Natural Homemade Weed Killer - Any suggestions?

[itrox]

Hi All,

I don't like chemicals, and I have heard of some effective weedkillers made
from Vinegar, salt and a couple of other things.

I was wondering if anyone would like to share any homemade recipes.

I'd like to save some money without poisoning my garden with synthetic or
otherwise harsh chemicals.

Thanks in advance,
Anthony

[GreenieLeBrun]

Post by itrox
Hi All,
I don't like chemicals, and I have heard of some effective weedkillers made
from Vinegar, salt and a couple of other things.
I was wondering if anyone would like to share any homemade recipes.
I'd like to save some money without poisoning my garden with synthetic or
otherwise harsh chemicals.
Thanks in advance,
Anthony

Boiling water works well

[Ken Oaf]

Post by GreenieLeBrun

Post by itrox
I don't like chemicals, and I have heard of some effective weedkillers made
from Vinegar, salt and a couple of other things.
I was wondering if anyone would like to share any homemade recipes.
I'd like to save some money without poisoning my garden with synthetic or
otherwise harsh chemicals.
Thanks in advance,
Anthony

Boiling water works well

I'll second that.

[Andrew G]

Post by itrox
Hi All,
I don't like chemicals, and I have heard of some effective weedkillers made
from Vinegar, salt and a couple of other things.
I was wondering if anyone would like to share any homemade recipes.
I'd like to save some money without poisoning my garden with synthetic or
otherwise harsh chemicals.
Thanks in advance,
Anthony

As others have mentioned boiling water, and even steam from one of those
steam jet cleaners that you can buy for cleaning.
I would be wary of killing weeds in a garden using a herbicide containing
table salt and vinegar. It may be safe to you and animals, but could alter
soil pH or even kill nearby plants. Especially if used in excess like some
homemade concoctions are.
Cheers
Andrew

[Basil Chupin]

Post by Andrew G

Post by itrox
Hi All,
I don't like chemicals, and I have heard of some effective weedkillers

made

Post by itrox
from Vinegar, salt and a couple of other things.
I was wondering if anyone would like to share any homemade recipes.
I'd like to save some money without poisoning my garden with synthetic or
otherwise harsh chemicals.
Thanks in advance,
Anthony

As others have mentioned boiling water, and even steam from one of those
steam jet cleaners that you can buy for cleaning.
I would be wary of killing weeds in a garden using a herbicide containing
table salt and vinegar. It may be safe to you and animals, but could alter
soil pH or even kill nearby plants. Especially if used in excess like some
homemade concoctions are.
Cheers
Andrew

My neighbour uses pool chlorine mixed, I think he said, at 1 or 2
tablespoons per watering-can. Of course, you use it where no other
plants are growing, eg paths etc.

I haven't used it myself yet and was not especially happy with the idea
of using chlorine particularly where it may leach into nearby lawn area.
However, another friend, who is a chemist, said that chlorine evaporates
rather quickly in sunlight and therefore may not stay in the soil to be
leached.

All I now need to do is to get a small container of this pool chlorine
to test out the theory.

Cheers.

[Ken Oaf]

Post by Basil Chupin
My neighbour uses pool chlorine mixed, I think he said, at 1 or 2
tablespoons per watering-can. Of course, you use it where no other
plants are growing, eg paths etc.
I haven't used it myself yet and was not especially happy with the idea
of using chlorine particularly where it may leach into nearby lawn area.
However, another friend, who is a chemist, said that chlorine evaporates
rather quickly in sunlight and therefore may not stay in the soil to be
leached.
All I now need to do is to get a small container of this pool chlorine
to test out the theory.

Not a smart thing to do, especially if you have pets that may walk over the area
treated with chlorine.

[Trish Brown]

FWIW, my DS was chucking out his turpentine and linseed oil (he
paints...) on the front path (ancient sandstone blocks with soil in the
cracks and *lots* of grass and weeds growing there). *All* the weeds
died and took forever to come back again! I don't know whether it was
the turps, the linseed oil or the mixture of both, but it sure worked a
treat!

This would have been applied at the rate of an eggcupful per linear
metre of beweeded path...

[Rod Out back]

There are some steam weedkillers around; I saw one that has a web-site, but
I note the updates on the site seem to have halted late 2003....It was a
thing that looked a bit like a leaf-blower, but with an electric cord...

Havent yet found another manufacturer, but I like the idea; no residue, and
kills weeds like there's no tomorrow.

Another thought would be a small flamethrower(NOT a firedripper). I think
one of the organic beef people out on Coopers creek use one, as they can
prevent any chance of chemical residue.

Cheers,

Rod.......Out Back

Post by Trish Brown
FWIW, my DS was chucking out his turpentine and linseed oil (he
paints...) on the front path (ancient sandstone blocks with soil in the
cracks and *lots* of grass and weeds growing there). *All* the weeds
died and took forever to come back again! I don't know whether it was
the turps, the linseed oil or the mixture of both, but it sure worked a
treat!
This would have been applied at the rate of an eggcupful per linear
metre of beweeded path...
--
Trish {|:-} Newcastle, NSW, Australia

[John Savage]

Post by Trish Brown
FWIW, my DS was chucking out his turpentine and linseed oil (he
paints...) on the front path (ancient sandstone blocks with soil in the
cracks and *lots* of grass and weeds growing there). *All* the weeds
died and took forever to come back again! I don't know whether it was
the turps, the linseed oil or the mixture of both, but it sure worked a
treat!

Mineral turps is a useful weedkiller, and is best applied to the foliage
as a spray. However, turps is a solvent for rubber and common plastics,
so if you try to spray it from a plastic laundry sprayer the sprayer will
last only a few minutes and may within a few days dissolve. If you look
around, you can still buy what old timers will recognize as the old style
"bike-pump" fly sprayers with a tin can attached: and no plastic
components whatever. (Okay, maybe the modern decorative paint is plastic
paint.) It might be worth while dismantling the pump to check that the
washers on yours are not plastic, just in case, though.

I'd add my usual precautions about not smoking in the area during or
after spraying with turpentine ...... -==:-[]

[Ty Buchanan]

Post by John Savage

Post by Trish Brown
FWIW, my DS was chucking out his turpentine and linseed oil (he
paints...) on the front path (ancient sandstone blocks with soil in the
cracks and *lots* of grass and weeds growing there). *All* the weeds
died and took forever to come back again! I don't know whether it was
the turps, the linseed oil or the mixture of both, but it sure worked a
treat!

Mineral turps is a useful weedkiller, and is best applied to the foliage
as a spray. However, turps is a solvent for rubber and common plastics,
so if you try to spray it from a plastic laundry sprayer the sprayer will
last only a few minutes and may within a few days dissolve. If you look
around, you can still buy what old timers will recognize as the old style
"bike-pump" fly sprayers with a tin can attached: and no plastic
components whatever. (Okay, maybe the modern decorative paint is plastic
paint.) It might be worth while dismantling the pump to check that the
washers on yours are not plastic, just in case, though.
I'd add my usual precautions about not smoking in the area during or
after spraying with turpentine ...... -==:-[]
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)

[Basil Chupin]

Post by Ken Oaf

Post by Basil Chupin
My neighbour uses pool chlorine mixed, I think he said, at 1 or 2
tablespoons per watering-can. Of course, you use it where no other
plants are growing, eg paths etc.
I haven't used it myself yet and was not especially happy with the idea
of using chlorine particularly where it may leach into nearby lawn area.
However, another friend, who is a chemist, said that chlorine evaporates
rather quickly in sunlight and therefore may not stay in the soil to be
leached.
All I now need to do is to get a small container of this pool chlorine
to test out the theory.

Not a smart thing to do, especially if you have pets that may walk over the area
treated with chlorine.

A very good point. We do have a Dalmation who is the master of the
backyard and patrols every square metre of it to keep the possums and
the resident magpie family out (well... he tries :-) ).

Thanks for the tip. Our neighbour doesn't have this problem because he
uses the mixture on the nature strip which is totally made up of crushed
red brick and Paddy's River gravel.

Cheers.

[Chookie]

Post by itrox
I'd like to save some money without poisoning my garden with synthetic or
otherwise harsh chemicals.

Boiling water's pretty good.