Organic Weed Killer ~ Home-Made

[gl556tr]

_N_O_T Monsanto's Glyphosate! I would like to make one (more - why?) organic weed killer. I would appreciate hearing from people who have had first-hand experience in this regard. Hopefully successful. Thank you.

[woofgang]

well salt works but even though its “organic” its still a danger to any animals that might get to it and will render the ground barren for quite some time. Organic does definitely not mean safe!

[EDDIE51]

In a chemical sense 'Organic means anything based on Carbon compounds.
The only common and effective 'Non Organic' weed killer is Potassium Chlorate . Glycophosphates are 'Organic' in the chemical meaning of the word. I think you mean 'Organic' as in 'naturally produced'?

[EDDIE51]

Weed killers are by their very nature poisons ( or they would not kill plants) there are no safe ways to make your own weed killer if that is what you want. There is nothing that is toxic to plants but harmless to animals including humans. GlyPhophate is as near to safe as it is possible to get as it decomposes once it hits the soil. Very safe and very effective if used according to the directions.

[gl556tr]

Thank you all for your contributions. With "organic" can get lulled into thinking that any term with this word is the be all and end all - and the best for man and the environment. Yes, I do mean 'Organic' as in 'naturally produced'!
_ The trouble with Monsanto's approach is that they have genetically modified the sweet corn for farmers, making the plant immune to the firm's Glyphosate. A good idea originally - and doubling M's profits at a stroke, as the farmers are tied to purchasing both the sweet corn plant and their wonder killer. Only trouble is that nature has, in the meantime, struck back with mutants of the "weeds" that should have been eradicated. The last I heard on this was the farmers being advised by M to increase dosage of Glyphosates. Hardly good for the environment. Hence my wish to use something less aggressive.

[Baby_Sham]

I made up a huge bucket of water, salt and white vinegar. Poured it into a sprayer and used that on the weeds. Within 2 days they were dying off.
Hope that helps.

[gl556tr]

Interesting, B_S. What proportion were the ingredients of that mixture?

[EDDIE51]

I think you are getting a bit mixed up gl556tr.
Monsanto's sweet corn is modified to need up to 85% LESS INSECTICIDE nothing to do with weed killer. It has 'built in' insect pest resistance so you don't have to spray it with Gly Phosphate

[gl556tr]

Any ideas on this concoction? "Mix one cup of Epsom salt & one tablespoon of Castile soap with five litres of 10%-acidity white vinegar - hey presto! A decent weed-killer that doesn't hurt animals, insects, birds, or children."

[woofgang]

the sweetcorn story, nothing to do with weeds
http://www.monsanto.com/products/pages/seminis-performance-series-sweet-corn.aspx

[EDDIE51]

Yes, I meant to say you don't need to spray the Monsanto sweetcorn with insecticide not weedkiller!

[woofgang]

well I wouldn’t want my dogs licking a mixture of castille soap and vinegar off their paws....or the wildlife ingesting it....less safe than glyphosate IMO

[EDDIE51]

^ My thoughts exactly , just because a product is made commercially is no reason to say it is not safe and effective.
GlyPhosphate has been tried and tested for many years and as long as it is used correctly it is as safe as a weedkiller can be. As said once it hits the soil it is deactivated it only works when it is on the leaves of the plants.
Soap will stay in the soil, it does not degrade when it hits soil as GlyPhosphate does.

[gl556tr]

Many thanks, ladies and gentlemen, for all your contributions, most most enlightening. I have, in the meantime, learnt from neighbours that GlyPhosphate is very effective and, when applied carefully to the leaves of 'weeds', is harmless to nearby shrubs et al. I feel enlightened.