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It frustrates me no end to see and hear this all the time. Sure it will kill the plant parts you see but NOT THE ROOT. So what good is that? The plant comes back in time.
Why do you care how other people tend to their yards and gardens?
She cares because she does not want people to be mislead into wasting their time and energy without getting the result they were looking for. I think she has good intentions, just letting people know that there are other opinions and other evidence that should be looked at. Knowledge is power, as they say.
Those of you who've pointed out that hand-pulling weeds can lead to germination of dormant seeds are completely correct, but I prefer removing them manually, because I'm not a fan of using Round-up or other commercial weed killers. If I'm absolutely in a crunch, and the weeds have gotten ahead of me, I'll use them sparingly, but I always return to hand weeding. It's very satisfying work.
She cares because she does not want people to be mislead into wasting their time and energy without getting the result they were looking for. I think she has good intentions, just letting people know that there are other opinions and other evidence that should be looked at. Knowledge is power, as they say.
That's it exactly. Can't rep you again quite so soon.
Most home weed control adds more 'poison' to the environment than the miniscule amount of chemical in a well studied and well regulated commercial product. Vinegar is probably safe environmentally, but concentrated table salt and epsom salts are pollutants. Once you pollute the soil and water supply with salts, soaps, and such you have done the environment no favors.
At least the regulated chemicals get inactivated or destroyed by various means within a short time of encountering the environment. Long term soil and stream health is what nature is all about.
Well I would imagine vinegar is safe for the environment since humans ingest it on a regular basis. Would you be willing to down some Round Up(TM) to prove your point?
"Even though vinegar is an acid, it breaks down quickly in the soil and, therefore, is not likely to accumulate enough to affect soil pH for more than a few days." http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/vinegar.html
I've had luck with straight 9% vinegar in killing some weeds but not others.
Why do you care how other people tend to their yards and gardens?
Too bad I can't give you more reps! No Kudzu that's nice you can put whatever chemicals you want in your own yard. In my yard, I mostly hand pull weeds or I use vinegar.
Guess what...just like with weed whacking...if you kill the top multiple times...the weed will die even if you don't kill the root. So if anyone else is dedicated to avoiding synthetic chemicals that leach into groundwater (i.e. glyphosate etc.)...do not be disheartened by this thread. You can spray the weeds more than one time. Vinegar can be used with success in concert with hand pulling, cutting and whacking of weeds.
When I moved in, my yard and woods were OVERRUN by invasive, non-native weeds. Even though I'd worked with volunteer groups in MD to get rid of weeds by using herbicide, I decided I did not want to use these chemicals where I live. There were MOUNTAINS of mile-a-minute, Japanese honeysuckle vines and shrubs, oriental bittersweet, garlic mustard, and tons of self-sown Rose of Sharon in the woods.
Now the yard has many fewer weeds, and I did not have to use round-up or similar chemicals to do it. I cut and hand-pulled weeds diligently--and I still do this--, I use VINEGAR, and I replaced weedy areas with natives suited to the soil and climate and/or mulch. There you go. Natural weed removal.
Even if you use chemicals (which IMO may be harmful). Guess what? You have to put down the same chemicals year after year after year. Vinegar has my vote.
Well I would imagine vinegar is safe for the environment since humans ingest it on a regular basis. Would you be willing to down some Round Up(TM) to prove your point?
"Even though vinegar is an acid, it breaks down quickly in the soil and, therefore, is not likely to accumulate enough to affect soil pH for more than a few days." Conquer Weeds with Vinegar?
Did I not say that vinegar was probably okay? Listen up though, vinegar is a case in point. Have you heard of Acetic Acid? Very caustic. You would never think of eating it, nor of dipping your fingers in it, right? Well vinegar is a solution of 95 parts water and 5 parts acetic acid. Surprise! When acetic acid is very dilute, you can eat it. When concentrated, it would kill you because of its caustic properties. Salts are the same way in the soil and indeed in the ocean. Very dilute = good. Very concentrated = deadly.
As far as round-up goes? You could drink some of it, EXCEPT that the soaps and stuff in the commercial mix that are what keeps it in solution would not be good for your digestion.
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in round-up, only kills organisms that have a specific plant enzyme. Animals, insects, butterflies are safe.
Did I not say that vinegar was probably okay? Listen up though, vinegar is a case in point. Have you heard of Acetic Acid? Very caustic. You would never think of eating it, nor of dipping your fingers in it, right? Well vinegar is a solution of 95 parts water and 5 parts acetic acid. Surprise! When acetic acid is very dilute, you can eat it. When concentrated, it would kill you because of its caustic properties. Salts are the same way in the soil and indeed in the ocean. Very dilute = good. Very concentrated = deadly.
As far as round-up goes? You could drink some of it, EXCEPT that the soaps and stuff in the commercial mix that are what keeps it in solution would not be good for your digestion.
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in round-up, only kills organisms that have a specific plant enzyme. Animals, insects, butterflies are safe.
Thank you.
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I cut and hand-pulled weeds diligently--and I still do this--, I use VINEGAR, and I replaced weedy areas with natives suited to the soil and climate and/or mulch. There you go. Natural weed removal.
