# A weeding rake



## homebrewed (Jul 17, 2022)

We have a really bad infestation of a particular weed, called shining geranium.  It spreads like wildfire and chokes out everything else.  It can be killed with herbicides like glyfosate (A.K.A. Roundup),  but that stuff kills lots of other plants, too.  Some plants and vegetables are very sensitive to it so herbicide drift also is a concern.  I'm not a purist when it comes to using herbicides but there are situations where that approach isn't the best.

Anyway, I realized this particular weed has a growth habit that makes it possible to design an effective weeder to remove it.  The weed puts roots down to the soil from a little crown where the stems come from, so the crown is larger than the roots.  A rake with more closely-spaced tines might do the trick.  After some experimentation I came up with something and today had the first opportunity to try it out.  It works a treat.  And here it is:








Based on experiments using a moss rake, the weed's crown had a tendency to pull through straight tines so I had the idea of making V-shaped ones.  I cut the Vees on my bandsaw, then used an angle grinder to grind the edges down so they would grab and cut off the root portion.  I used a cutoff wheel to get down into the smallest part of the V. 

This is the first time I've used my newly-acquired stick welder to actually make something.  Nothing like doing something challenging the first time, huh .  Not pretty but I think it will do.  I initially tried using some smaller diameter rod but couldn't get a very good fillet so I switched to some larger-diameter stuff and that worked much better.

For the handle I re-purposed an old handle from a defunct rake.  The rake had pulled loose from the handle so it was "available".  But the bottom end of the handle was a little too large in diameter to fit in my 1" ID iron pipe so I chucked it up in my metal lathe and turned the end down.  I installed my steady rest on the far right side of the lathe to stabilize the handle while it was (slowly) spinning.   It wasn't easy to get the runout at the end of the handle down to a reasonable amount, since I couldn't grip the chucked-up end hard enough to keep it from sagging.  But, hey, at that point I just needed woodworking-level tolerances, right?

The weeder does a good job of scalping off that dratted weed; and best of all I don't have to get down on my hands and knees to use it!


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## IamNotImportant (Jul 17, 2022)

i use a Hula Hoe


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## francist (Jul 17, 2022)

Very cool. I find the contraptions people can come up with to tackle vexing garden tasks to be quite ingenious at times! I have that particular weed around here too but so far not in large enough or dense enough concentrations to be worrisome. So far I can keep up with it, and it does pull fairly easily for the most part.


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## brino (Jul 17, 2022)

@homebrewed ,

The ability to make the special tool you need is indispensable!

I just need to go and look-up the particular weed you're dealing with.....

Thanks for sharing this.
Brian


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## IamNotImportant (Jul 17, 2022)

francist said:


> Very cool. I find the contraptions people can come up with to tackle vexing garden tasks to be quite ingenious at times! I have that particular weed around here too but so far not in large enough or dense enough concentrations to be worrisome. So far I can keep up with it, and it does pull fairly easily for the most part.


what does this weed look like?


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## francist (Jul 17, 2022)

@IamNotImportant


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## IamNotImportant (Jul 17, 2022)

francist said:


> @IamNotImportant
> View attachment 414150


i will see if there is a way to eliminate it without adverse action to other plants, give me a day

or less


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## homebrewed (Jul 17, 2022)

IamNotImportant said:


> i will see if there is a way to eliminate it without adverse action to other plants, give me a day
> 
> or less


Crossbow kills it and is more selective in some ways (as in, it doesn't kill grass), but:  one of the components (tripoclyr) can come in a form that has a high vapor pressure.  It's volatile and can travel, so even if you are careful when your're spraying, adjacent plants can be severely damaged, depending on the species.  This has nothing to do with wind, the active component will vaporize so it will spread by itself.  I know for a fact that currants are easily damaged by even a whiff of the stuff.  Something else to think about:  if it's volatile then YOU could be getting a dose of it as well, unless you're wearing something much better than an N95 mask.  Think activated charcoal.

There are formulations that are less volatile.  Bayer used to sell brush killer with the better stuff but the last time I looked I couldn't find that product.  Reading the label on the product in the garden store is important when it comes to this stuff.

A propane weed torch would likely work, but it can be a very blunt instrument.  And perhaps dangerous, depending on the season.


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## IamNotImportant (Jul 18, 2022)

homebrewed said:


> Crossbow kills it and is more selective in some ways (as in, it doesn't kill grass), but:  one of the components (tripoclyr) can come in a form that has a high vapor pressure.  It's volatile and can travel, so even if you are careful when your're spraying, adjacent plants can be severely damaged, depending on the species.  This has nothing to do with wind, the active component will vaporize so it will spread by itself.  I know for a fact that currants are easily damaged by even a whiff of the stuff.  Something else to think about:  if it's volatile then YOU could be getting a dose of it as well, unless you're wearing something much better than an N95 mask.  Think activated charcoal.
> 
> There are formulations that are less volatile.  Bayer used to sell brush killer with the better stuff but the last time I looked I couldn't find that product.  Reading the label on the product in the garden store is important when it comes to this stuff.
> 
> A propane weed torch would likely work, but it can be a very blunt instrument.  And perhaps dangerous, depending on the season.


i work in the lawn care industry. though myself i don't do herbicides, i know quite a few that do, i am working to see if i can get a solid answer for you. 
Yes.. using PPE is paramount with some of these herbicides, and it takes a greater mask than a N95. Usually a canister style, body suit, gloves and boots


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## IamNotImportant (Jul 18, 2022)

homebrewed said:


> Crossbow kills it and is more selective in some ways (as in, it doesn't kill grass), but:  one of the components (tripoclyr) can come in a form that has a high vapor pressure.  It's volatile and can travel, so even if you are careful when your're spraying, adjacent plants can be severely damaged, depending on the species.  This has nothing to do with wind, the active component will vaporize so it will spread by itself.  I know for a fact that currants are easily damaged by even a whiff of the stuff.  Something else to think about:  if it's volatile then YOU could be getting a dose of it as well, unless you're wearing something much better than an N95 mask.  Think activated charcoal.
> 
> There are formulations that are less volatile.  Bayer used to sell brush killer with the better stuff but the last time I looked I couldn't find that product.  Reading the label on the product in the garden store is important when it comes to this stuff.
> 
> A propane weed torch would likely work, but it can be a very blunt instrument.  And perhaps dangerous, depending on the season.


Take a look at this, this might be the way to apply product. 









						Foam Herbicide Applicator
					

FREE SHIPPING – Mixing directions come in the packageNo weed killing system on the market is more precise! Kill invasive weeds and not your desirable plants in gardens, planting beds, native prairies, woodlands. This Small Dispenser Kit contains everything you need to tackle small invasive plant...




					gciturfacademy.com


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## homebrewed (Jul 18, 2022)

IamNotImportant said:


> Take a look at this, this might be the way to apply product.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's a cool idea but I have to say that using the dispenser, which looks about the same size as a handlotion dispenser, would get old very quickly.  Have you tried that system to see how well it works?


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## IamNotImportant (Jul 18, 2022)

homebrewed said:


> That's a cool idea but I have to say that using the dispenser, which looks about the same size as a handlotion dispenser, would get old very quickly.  Have you tried that system to see how well it works?


i personally have not, i have an associate whom has been in the biz for over 40 years.. suggest it.. to which i passed it on to you.. i would say that the only other option is.. pull the perennials, attack the weeds.. clean it up.. replant the perennials and re mulch.. another pesky weed is Japanese Knot Weed.. oh boy..


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## homebrewed (Jul 18, 2022)

IamNotImportant said:


> i personally have not, i have an associate whom has been in the biz for over 40 years.. suggest it.. to which i passed it on to you.. i would say that the only other option is.. pull the perennials, attack the weeds.. clean it up.. replant the perennials and re mulch.. another pesky weed is Japanese Knot Weed.. oh boy..


Yeah, Japanese Knotweed is pretty bad here, too.  I understand that one is very hard to kill, too.


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