Keeping An Off Road Track Free Of Grass/weeds

[Saito 5]

I've constructed a nice little off road track in my backyard (garden). For two weeks I was quite pleased to zip happily about it with my vintage runners but alas, the weeds and grasses have begun to creep back in with alarming speed. I can't simply till the track back up because the track will literally get lower and lower each time I do it. I'm also afraid of chemicals/weed killers since my water comes from a well nearby. Does anybody have any safe ways to keep the growth at bay?

[Stride 0]

rock salt helps a little

[deejay1711 0]

I've constructed a nice little off road track in my backyard (garden). For two weeks I was quite pleased to zip happily about it with my vintage runners but alas, the weeds and grasses have begun to creep back in with alarming speed. I can't simply till the track back up because the track will literally get lower and lower each time I do it. I'm also afraid of chemicals/weed killers since my water comes from a well nearby. Does anybody have any safe ways to keep the growth at bay?

yeah, simple. run your cars more often, faster and harder!! that should wear the weeds and grasses away nicely!! seriously, i don't know! but its late, i've had a beer......

[TA-Mark 195]

Yeap, Salt! Stops everything from growing almost. Just don't expect grass to grow again if you ever decide you don't want a track there. I just use cooking salt sprinkled on the surface and worked in with a rake.

[Stride 0]

yeah, simple. run your cars more often, faster and harder!! that should wear the weeds and grasses away nicely!! seriously, i don't know! but its late, i've had a beer......

put wood screws through your tires. that'll teach them **** weeds a lesson!

[HunterZero 76]

Best environmentally friendly weedkiller ever is... Boiling water.

- James

[WillyChang 1814]

Fire is more spectacular... but a huge carbon footprint haha.

When vintage were still new, we used sump oil, diesel or cooking grease.

If you want to avoid all chemicals, cover your track with carpet scraps or carpet squares.

[TA-Mark 195]

Fire does not work, many seeds germinate with heat. If anything the ash becomes a fertiliser.

Boiling water will scald the grass, rather expensive to heat the amounts of water needed.

Round-Up poison works good, it is residual and will remain in the soil for a few weeks.

Oils on the ground will stop anything from growing and it packs the soil down quite well, just don't let the EPA know you did it...

Grass will grow straight through carpets, I tried that one.

[Origineelreclamebord 45]

Salt could work nice in theory, never saw it in practicve though and it will corrode your metal parts once they get wet or damp. You could also try to overfertalize the ground. Many plants (especially weeds) aren't used to a lot of minerals in the ground, and so, well... die!

Also, to prevent the fertalizer gets too far in the ground, put a canvas under it. It will slow the growth of the plants down (where can I leave those roots)? and the fertalizer does the rest of the job... That's my theory anyway

[TA-Mark 195]

Are you in the Backyard RC Track Owners SIG? I've had my track for almost 8 years now.

[HunterZero 76]

Boiling water will scald the grass, rather expensive to heat the amounts of water needed.

Well you don't have to go nuts with it. Selectively pouring the boiling water onto the base of the weeds works great.

I don't think he was too worried about scalding the grass in the track area!

- James

[spencem875 0]

Concrete it

[Tamiya1/10 382]

It can be done without using chemicals, salt or boil water but is will take some physical work.

Go to your local gardening store/centre and ask for geotextile fabric to cover flower beds. The geotexile fabric will let water through but prevent sun light and the weed from going through. You want to check on the grade of the geotextile.

To properly do the job you may want to physically remove the weed before covering the entire track with geotextile fabric. Once the fabric is in place cover it with soil or aggregrate or you can clear the exiting soil or aggregrate, place the geotextile on the base / track foundation and than recover it with soil or aggregrate. Your track should be weed or grass free.

[ryanbored 3]

Dig it all up, put in a pond liner (from B&Q type stores) and then put the dirt back. Hard work and will take you a few days but you'll never get the problem again!

Like the Geotextile stuff but cheaper.

[Stefan(2) 89]

I prefer to use fire , as i am a bit of tucked away pyromaniac anyway

Usually use diesel fuel in a pressurised dispenser to avoid "over feeding" the surface with

the fuel.

< bet some guys are happy not to live next door to me >

Also used KAS ( fertilizer ) , and Ureum , industrial grade. But, it does not last for months.

( I am on a clay surface, so .. it is hard to stop anything from growing there )

Still working on a rc model that actually cultivates my track, ( would prefer a 1/16 hydraulic wheel loader ) , but that is more on the drawing board than anything else.

But, yes.. fire works, for a while.. over feeding with fertilizer works longer.

[andi4x4 1]

Urine !

I have a bald patch on my lawn where my dog keeps cocking his leg - nothing has grown there for months !

[Origineelreclamebord 45]

Urine !

I have a bald patch on my lawn where my dog keeps cocking his leg - nothing has grown there for months !

...And nothing will in a long time either It works so well that there is a patch in our backyard that after two years still isn't back to how it was! (The grass only started growing there after a year again). But the thought of running your car in someone's or something's urine... It would not really be my thing

[WillyChang 1814]

Fire does not work, many seeds germinate with heat. If anything the ash becomes a fertiliser.

Fire kills grass seed but helps propogate certain trees.

It sure worked when i last had a backyard track ... and petrol was still 35c/L (now $1.60/L).

Round-Up poison works good, it is residual and will remain in the soil for a few weeks.

He's got a well nearby for drinking.

RoundUp is possibly the most painful way to kill yourself, your guts rot out from your insides.

Oils on the ground will stop anything from growing and it packs the soil down quite well, just don't let the EPA know you did it...

Tons of waste sumpoil if you change your own oil regularly. Cooking grease too if you've got a friendly takeaway nearby.

Grass will grow straight through carpets, I tried that one.

Soak them in diesel.

[Spetz83 0]

Diesel fuel and salt

[Stefan(2) 89]

Indeed, pee / urine would work, its the ureum that does that damage to the green life.

The simular name ureum / urine is not a coincidense

Anyway, as far i know that is the reason.

Do keep in mind, fosile fuels do spread in ground water, so.. personaly, i would not use it

in the case you are having.

A road worker told me to used stabalised sand , that is a dry mix of yellow (dune?) sand with cement. ( 5 to 1 ratio )

The surface stays lose enough for not forming a concrete surface, but does prevent grass

from growing..

But.. that is what i have been told, have not tried this myself.

[WillyChang 1814]

Our latest city buses have gone to the EURO4 engines which use urea injected into the diesel exhaust to reduce NOx; urea becomes ammonia... doesn't sound very non-toxic does it.

Passed by the bus depot recently and they had installed a huge dispenser for the urea solution, size of a upright concrete bunker.

[Ernie1 0]

You can use a grannulat called Kerb or Ronstar. It lays a thin layer on the top-layer of the soil that prevents seeds to be growing. It doesn't get flushed away by rain.

First you have to take all the weeds away. You can use round-up or do it mannualy with a how on a sunny day. Then you apply the grannulat and the weeds will stay away. However if you dig in the soil you will break the thin layer and you will have to apply the grannulat again. Works great and doesn't spoil the ground water.

[Saito 5]

Thanks for all the replies! My weeds are quite invasive. The Misses put the fabic down in the flower beds and then covered it with pea gravel yet the weeds still managed to rise up through it! I live in the woods and the entire forest floor is at least 2 meters deep with briars, weeds and vines. Many of the tree trunks are not visable as they are totally covered by vines. I have never seen vegatation grow with such strength and speed. In the summer a fallen tree would be grown over in a month's time. I tried the pond liner (I used a tarp) but I know the weeds can grow in the tiny amount of dirt thrown on top and pretty soon the liner has disappeared. You guys have given me some good new ideas to try as well. Thanks for all your advice in dealing with this tricky problem.

[WillyChang 1814]

i would avoid putting gravel on a RC track

recently i ran a hotshot on gravel... one battery later it came back completely sand(gravel?)blasted

and half the anodising was missing from the like-new Sporttuned motor can - it was nearly grey not black anymore

Stickers got sandblasted too.

if you've got more power & like doing donuts anywhere near your legs,

i once sufferred 100s of little cuts on my shins too = very painful showering!

[MetBoy 22]

When vintage were still new, we used sump oil, diesel or cooking grease.

Willy, that must be why Knox still smelt like diesel last time I was there! Probably still does?

Cristian..