Vinegar is an excellent weed killer
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For those who want a "green" solution to weeds that actually works I can confirm that white pickling vinegar (7% acetic acid) makes an amazing plant killer. Spray it on any leaf you want to kill on a hot sunny day and within 10 minutes it's starting to turn brown and shortly afterwards the leaves are completely dead (none took longer than overnight). It works by stripping off the waxy coating on leaves that prevents them from dehydrating too quickly. No need for expensive or potentially dangerous chemicals, just make sure it's at least 7% acetic acid (stronger would be better but not as available but "Pickling" vinegar is usually at least 7%) and put it in a cheap plastic spray bottle and you have a plant killer. It will kill almost any leaf you spray it on depending on how waxy they are some will be more resistant (that's why 20% would be even better) but it works great on dandelions, thistles, grass etc etc. For dandelions just spray the leaves and the center of the flower. Dandelions and others with a long tap root will need a subsequent application because it won't kill the root, just all the leaves, but as long as the leaves are dead the root will die in pretty short order. I'm going to hack a Swiffer WetJet mop so I can refill it with vinegar and use it's built in battery powered sprayer to do large areas conveniently (I have a lot of gravel trails in the back of our property that I want to keep vegetation free), the spray bottle gets tiresome after a while. There are commercial formulations based on vinegar now and they contain surfactants to make the liquid spread more evenly on the leaf and not bead up, I'm going to experiment with that as well, maybe dish soap or citrus based organic cleaners. Kinda makes you wonder why there are so many complex alternatives like Roundup when plain old vinegar works so well.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
i think i read somewhere that vodka is too...
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For those who want a "green" solution to weeds that actually works I can confirm that white pickling vinegar (7% acetic acid) makes an amazing plant killer. Spray it on any leaf you want to kill on a hot sunny day and within 10 minutes it's starting to turn brown and shortly afterwards the leaves are completely dead (none took longer than overnight). It works by stripping off the waxy coating on leaves that prevents them from dehydrating too quickly. No need for expensive or potentially dangerous chemicals, just make sure it's at least 7% acetic acid (stronger would be better but not as available but "Pickling" vinegar is usually at least 7%) and put it in a cheap plastic spray bottle and you have a plant killer. It will kill almost any leaf you spray it on depending on how waxy they are some will be more resistant (that's why 20% would be even better) but it works great on dandelions, thistles, grass etc etc. For dandelions just spray the leaves and the center of the flower. Dandelions and others with a long tap root will need a subsequent application because it won't kill the root, just all the leaves, but as long as the leaves are dead the root will die in pretty short order. I'm going to hack a Swiffer WetJet mop so I can refill it with vinegar and use it's built in battery powered sprayer to do large areas conveniently (I have a lot of gravel trails in the back of our property that I want to keep vegetation free), the spray bottle gets tiresome after a while. There are commercial formulations based on vinegar now and they contain surfactants to make the liquid spread more evenly on the leaf and not bead up, I'm going to experiment with that as well, maybe dish soap or citrus based organic cleaners. Kinda makes you wonder why there are so many complex alternatives like Roundup when plain old vinegar works so well.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
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For those who want a "green" solution to weeds that actually works I can confirm that white pickling vinegar (7% acetic acid) makes an amazing plant killer. Spray it on any leaf you want to kill on a hot sunny day and within 10 minutes it's starting to turn brown and shortly afterwards the leaves are completely dead (none took longer than overnight). It works by stripping off the waxy coating on leaves that prevents them from dehydrating too quickly. No need for expensive or potentially dangerous chemicals, just make sure it's at least 7% acetic acid (stronger would be better but not as available but "Pickling" vinegar is usually at least 7%) and put it in a cheap plastic spray bottle and you have a plant killer. It will kill almost any leaf you spray it on depending on how waxy they are some will be more resistant (that's why 20% would be even better) but it works great on dandelions, thistles, grass etc etc. For dandelions just spray the leaves and the center of the flower. Dandelions and others with a long tap root will need a subsequent application because it won't kill the root, just all the leaves, but as long as the leaves are dead the root will die in pretty short order. I'm going to hack a Swiffer WetJet mop so I can refill it with vinegar and use it's built in battery powered sprayer to do large areas conveniently (I have a lot of gravel trails in the back of our property that I want to keep vegetation free), the spray bottle gets tiresome after a while. There are commercial formulations based on vinegar now and they contain surfactants to make the liquid spread more evenly on the leaf and not bead up, I'm going to experiment with that as well, maybe dish soap or citrus based organic cleaners. Kinda makes you wonder why there are so many complex alternatives like Roundup when plain old vinegar works so well.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
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Shog9 wrote:
i can't wait to try it on anything that survived the propane torch last Friday
You haven't been playing with the neighbours dog again have you? :rolleyes: It's only just grown the fur back after the time you attempted to light the fire with it.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
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John C wrote:
Dandelions and others with a long tap root
I have a good solution for these: a driller with a 3/8 large and long drill. Drill the the root to oblivion. :cool:
Of all forms of sexual aberration, the most unnatural is abstinence.
we used to have an auger bit that you could put on the drill. Worked very well :-D
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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For those who want a "green" solution to weeds that actually works I can confirm that white pickling vinegar (7% acetic acid) makes an amazing plant killer. Spray it on any leaf you want to kill on a hot sunny day and within 10 minutes it's starting to turn brown and shortly afterwards the leaves are completely dead (none took longer than overnight). It works by stripping off the waxy coating on leaves that prevents them from dehydrating too quickly. No need for expensive or potentially dangerous chemicals, just make sure it's at least 7% acetic acid (stronger would be better but not as available but "Pickling" vinegar is usually at least 7%) and put it in a cheap plastic spray bottle and you have a plant killer. It will kill almost any leaf you spray it on depending on how waxy they are some will be more resistant (that's why 20% would be even better) but it works great on dandelions, thistles, grass etc etc. For dandelions just spray the leaves and the center of the flower. Dandelions and others with a long tap root will need a subsequent application because it won't kill the root, just all the leaves, but as long as the leaves are dead the root will die in pretty short order. I'm going to hack a Swiffer WetJet mop so I can refill it with vinegar and use it's built in battery powered sprayer to do large areas conveniently (I have a lot of gravel trails in the back of our property that I want to keep vegetation free), the spray bottle gets tiresome after a while. There are commercial formulations based on vinegar now and they contain surfactants to make the liquid spread more evenly on the leaf and not bead up, I'm going to experiment with that as well, maybe dish soap or citrus based organic cleaners. Kinda makes you wonder why there are so many complex alternatives like Roundup when plain old vinegar works so well.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
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For those who want a "green" solution to weeds that actually works I can confirm that white pickling vinegar (7% acetic acid) makes an amazing plant killer. Spray it on any leaf you want to kill on a hot sunny day and within 10 minutes it's starting to turn brown and shortly afterwards the leaves are completely dead (none took longer than overnight). It works by stripping off the waxy coating on leaves that prevents them from dehydrating too quickly. No need for expensive or potentially dangerous chemicals, just make sure it's at least 7% acetic acid (stronger would be better but not as available but "Pickling" vinegar is usually at least 7%) and put it in a cheap plastic spray bottle and you have a plant killer. It will kill almost any leaf you spray it on depending on how waxy they are some will be more resistant (that's why 20% would be even better) but it works great on dandelions, thistles, grass etc etc. For dandelions just spray the leaves and the center of the flower. Dandelions and others with a long tap root will need a subsequent application because it won't kill the root, just all the leaves, but as long as the leaves are dead the root will die in pretty short order. I'm going to hack a Swiffer WetJet mop so I can refill it with vinegar and use it's built in battery powered sprayer to do large areas conveniently (I have a lot of gravel trails in the back of our property that I want to keep vegetation free), the spray bottle gets tiresome after a while. There are commercial formulations based on vinegar now and they contain surfactants to make the liquid spread more evenly on the leaf and not bead up, I'm going to experiment with that as well, maybe dish soap or citrus based organic cleaners. Kinda makes you wonder why there are so many complex alternatives like Roundup when plain old vinegar works so well.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
A neighbor told me about that earlier in the year, but his formula included dish detergent (I assume to help it stay on the leaves). I tried it, it worked, but it seemed to take a lot of vinegar, so I figured Round-Up would be more cost effective. I don't know about where you live, but this is the land of gravel yards. Ergo, need to cover a lot of area and don't want to leave anything alive. The idea of an old propane grill burner on a stick really appeals to me... :-D
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A neighbor told me about that earlier in the year, but his formula included dish detergent (I assume to help it stay on the leaves). I tried it, it worked, but it seemed to take a lot of vinegar, so I figured Round-Up would be more cost effective. I don't know about where you live, but this is the land of gravel yards. Ergo, need to cover a lot of area and don't want to leave anything alive. The idea of an old propane grill burner on a stick really appeals to me... :-D
PIEBALDconsult wrote:
I don't know about where you live, but this is the land of gravel yards. Ergo, need to cover a lot of area and don't want to leave anything alive
I have about a kilometer of gravel trails throughout our property. The key thing with the vinegar is it has to be at least 7% (20 would be better but it's hard to find) and it has to be a dry hot day. Works great here even without the dish detergent but there's no doubt some weeds that are more resistant and need the higher percentage. I just use a fine spray on them so it's not very much at all per plant but whatever works.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
-
For those who want a "green" solution to weeds that actually works I can confirm that white pickling vinegar (7% acetic acid) makes an amazing plant killer. Spray it on any leaf you want to kill on a hot sunny day and within 10 minutes it's starting to turn brown and shortly afterwards the leaves are completely dead (none took longer than overnight). It works by stripping off the waxy coating on leaves that prevents them from dehydrating too quickly. No need for expensive or potentially dangerous chemicals, just make sure it's at least 7% acetic acid (stronger would be better but not as available but "Pickling" vinegar is usually at least 7%) and put it in a cheap plastic spray bottle and you have a plant killer. It will kill almost any leaf you spray it on depending on how waxy they are some will be more resistant (that's why 20% would be even better) but it works great on dandelions, thistles, grass etc etc. For dandelions just spray the leaves and the center of the flower. Dandelions and others with a long tap root will need a subsequent application because it won't kill the root, just all the leaves, but as long as the leaves are dead the root will die in pretty short order. I'm going to hack a Swiffer WetJet mop so I can refill it with vinegar and use it's built in battery powered sprayer to do large areas conveniently (I have a lot of gravel trails in the back of our property that I want to keep vegetation free), the spray bottle gets tiresome after a while. There are commercial formulations based on vinegar now and they contain surfactants to make the liquid spread more evenly on the leaf and not bead up, I'm going to experiment with that as well, maybe dish soap or citrus based organic cleaners. Kinda makes you wonder why there are so many complex alternatives like Roundup when plain old vinegar works so well.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
John C wrote:
Kinda makes you wonder why there are so many complex alternatives like Roundup when plain old vinegar works so well.
I think it depends on where the weeds are. I remember being told how some weed killers (the feed'n'weed variety) work. The contain a growth hormone that broad leafed plants (typically weeds) can use, however the grass itself cannot. For the grass is a different formulation designed just to feed the grass. The weed is killed because it is forced to grow too quickly and it dies as a result.
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For those who want a "green" solution to weeds that actually works I can confirm that white pickling vinegar (7% acetic acid) makes an amazing plant killer. Spray it on any leaf you want to kill on a hot sunny day and within 10 minutes it's starting to turn brown and shortly afterwards the leaves are completely dead (none took longer than overnight). It works by stripping off the waxy coating on leaves that prevents them from dehydrating too quickly. No need for expensive or potentially dangerous chemicals, just make sure it's at least 7% acetic acid (stronger would be better but not as available but "Pickling" vinegar is usually at least 7%) and put it in a cheap plastic spray bottle and you have a plant killer. It will kill almost any leaf you spray it on depending on how waxy they are some will be more resistant (that's why 20% would be even better) but it works great on dandelions, thistles, grass etc etc. For dandelions just spray the leaves and the center of the flower. Dandelions and others with a long tap root will need a subsequent application because it won't kill the root, just all the leaves, but as long as the leaves are dead the root will die in pretty short order. I'm going to hack a Swiffer WetJet mop so I can refill it with vinegar and use it's built in battery powered sprayer to do large areas conveniently (I have a lot of gravel trails in the back of our property that I want to keep vegetation free), the spray bottle gets tiresome after a while. There are commercial formulations based on vinegar now and they contain surfactants to make the liquid spread more evenly on the leaf and not bead up, I'm going to experiment with that as well, maybe dish soap or citrus based organic cleaners. Kinda makes you wonder why there are so many complex alternatives like Roundup when plain old vinegar works so well.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
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Sounds like more work and though I see salt mentioned all the time with weeds I think people have forgotten the meaning behind the ancient phrase "salting the earth". Nothing will ever grow again if too much salt is put on some ground. I'm willing to bet that the dandelions that I sprayed and are now appearing dead will make a comeback from their tap root but I bet if I spray the new leaves a few more times there won't be any more life left in it. A taproot can't survive indefinitely without any leaves. I'll find out either way.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
John C wrote:
Nothing will ever grow again if too much salt is put on some ground.
Oh, come on now. I wouldn't say never - the Romans salted all (or at least got very good coverage) of Israel back in the first couple of centuries AD, and now they're a major exporter of fruits and flowers and all kinds of plant life. All you've got to do is wait a millennium or two. The drastic climate changes brought about by salting the land can be undone!
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John C wrote:
Spray it on any leaf you want to kill
I'm assuming this would also kill any grass growing around the sprayed area?
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For those who want a "green" solution to weeds that actually works I can confirm that white pickling vinegar (7% acetic acid) makes an amazing plant killer. Spray it on any leaf you want to kill on a hot sunny day and within 10 minutes it's starting to turn brown and shortly afterwards the leaves are completely dead (none took longer than overnight). It works by stripping off the waxy coating on leaves that prevents them from dehydrating too quickly. No need for expensive or potentially dangerous chemicals, just make sure it's at least 7% acetic acid (stronger would be better but not as available but "Pickling" vinegar is usually at least 7%) and put it in a cheap plastic spray bottle and you have a plant killer. It will kill almost any leaf you spray it on depending on how waxy they are some will be more resistant (that's why 20% would be even better) but it works great on dandelions, thistles, grass etc etc. For dandelions just spray the leaves and the center of the flower. Dandelions and others with a long tap root will need a subsequent application because it won't kill the root, just all the leaves, but as long as the leaves are dead the root will die in pretty short order. I'm going to hack a Swiffer WetJet mop so I can refill it with vinegar and use it's built in battery powered sprayer to do large areas conveniently (I have a lot of gravel trails in the back of our property that I want to keep vegetation free), the spray bottle gets tiresome after a while. There are commercial formulations based on vinegar now and they contain surfactants to make the liquid spread more evenly on the leaf and not bead up, I'm going to experiment with that as well, maybe dish soap or citrus based organic cleaners. Kinda makes you wonder why there are so many complex alternatives like Roundup when plain old vinegar works so well.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
Nice to know of alternatives. . .I looked into alternatives a little while ago too. ..thought of using salt but found the problems there though. The vinegar thing looks good except for the pesky need to re-apply. If you want a higher concentration of acetic acid perhaps look into Aldrich chemical, Sigma, or other chemical suppliers out there and buy straight acetic acid then dilute it to your liking. From working in a lab days I could order that for the lab that and tons of other stuff and think most non hazardous chemicals could be ordered by the public too (I'd like to make my own car windshield washing solution that you have to pay close to $2/gal for when all it is mostly is water and blue dye with a little methanol, but haven't had the time to investigate). From someone with a biology degree (but haven't researched it in depth), the use of chemicals thing, for Roundup explicitly, it doesn't seem harmful as normal soil bacteria breaks it down and I think completely (good/quick half lifes). So, unlike 2,4-D or others that may have residue remaining for a while, Roundup seems like a magic bullet. If it isn't then we'll soon/eventually find out it seems, as a ton of that gets applied to farm fields since a lot of crops are roundup resistant engineered now.
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Nice to know of alternatives. . .I looked into alternatives a little while ago too. ..thought of using salt but found the problems there though. The vinegar thing looks good except for the pesky need to re-apply. If you want a higher concentration of acetic acid perhaps look into Aldrich chemical, Sigma, or other chemical suppliers out there and buy straight acetic acid then dilute it to your liking. From working in a lab days I could order that for the lab that and tons of other stuff and think most non hazardous chemicals could be ordered by the public too (I'd like to make my own car windshield washing solution that you have to pay close to $2/gal for when all it is mostly is water and blue dye with a little methanol, but haven't had the time to investigate). From someone with a biology degree (but haven't researched it in depth), the use of chemicals thing, for Roundup explicitly, it doesn't seem harmful as normal soil bacteria breaks it down and I think completely (good/quick half lifes). So, unlike 2,4-D or others that may have residue remaining for a while, Roundup seems like a magic bullet. If it isn't then we'll soon/eventually find out it seems, as a ton of that gets applied to farm fields since a lot of crops are roundup resistant engineered now.
In terms of having to reapply you definitly don't with most weeds, just the ones with long taproots. At least that's been my experience here. Roundup does seem to be pretty safe but it's expensive and we have a *lot* of plants we wouldn't want to get any of it on in our landscaping and three cats. It's a real hassle rounding up and locking the cats inside and waiting for the roundup to dry and if they get out and any gets on my bamboos or our other plants it would be disastrous, I just feel safer with something that only kills the leaves that you spray it on.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson