Organic weed killer/preventer? (grow, fertilizer, grass, weeds)

[WouldLoveTo]

Can anyone suggest a decent organic weed killer/preventative? I used to use Gardens Alive WOW but reading reviews, they have changed to pellets which apparently do not come out of spreaders well. And it's $$$$$$$$$$

I have a ton of creeping charlie that has come over from the neighbors. I rake it and have reseeded but it keeps coming back. I also had areas that were covered up that I've now cleaned but there are larger weeds in there. As much as I don't want to use a killer/fertilizer I'm getting fed up enough that I think I need to do so for a couple of years.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. (No, I don't have 2+ hours/day to hand pull for probably another 20 years.)

It would need to be as pet-friendly as possible too

[Hemlock140]

I don’t know about preventer, but you can kill that using a sprayer with simple white vinegar. You just do it on a hot, sunny day.

[WouldLoveTo]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

I don’t know about preventer, but you can kill that using a sprayer with simple white vinegar. You just do it on a hot, sunny day.

Without hurting what grass is still there?

[Fox Terrier]

Originally Posted by WouldLoveTo

Without hurting what grass is still there?

Nope. Vinegar will kill grass. You have to be very selective and make sure none of the vinegar gets on anything you want to keep.

[luv4horses]

All weed killers are organic, except arsenic or copper salts. What you mean is that you want to use a common, everyday, chemical. Vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid which kills by acidifying the plant surface and the soil. Most but not all of the acetic acid will evaporate since it is volatile, but some will remain behind and the soil will stay low pH until bacteria eat the acetic acid. You would be better off pulling up the weeds by hand, before they produce any new seeds.

[LIcenter]

Originally Posted by luv4horses

All weed killers are organic, except arsenic or copper salts. What you mean is that you want to use a common, everyday, chemical. Vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid which kills by acidifying the plant surface and the soil. Most but not all of the acetic acid will evaporate since it is volatile, but some will remain behind and the soil will stay low pH until bacteria eat the acetic acid. You would be better off pulling up the weeds by hand, before they produce any new seeds.

^^^^This^^^^

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by WouldLoveTo

Can anyone suggest a decent organic weed killer/preventative? I used to use Gardens Alive WOW but reading reviews, they have changed to pellets which apparently do not come out of spreaders well. And it's $$$$$$$$$$

I have a ton of creeping charlie that has come over from the neighbors. I rake it and have reseeded but it keeps coming back. I also had areas that were covered up that I've now cleaned but there are larger weeds in there. As much as I don't want to use a killer/fertilizer I'm getting fed up enough that I think I need to do so for a couple of years.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. (No, I don't have 2+ hours/day to hand pull for probably another 20 years.)

It would need to be as pet-friendly as possible too

As much as many of us hate it, it's just the best thing to use. Just use Roundup Kills weeds Not Grass spray. All you have to do is wait a day for it to dry and its safe for pets to walk on (Not eat grass though). Make sure there's no heavy rains so it doesn't run off into the sewers. It works, Its fast, and Its not expensive.

Originally Posted by luv4horses

All weed killers are organic, except arsenic or copper salts. What you mean is that you want to use a common, everyday, chemical. Vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid which kills by acidifying the plant surface and the soil. Most but not all of the acetic acid will evaporate since it is volatile, but some will remain behind and the soil will stay low pH until bacteria eat the acetic acid. You would be better off pulling up the weeds by hand, before they produce any new seeds.

Can I hire you to pull mine every week? No time for that. In fact, look what happens when you have no time.

Originally Posted by Fox Terrier

Nope. Vinegar will kill grass. You have to be very selective and make sure none of the vinegar gets on anything you want to keep.

I was going to suggest boiling hot water, which will kill weeds, but obviously grass too. lol. I saw salt does as well but again...grass too. I found my best and only option is the RoundUp stuff. (Ortho not as great)

[phaelon56]

Salt and vinegar kill the active growth but are not absorbed into the weed's root system. The weds WILL grow back -

[nobodysbusiness]

Please don't ever use Roundup, unless you hate the planet and want to kill it.

For weeds: Mixture of Epsom salts, white vinegar and biodegradable dishwashing detergent.

[Melchisedec]

How in the world can RoundUp kill weeds but not grass?