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NFT: BBI Landscape/Garden Experts....natural weed killing ideas..

JCin332 : 7/8/2018 11:59 am
We decided to skip mulch this year and having a major weed problem in our back beds and I don't want to keep dumping chemicals in there...

Has anyone tried a vinegar, salt, and dish soap mixture..?? I have been reading about it and seems like a good alternative...

Any advice/thoughts would be much appreciated...Thanks!!
Was going to mention  
Mark from Jersey : 7/8/2018 12:05 pm : link
the vinegar. I heard that it doesn't get to the roots and many of the weeds can come back. The linked article states multiple applications may be required.
HGTV Blog Post - ( New Window )
Boiling water  
mattlawson : 7/8/2018 1:39 pm : link
Is supposed to work great.
Neem Oil  
Nomad Crow on the Madison : 7/8/2018 1:54 pm : link
says my wife, the gardener!
how big are the beds?  
pjcas18 : 7/8/2018 2:24 pm : link
my only advice would be bite the bullet, hand weed and then put down some organic preen and throw mulch on top, even at this point.

unless the beds are massive and this is not feasible.
Vinegar  
GruningsOnTheHill : 7/8/2018 2:56 pm : link
didn't work for me.
Cover the beds with sheets of newspaper  
Jim in Fairfax : 7/8/2018 5:40 pm : link
Then top with mulch.
I’ve been using vinegar for years. It will  
Keith : 7/8/2018 6:01 pm : link
100% kill any weeds you spray and quicker than any chemical you use too. It doesn’t seem to prevent future weeds though.

1 gallon of distilled white vinegar
1 cup epson salt
Couple drops of blue dish soap

I spray weeds and they are starting to die within 2 days.
RE: I’ve been using vinegar for years. It will  
Jim in Fairfax : 7/8/2018 6:16 pm : link
In comment 14008538 Keith said:
Quote:
100% kill any weeds you spray and quicker than any chemical you use too. It doesn’t seem to prevent future weeds though.

1 gallon of distilled white vinegar
1 cup epson salt
Couple drops of blue dish soap

I spray weeds and they are starting to die within 2 days.


It doesn’t prevent future weeds because it’s not actually killing the weeds in the first place. Vinegar kills the green leaves but not the roots. So it looks effective, but’s it’s really not.
RE: RE: I’ve been using vinegar for years. It will  
ThatLimerickGuy : 7/8/2018 7:58 pm : link
In comment 14008544 Jim in Fairfax said:
Quote:
In comment 14008538 Keith said:


Quote:


100% kill any weeds you spray and quicker than any chemical you use too. It doesn’t seem to prevent future weeds though.

1 gallon of distilled white vinegar
1 cup epson salt
Couple drops of blue dish soap

I spray weeds and they are starting to die within 2 days.



It doesn’t prevent future weeds because it’s not actually killing the weeds in the first place. Vinegar kills the green leaves but not the roots. So it looks effective, but’s it’s really not.


Bingo.

I put down some ole fashioned Scotts Weed and Feed yesterday and not even 24 hours later the green clover that had really started to take over a part of my lawn is already brown and wilting.

I agree that too many chemicals isn't ideal, especially if you have pets, but there is a reason that some lawns look great and weed free and others don't, and that reason is chemicals.
This is a vegetable garden I assumed  
pjcas18 : 7/8/2018 8:06 pm : link
I would avoid chemicals.

RE: This is a vegetable garden I assumed  
pjcas18 : 7/8/2018 8:07 pm : link
In comment 14008593 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
I would avoid chemicals.


if it's flower beds then sure use chemicals.
RE: This is a vegetable garden I assumed  
Diver_Down : 7/8/2018 8:12 pm : link
In comment 14008593 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
I would avoid chemicals.


Isn't the organic Preen that you recommended above a chemical?
RE: RE: This is a vegetable garden I assumed  
pjcas18 : 7/8/2018 8:18 pm : link
In comment 14008603 Diver_Down said:
Quote:
In comment 14008593 pjcas18 said:


Quote:


I would avoid chemicals.




Isn't the organic Preen that you recommended above a chemical?


yes, but non-toxic.
RE: RE: RE: This is a vegetable garden I assumed  
Diver_Down : 7/8/2018 8:24 pm : link
In comment 14008614 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
In comment 14008603 Diver_Down said:


Quote:


In comment 14008593 pjcas18 said:


Quote:


I would avoid chemicals.




Isn't the organic Preen that you recommended above a chemical?



yes, but non-toxic.


OK. I was just trying to reconcile your earlier recommendation and your comment above saying you would avoid chemicals. I rely on the cheap Preen which I assume isn't the organic as I never realized there was such a product. Here in Florida with the year-round growing cycle, I go through Preen every 2-3 months. The stuff works and cuts my weeding down tremendously. The only edibles are my blueberry bushes which I don't use any chemicals on until after the fruiting cycle. I just picked my third crop this weekend and I'll leave the rest for the birds. I'll weed it this week and lay down the Preen and mulch.
I use both preens  
pjcas18 : 7/8/2018 8:30 pm : link
in my flower/shrub beds I use normal chemical based preen, in my vegetable garden, I use organic vegetable garden safe preen.

There are other organic vegetable garden safe weed preventers too.

Because the OP said he wanted to avoid chemicals I assumed vegetable garden, but maybe I made a bad assumption.

Preen also won't kill weeds, it prevents them as far as I know.

My fault  
ThatLimerickGuy : 7/8/2018 8:38 pm : link
I thought we were talking about grass
RE: I use both preens  
Jim in Fairfax : 7/8/2018 9:11 pm : link
In comment 14008622 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
in my flower/shrub beds I use normal chemical based preen, in my vegetable garden, I use organic vegetable garden safe preen.

There are other organic vegetable garden safe weed preventers too.

Because the OP said he wanted to avoid chemicals I assumed vegetable garden, but maybe I made a bad assumption.

Preen also won't kill weeds, it prevents them as far as I know.

Correct. Preen prevents germination and/or root formation. Once it’s set roots, Preen will not be effective.

Organic Preen is Corn Gluten Meal. You can save some money by buying generic bags of corn gluten meal, which most garden stores carry.
RE: I’ve been using vinegar for years. It will  
old man : 7/8/2018 10:50 pm : link
In comment 14008538 Keith said:
Quote:
100% kill any weeds you spray and quicker than any chemical you use too. It doesn’t seem to prevent future weeds though.

1 gallon of distilled white vinegar
1 cup epson salt
Couple drops of blue dish soap

I spray weeds and they are starting to die within 2 days.


Funny. I never heard of this, and about 3 hours ago my sister(anti pharma/anti chemicals/ pro natural) sent me this his exact formula.
Will give it a shot. I'm tired of my garden of weeds and the occasional intended flower.
we cleaned our garage over the 4th  
mdc1 : 7/10/2018 6:16 pm : link
and my daughter knocked over a container of vinegar on the turfgrass. 2 days later, a huge brown patch. let's see if it comes back soon, but I doubt the weeds will like vinegar and it can break down meat (bbq ribs).

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