Could anyone please advise us of where we could get some info, on what would be a safe weed killer to use on our finca how much we might need per acre, where we can buy it and the best way to apply it,
we were thinking of strimming and then weed killing the land but we are new to this so any one with experience of this could maybe shed some light on this subject as we seem to have an abundance of weeds appearing and we would like to tidy up before it gets to much.
Cheers. ::)  

Hi, we have found that nothing kills em!  you could try round-up from sol d'ebre at about 40 euros for 5 ltrs ,( you water it down,) but we find they treat it as a good drink and come back stronger!  We are now trying bleach, and this seems better so far, but time will tell. Also, we were advised to put some washing up liquid in the round up, as this is to stop the weed killer from just sliding off the leaves.  Good luck!

OK, We have tried neat bleach, it works ok-ish, and kills pretty quickly, but the weeds come back as strong as ever and thank you for the drink.
We were going back to Round-up but as it's now 65 euros for 5ltrs thats a non starter, so we have tried Glifosato at a much more reasonable 39 euros, and although it still takes 3-4 days to work, we think it is better than the Round-up.
We bought from Sol D'Ebre in Tortosa.

Why not beg borrow or steel a goat or two? They will eat anything.

Those goats don't eat everything our local pastor does our land but they always leave the thistles alone!! >:(

One of the staff at Soldebre advised me to mix the roundup with another weedkiller called Stranne.  This has proved more effective than Roundup alone.  Incidentally there are 2 types of Roundup the normal one and one that is 'safe' should sprayed plants be consumed by animals.  We have had to opt for the latter, which is slightly dearer and probably less effective.  If you are interested I will look up the proportions - it is mainly Roundup with a dash of Stranne.

As a goat owner I can confirm the untruth of goats eating anything. In my experience they only eat the things you don't want them too and leave the rest! Whilst on the subject is there anyone else on the forum keeping goats? I have a fine billy available for breeding or I would be interested in swapping Billies for breeding purposes.
Bruixot

PS Donkeys seem to be better at clearing undergrowth and thistles in my personal experience.

Now, goats etc MAY keep the weeds down , but they are not going to kill them are they, and what about all the "droppings", the bloody flies would love that! And, the composting material they drop would just feed more damn weeds! No, forget the animals, just keep killing weeds!

I've been here three and a half years now and have four hectares that have been neglected for years so I know something about weeds.  You'll have to accept that weeds are a major factor here.  Just look at the agricultural (and wild) land around you.  The local farmers accept weed control as routine.  I've tried most available methods and the best method depends on several factors.  One is the area you need to treat (bearing in mind it will have to be repeated on a regular basis).  Using bleach would not be practical on a large sacle.
Roundup and Glyfasato (spelling ?) have been mentioned.  They're the same thing but Roundup is rather expensive.  All the co-operatives (including Sol D'Ebre) sell Glyphosate products.  The price has varied a bit over the last couple of years but averages about €40 for 5 litres.  That having been said.  That's enough to treat a very large area at the correct dilution (about 5 hectares at a dilution of 1% i.e. 100ml in 10litres of water).  Apparently there is no advantage in using a stronger mix.  I've found it can take a week for there to be any visible sign of wilting and several weeks for the weed to look completely dead.  Also, some weeds succumb more readily than others.  If I'm going to treat an area that hasn't been done for a while where the everage weed height is say half a metre, I strim/brushcut first then wait a week or two for new growth to emerge before spray.  This is because if you just spray, you will still be left with upright dead weeds that look even worse than when they were green.  You'll find that at this time of year, with a bit of patience, the dead weeds will gradually crisp in the hot sun and gradually crumble away.  Be aware though that any decent rain fall will soon set off fresh growth so it's rather like painting the forth bridge.  A fact of life out here.  I'll continue this in a second post as the screen is playing up.

Continued:-  The good thing is that it doesn't harm the soil, and is not harmful to humans or animals (if my population of rabbits is anything to go by).  However, it should not be allowed near ponds etc. as it can be harmful to aquatic life.  Also, do not let it anywhere near any valuable plants as it's non selective and will kill those too.  Always spray when the weather is dry and windless.  For application, use a backpack sprayer (mochilla).  The barrel shaped ones with a handle on top are only any good for small areas as you need to keep setting them down to pump them up whereas the backpacks you can pump with one hand as you walk around.  They are around €30 - 40.  The Ironside ones that Cifec sell are good.  I have a 15 litre model but it can be a bit heavy when full and I've taken to only refilling with 10 litres so you'll save a bit by getting a 10 or 12 litre model.  I would estimate that you will need to respray about three times a year.  There's another type of weedkiller availabe known as "capa" (ask at the co-operative.)  This will keep the weeds down for a whole year as it prevents re-emergence BUT do not use this on areas that you intend to cultivate as it can remain active in the soil for up to four years.  Hope some of this is helpful.  If you have any questions then fire away.  If you have a huge area to treat and feel that even a backpack is not the answer, I can put you onto an agricultural contractor with a tractor and boom sprayer who will charge by the hour (probably about €30 but I can check) and you supply the herbicide).
For what it's worth,
Bigyin

With Glyphosate (Round up etc) the finer the spray applied has a better effect, don't soak leaves, mix is 50/1 on normal 36% (?) concentrate. There is a battery (AA) operated attachment for a backpack that delivers a fine constant mist, you save money this way too. Personally I've gone organic except for under the trees that will be harvested, enjoy the colour & wildlife, no more soil erosion & when it gets too much strim it all down, takes just as long as constant spraying! My opinion anyway.
Paul

Hi Paul,  I generally use 100/1 but I admit that with some brands I've gone as high as about 67/1 (150ml/litre) but have been advised by some pro's in UK that stronger mixes can actually be less effective.  I'll see if I can get a bit more info.  I agree about not soaking the leaves but I find a steady walk with the supplied nozzle is effective.  I'd be interested in more detail about the battery operated device ?
Cheers,
Bigyin

I have a 15 litre spray tank how much round up do I put into 15 litres
thanks

If it doesn't specify on the bottle, I'd try 150ml in 15 litres and see how it goes.  15 litres is a bit heavy (especially this time of year).  I'd go for 100ml in 10 litres.  You can get measuring cylinders at the Farmacia.  I measure out 100ml into the cylinder and then add the contents of two spare 5 litre water bottles.  Try and lift the sprayer onto a raised platform of some sort so you can back onto it.  Difficult to get it on your back from the ground.  Also make sure the filter in the spray head is clean before you start.  Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs.
Bigyin,
P.S.  10 litres should be enough for roughly 1,000 square metres.

The guy in Sol debre told me 200ml in 16 litres and my neighbour who has farmed up here for donkies years and has perfect land ( you could eat your dinner off it :()
uses the same ratio.

Here's the info I mentioned earlier supplied to me by a professional Landscaper.

"It is more the case that over application has no extended benefits because the intention is not to poison the plant or the soil but alter its structure.
A systemic herbicide kills the weed by altering it's hormones and blocking the enzyme that the plant needs to photosynthesise.  Once photosynthesis is restricted the plant cannot produce starch on which it can feed and it naturally dies.

Over application will just waste material but some plants, perhaps woody stems are less sensitive than grass and will need a higher concentration. The same applies though. Once the recommended rate is applied, adding extra to this rate will not effect a greater control"

The ideal would seem to be the one you recommend i.e. 200ml in 16 litres (or 125ml in 10 litres) which is 80:1  This sits nicely between my economic 100:1 and the stronger mix of 50:1 which I use for more pernicious weeds or with a brand that seems to be less effective.