill them. I have even tried some home remedies. please help. Deck is too low to get underneath and pull them.
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Jul 28, 2013 6:52 PM CST
Name: greene
Savannah, GA (Sunset 28) (Zone 8b)
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Could you tell us what kinds of weeds they are?
Sunset Zone 28, AHS Heat Zone 9, USDA zone 8b~"Leaf of Faith"
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Jul 28, 2013 7:47 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
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Or a photo. Smiling
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Jul 30, 2013 6:50 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
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Can you reach in with a rake or 'scuffle hoe" or regular hoe? Scraping them off at ground level frequently might discourage them enough for chemicals to have some effect. If nothing else, keeping them small keeps them from growing through your deck's boards

After pulling out as much top-growth as possible, some weeds will be further weakened by denying them any light or water. Cover with thick dark plastic and weight it down so no light or water can reach new sprouts.

If you can reach in with shovels, you could excavate 6" to 12" of soil, and screen the roots out of it. Don't replace the soil under the deck! Instead back-fill with rocks or gravel. Or concrete.

Assume that the excavated soil still has rootlets and millions of weed seeds. Don't spread it over other beds, keep it in one place, perhaps as a small raised bed that will be easy to pull weeds out of. If the weeds liked shade, locate it in full sun.

Amend the soil with something that makes the soil loose enough that it will be easy to pull new weeds that sprout. Never let the weeds get big enough to go to seed.

Plant aggressive things densely enough to choke out even weeds (vegetables or cover crops or weedy fast-growing flowers). Mulch heavily.

Give the "weed seed bank" enough years that all weed seeds have sprouted, decayed or been eaten by worms before you consider spreading that soil back into any bed that you care about.

If the house and deck are really, really REALLY well-insured, you could try a blow torch under the deck, but this does NOT sound like a situation where fire is the answer.
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Jul 30, 2013 7:06 PM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
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Ya had me till you got to the blow torch, Rick! Hilarious! But, seriously, all (well, mostly) good suggestions. You could also use cardboard instead of plastic to cover those weeds, since it will have the same effect, but eventually break down.
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Jul 30, 2013 7:12 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
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Well, my understanding of the "Weed Dragon" is that you only have to heat the above-ground parts until they steam lightly.

But experimenting with open flames around a wooden structure attached to your house MIGHT not be the best idea in the world.
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Jul 30, 2013 7:36 PM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
Not to be an alarmist, but you really do have to be careful with those weed burners. We have a large open area (my dear, departed doggie's kennel) that was just full of weeds and we used a weed burner to kill off a lot of them. But there were also wooden planters around the perimeter and we did have one of them catch fire. We had a hose nearby, and it's far enough from any structures that it wouldn't have been a disaster if the whole thing burned, but it was definitely surprising how readily that wood caught fire.
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Jul 30, 2013 7:46 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
True, and I do tend to blur the distinction between half-serious and half-joking.

Don't use a weed torch near any wooden structure that you like!
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Jul 30, 2013 7:57 PM CST
Name: Arlene
Grantville, GA (Zone 8a)
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Heck, we used it out in the field and we had mini fires going. They take practice!
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