Recipe for safe weed killer

blueyedgirl5946

blueyedgirl5946

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I am not sure I am posting this in the right forum so someone feel free to move it if necessary. This works and is safe to use around your pets. I spray along the inside of my fence where my cats are enclosed. I move them until everything is dry.
1 part Dawn or other dishwashing detergent
2 parts vinegar
2 parts water
Do not spray a metal fence as it will corrode the fence. You may add one cup of salt to this mixture if desired. Do not spray it on a metal fence.
 
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zissou'smom

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I know that recipe too, except I've found if you put table salt in it it works even better!
It is the only thing on the planet that kills thistles.
 
stephanietx

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Straight 20% vinegar works well, too. Put it in a spray bottle and squirt it directly on the weed. You can get it at a feed store or organic gardening center if there's one in your area. Salt is generally not good for your yard either.
 
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zissou'smom

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"Salt is generally not good for your yard either."
That's why you spray it only on the weeds??? Do you mean because it seeps out into the rest of your yard? This stuff does kill everything it touches, but I've never noticed it killing anything else. We used it on thistles right in / next to the garden and it didn't do anything to the garden at all.
 
momofmany

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Has anyone tried it on Ivy? We have a gross of it growing under our deck where the ferals live and we want to kill it. We were going to bring them inside for a few weeks while we do that, but if this recipe works, I will try that instead.
 
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blueyedgirl5946

blueyedgirl5946

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Originally Posted by Momofmany

Has anyone tried it on Ivy? We have a gross of it growing under our deck where the ferals live and we want to kill it. We were going to bring them inside for a few weeks while we do that, but if this recipe works, I will try that instead.
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So far, it has worked on whatever I spray it on. I would move the feral cats until it dries good. What I read about it is that cats don't like the smell of the vinegar and they won't bother it. But I always move my two cats until it dries. Then I know they will be okay. Good luck with the ivy.
 
gailc

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I have used vinegar in the past however it only seems to knock down the top growth put not kill the root. However a stronger vinegar could be more effective. But remember this is non-selective so if you have a "good" plant growing close by it could be damages too-use a piece of cardboard to block off any good plants. As for salt living in the upper Midwest where it is applied by the ton on the roads in the winter to shouldn't be too terrible for the plants if used sparingly.
I have this book called the truth about garden remedies and this is what the author recommends for "organic weed control". The commerical flamethrowers that I've seen in catalogs and farm supply stores. He said 1 cup of salt per 10 sq ft. But this and the vinegar will only knock off the top growth not the roots. The dish soap is a surfetant (sp??) which means it helps the homemade herbicide stick to the plant a bit better.
 
momofmany

momofmany

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Originally Posted by GailC

I have used vinegar in the past however it only seems to knock down the top growth put not kill the root. However a stronger vinegar could be more effective. But remember this is non-selective so if you have a "good" plant growing close by it could be damages too-use a piece of cardboard to block off any good plants. As for salt living in the upper Midwest where it is applied by the ton on the roads in the winter to shouldn't be too terrible for the plants if used sparingly.
I have this book called the truth about garden remedies and this is what the author recommends for "organic weed control". The commerical flamethrowers that I've seen in catalogs and farm supply stores. He said 1 cup of salt per 10 sq ft. But this and the vinegar will only knock off the top growth not the roots. The dish soap is a surfetant (sp??) which means it helps the homemade herbicide stick to the plant a bit better.
Click to expand...
Awesome - thanks!!!!
 
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