Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Natural Weed killer

I've been gardening.  As I've been out digging in the dirt, I realized, I've read too many children's stories.  When I see a hole in the ground, indicating that some small creature has a burrow below, I try not to get any dirt in the hole, picturing a small mammal, dusting off his coffee table as he sits and reads a book in his armchair, wondering who is creating such a mess in his home.  I KNOW that they're not in there with a book, but I still worry about the life in the garden.  On the other hand, I have a weed problem.  I'm starting to think that my weed problem stems (no pun intended) from my lack of time spent weeding, but I also think that there are some products that I could use to kill those #@$%&* dandelions and thistle once and for all!  So I have a dilemma.  How do I kill the weeds and protect the literate mole living under my flower bed? (Maybe I should write a little note and stuff it down the hole asking for his opinion!)  I know that boiling water and vinegar works on my patio to kill the weeds that grow between the bricks.  I just don't think that's going to be strong enough for my beds.  I googled "safe weed killer for gardens"  and found this variation of my water and vinegar recipe:  
1 litre of white vinegar.

• 60 grammes of table salt. (about 4 TBSP)

• 1 squirt of washing up liquid. 

(It's an Irish site.)  Mix everything together making sure the salt is completely dissolved. You can then pour this into a spray bottle or one of those weed sprayers you can get at any garden center.

You spray this solution directly on the weeds you want to get rid of preferably on a hot day in full sun for best results. One thing to remember with this solution is to not get it on anything you don’t want to kill.It is non-selective in what it kills meaning it will kill any plant life it comes in contact with and it will sterilize the soil for up to two years depending on how much you get on the soil.
Please pay particular attention to this, the salt in the solution is what makes the soil uninhabitable for weed seedlings which are still to come. If you wish to effectively poison your soil to new sowings and plantings for approx two years, then add the the salt element, if not omit it. So with salt is best for patios, gravel drive etc, basically all areas designed to be free of growth, whereas without salt is better for beds, borders, lawns and veg areas, where you intend to plant again.
Also be aware that this solution cannot be sprayed wholesale over lawns to kill just weeds, as it is indiscriminate in its damage to both weed and grass. On a lawn it is better suited to spot treatment


If you are concerned about getting the vinegar solution on your desirable plants you can use a cloth to wipe the solution on the leafy parts of the weeds.
This will keep any of the solution from coming in contact with the plants you want to keep. If you use this method it is advisable to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the acidic affects of the vinegar. 


I think I'm going to try this out.  I'll use it without the salt in the beds and try the salt in the driveway and the patio.  Much cheaper than Round-Up and I won't be supporting Monsanto!

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