# Glyphosate Q-tip or paintbrush method



## CPA Nerd (May 8, 2018)

For those who have used the method of applying glyphosate to weeds individually with a Q-tip or paintbrush, can you share your experience?

1. What strength did you use and did you dilute it at all? 
2. Did you apply it to a lot of the leaf/plant surface, or is a small dab anywhere on the leaf surface enough?

Thanks!


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

I've used a small paintbrush straight 41% out of an old coffee mug to the tip only. Fair warning, you will look ridiculous.


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## CPA Nerd (May 8, 2018)

pennstater2005 said:


> I've used a small paintbrush straight 41% out of an old coffee mug to the tip only. Fair warning, you will look ridiculous.


I'm fine with that!

My wanting to do so is because I don't have THAT many weeds and I am tired of the old 2-3 applications thing for some weeds like creeping Charlie. I want a quick death. I have a few small patches that have maybe 50-100 little guys spanning maybe a square foot each, so I can quickly dab dab dab all of them individually.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@CPA Nerd same app as described above. Straight glypho. Only few leaves per plant need to take the poison. In a month or 2 KBG will fill in.


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## ForsheeMS (May 21, 2018)

I've used the paint brush method with straight glypho on wild violets multiple times and it works well. Yes, I do look rather ridiculous crawling around in the lawn with a cup and paintbrush but most of the neighbors think I'm nuts anyway.


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## john5246 (Jul 21, 2019)

ForsheeMS said:


> I've used the paint brush method with straight glypho on wild violets multiple times and it works well. Yes, I do look rather ridiculous crawling around in the lawn with a cup and paintbrush but most of the neighbors think I'm nuts anyway.


once you kill all that stuff and you're lawn is thick you won't have to spend much time out there or do ridiculous looking things to begin with


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## CPA Nerd (May 8, 2018)

Thanks all! I am fine with looking ridiculous and think I'll give the q-tip or paintbrush method a shot after my new grass (only a few areas) is mowed a few times.

Shortly after we moved in a few years ago, the next door neighbor, who is older and retired, asked me what the hell I'm doing beating the grass with a hatchet. Obviously, I was hacking the crap out of tree roots and digging them out of the ground!

Another time his wife came out and asked me what I'm spraying on my lawn so often in all my containers. The clear answer that she should have seen from the beginning is that I have triclopyr going on the creeping Charlie, quinclorac on the crabgrass, and a general 3-way on the broadleaf weeds, the first two requiring multiple applications. She also asked what the foamy stuff is in the ghostbusters backpack. Well, an observant neighbor would have known that it is a liquid aeration product to make my ground a little softer, in preparation for fall aeration and seeding.

Then when I (first year) had a service come out to aerate and powerseed, I had to explain what the second machine was. They know aerating, but had never seen one of those ride-on-thingamajiggies before.

Oh, and don't get me started on the jackhammering project that my father in law and I did.


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## john5246 (Jul 21, 2019)

CPA Nerd said:


> Thanks all! I am fine with looking ridiculous and think I'll give the q-tip or paintbrush method a shot after my new grass (only a few areas) is mowed a few times.
> 
> Shortly after we moved in a few years ago, the next door neighbor, who is older and retired, asked me what the hell I'm doing beating the grass with a hatchet. Obviously, I was hacking the crap out of tree roots and digging them out of the ground!
> 
> ...


You might want to invest in a fence or some sort of evergreen hedge


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## CPA Nerd (May 8, 2018)

john5246 said:


> CPA Nerd said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks all! I am fine with looking ridiculous and think I'll give the q-tip or paintbrush method a shot after my new grass (only a few areas) is mowed a few times.
> ...


And miss seeing them use their hot tub nearly every night in the summer?


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## sheiraas (Jun 6, 2019)

How long after you paint weed grasses with 41% gly can you mow them. I have some quack coming up but also need to mow the new grass. It's obviously much easier when the quack is higher. Can I paint tonight and mow tomorrow night?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

4hrs is enough. Ideally with some sun.


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## CPA Nerd (May 8, 2018)

g-man said:


> 4hrs is enough. Ideally with some sun.


Really? The herbicide gets absorbed down to the roots that quickly?


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## sheiraas (Jun 6, 2019)

Just a note if you do this make sure it does not rain right after you paint. This happened to me and it washed down and killed some of my good grass. Looks like I will be repairing that in the spring.


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## john5246 (Jul 21, 2019)

sheiraas said:


> Just a note if you do this make sure it does not rain right after you paint. This happened to me and it washed down and killed some of my good grass. Looks like I will be repairing that in the spring.


This is a good reason to NOT use it straight at 41%...
go stronger than the recommended rate but not straight from the bottle

reason being, when you spray you get great coverage on the blade of wild grass or weed you are trying to kill, so when you paint you need something a little stronger


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

john5246 said:


> sheiraas said:
> 
> 
> > Just a note if you do this make sure it does not rain right after you paint. This happened to me and it washed down and killed some of my good grass. Looks like I will be repairing that in the spring.
> ...


Never had this issue. I literally touch the tip of the blade. So even if it rains I'm not using so much it would wash down and kill surrounding grass.


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## Alias-Doe (Aug 9, 2019)

pennstater2005 said:


> Fair warning, you will look ridiculous.


I can confirm this part . Yesterday I had a random old man stop and say "son , what in the world are you doing" .


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## Jconnelly6b (Mar 4, 2018)

I put a 50/50 mix of 41gly and water into a solo cup. Put on a tight fitting nitrile glove, and dip my fingers into the cup. The grasp the blades you want to kill in between your thumb and index.

Not so ridiculous looking as going around the lawn with a paintbrush (not that I give a hoot, but I don't have to clean the brush after) and you can somewhat "pinch" the gly into the foliage. This has worked excellent for me every time.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Jconnelly6b said:


> I put a 50/50 mix of 41gly and water into a solo cup. Put on a tight fitting nitrile glove, and dip my fingers into the cup. The grasp the blades you want to kill in between your thumb and index.
> 
> Not so ridiculous looking as going around the lawn with a paintbrush (not that I give a hoot, but I don't have to clean the brush after) and you can somewhat "pinch" the gly into the foliage. This has worked excellent for me every time.


I'm trying this next time :thumbup:


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## ForsheeMS (May 21, 2018)

Jconnelly6b said:


> I put a 50/50 mix of 41gly and water into a solo cup. Put on a tight fitting nitrile glove, and dip my fingers into the cup. The grasp the blades you want to kill in between your thumb and index.
> 
> Not so ridiculous looking as going around the lawn with a paintbrush (not that I give a hoot, but I don't have to clean the brush after) and you can somewhat "pinch" the gly into the foliage. This has worked excellent for me every time.


For grassy weeds that outgrow the good turf (stuff like nutsedge) this is the best method. I put a cheap cotton glove over the nitrile glove, dip it in straight glypho with some NIS mixed in and wave my hand through the weed just above the turf grass. For the lower growing weeds like wild violets or creeping charlie the paint brush method is by far the way to go. But are very useful under the right circumstances.


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## LawnSolo (Jul 17, 2018)

So just to be sure. I want to kill some grasses between some bushes.

Just by painting few blades will get the job done? I always thought you needed to blast the whole thing


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## mummer43 (May 4, 2020)

I'm going try these to apply roundup to the quackgrass in my lawn:

https://www.amazon.com/Handy-Marker-Bottle-12-Each-900-003/dp/B007TIEG6U


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## turfnsurf (Apr 29, 2020)

What method should I use glyphosate for these? I actually am buying some tomorrow.


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## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

Those are all just common weeds, i wouldnt bother with Round up and the collateral damage just go get some Weed B Gon or other 3 way herbicide and spray at recommended rates.

The tall ones i'd just put some gloves on and rip out you could be done much faster than waiting the weeks for roundup to kill everything and it to die back.


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## turfnsurf (Apr 29, 2020)

FuzzeWuzze said:


> Those are all just common weeds, i wouldnt bother with Round up and the collateral damage just go get some Weed B Gon or other 3 way herbicide and spray at recommended rates.
> 
> The tall ones i'd just put some gloves on and rip out you could be done much faster than waiting the weeks for roundup to kill everything and it to die back.


I actually didn't intend on using Roundup at all. I need to get some triclopyr and 41% glyphosate because I have substantial buckthorn. My thinking was that since I would already have it (and 41% is stronger than Roundup anyway), I would just use that on the weeds as well.

Do you think I am better off using the 41% glyphosate for those weeds or should I just go with the 3 way? And if you do think I should still do the 3 way over the 41% glyphosate, can you recommend any? I would definitely prefer something that's very effective (as opposed to the stuff they market to people who don't know any better about active ingredients)


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## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

I found the Weed B Gon + Clover/Oxalis worked way better than the standard Weed B Gon for me. You could spray the glyphosate as well if you want, but you risk killing other plants. I'd with with the weed killer, and go back in 2 weeks and do a more targetted spray on anything that didnt get fried with Roundup.


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## turfnsurf (Apr 29, 2020)

FuzzeWuzze said:


> I found the Weed B Gon + Clover/Oxalis worked way better than the standard Weed B Gon for me. You could spray the glyphosate as well if you want, but you risk killing other plants. I'd with with the weed killer, and go back in 2 weeks and do a more targetted spray on anything that didnt get fried with Roundup.


I will take your advice with the Weed B Gon + Clover/Oxalis. Thanks.


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