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Enhance Your Garden with Beautiful Edging
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garden itself. The edging frames your garden much like a picture frame. A
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You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, ...
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How to Make a Weed Dabber
You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your
newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, including the
contact information at the end. Website URLs must be active
links. You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate
link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm
The tool that I am going to tell you about is for using
herbicides such as RoundUp. The biggest mistakes that people
make when using non-selective herbicides like RoundUp is
overspray getting the herbicide on plants that they did not
intend to spray, and over applying the product. If you spray to
the point of run off, you are applying way too much.
The weed dabber is a tool used for spot treating weeds without
getting the herbicide on other plants.
Start by going to your hardware store and buying a piece of 1-
1/2" PVC pipe. You only need a piece 30" long, but they might
make you buy a 10' section. It's pretty cheap though. You'll
need a plastic PVC cap for one end of the pipe, and on the other
end you'll need an adapter to convert the PVC pipe to a standard
pipe thread. You'll have to let the clerk at the hardware store
help you find the best combination of fittings to use. What you
need to do is to get the PVC pipe reduced down to a male garden
hose type fitting. Hardware stores sell brass fittings that
convert standard pipe thread to the same thread used on garden
hoses.
Probably what you'll end up with is an adapter that will
convert the 1-1/2" PVC to 3/4" male pipe. Then an adapter to
convert the 3/4" male pipe to a male garden house fitting. They
also make a cap that you can install on the end of a garden
hose, you'll need one of those. This cap must have a rubber
garden hose washer in it so it seals properly.
The PVC fittings have to be glued on so you'll have to pick up
some PVC pipe glue and cleaner. You have to use the cleaner to
remove the film and gloss from the PVC pipe and fittings before
you glue them. Once you have them cleaned, just apply a coating
of glue to both the pipe and the fitting, slide the fitting on
and twist it at the same time. Hold the fitting tight for 60
seconds and it will be glued tightly.
Cut a piece of pipe 30" long and glue the pipe cap on one end,
and the PVC to pipe thread adapter on the other end. Apply a
small amount of pipe dope or Teflon tape to the threads of the
adapter, and
screw the male garden house fitting onto the
adapter. Screw the garden hose cap to the male garden hose
fitting.
Now back to the end of the pipe that you glued the pipe cap to.
Drill a very small hole right in the middle of the pipe cap. You
might have to experiment a little with the size of the hole you
need, but make sure you start with a very small hole. I'd start
with 1/16". Cut a piece of regular household sponge in a square
about 1-1/2" square. What you are going to do is place this
sponge over the small hole you drilled in the pipe cap, and
secure it there by covering it with a piece of lightweight
screen or mesh cloth. Maybe even a piece of an onion bag. You
can secure the mesh to the PVC pipe with a hose clamp, or
electrical tape.
Remove the garden hose cap from the other end of the PVC pipe,
and fill the pipe with pre-mixed (ready to use) RoundUp. Replace
the garden hose cap and you have yourself a weed dabber. The
RoundUp will seep out the hole in the end of the pipe cap and be
absorbed by the sponge. As long as the garden hose cap is tight
the vacuum in the pipe will keep the herbicide from running out
too fast. Once the sponge is damp, you can start dabbing weeds.
Remember, you only want the weeds damp and not dripping wet. As
long as you are leaving some RoundUp on the weeds as you dab
them, the herbicide should kill them.
Depending on the temperatures, it could take a week or so
before you can see the effects of the herbicide. If the sponge
gets too dry you can loosen the cap a little to release the
vacuum and more herbicide will be released onto the sponge. Or
you can simply turn the tool upside down and that should let
some air into the chamber, thus releasing the vacuum. As always,
read the label and follow the directions on the herbicide
package.
Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his
most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up
for his excellent gardening newsletter. Article provided by
http://gardening-articles.com
About the author:
Michael J. McGroarty has more than 30 years experience in the
landscape gardening/nursery industry. He's spent the better part
of his life on his hands and knees in the dirt working with
plants and his hands-on experience allows Mike to write in a
manner than many gardeners find to be helpful and beneficial.
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