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Post by Latitude33 on Apr 16, 2024 20:55:52 GMT -5
Seeing a lot of talk lately about using white vinegar (acetic acid), table salt and Dawn soap mixed together as an effective "toxin free" herbicide. Does anyone have clear info on this and what the potential impacts are?
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Post by madamezil on Apr 17, 2024 7:59:18 GMT -5
We just use the straight 7% pickling vinegar. It works a treat, although the neighbours kid us about living in a fish and chip shop!
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Post by desertwoman on Apr 17, 2024 9:31:33 GMT -5
I've also seen a formula with epson salts (instead of regular salt) (1 gal white vinegar, 2 c epson salt/ 1/4c Dawn- the blue original.) I've never tried it but people swear by it. Apparently, it is the salt that eventually helps kill the roots. The vinegar mostly targets the leaves. I actually have recently bought a stronger vinegar to try this. Up until now I have always dug out the weeds but I'm ready to start shootin' them.
Most white vinegar sold at the grocery store has about 5% acetic acid content and I have read that the stronger white vinegars (in the 10-20% range) are more effective. The guy at one of the nurseries in town says that many of his customers swear by the 10%.
You need to be careful when spraying this solution so as to not kill surrounding vegetation that you want to keep. And you also do not want to saturate the soil or you will not be able to grow anything there. Hit just the leaves of the weeds you want to kill.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 17, 2024 10:17:19 GMT -5
I have some 20% acetic acid, and usually use in diluted to 10%, which kills most weeds; never mixed it with any salts, however. 5% straight won't kill most weeds - probably the reason for the salt added. I wouldn't want to add that much salt (I've seen various amounts, added to the vinegar, some of which would kill many plants without the vinegar!) to my garden area, even a beneficial type of salt, like epsoms.
Remember, even when killing weeds this way, then will sometimes come back, from the roots, that weren't totally killed, and they often need another "hit", with the really bad weeds.
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Post by emmsmommy on Apr 17, 2024 15:43:35 GMT -5
The recipe I have calls for epsom salts but I've never tried it. The former owner of the flea market we used to sell at swore by it.
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 19, 2024 5:03:14 GMT -5
Where do you buy stronger vinegar?
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 19, 2024 7:15:19 GMT -5
I got 2 gal of the 20% from Amazon, for just $12, a few years ago. I looked, and don't see much of that now, but a bunch even stronger. I guess you could find it elsewhere, but shipping would probably be prohibitive.
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Post by madamezil on Apr 19, 2024 8:16:19 GMT -5
Walmart- at least in Canada sells "cleaning vinegar", 10% strength for $3.27 for 2.5 liters. So Walmart might be worth taking a look at. If it's sold in Canada for sure it'll be available in the US.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 19, 2024 13:57:53 GMT -5
I'll have to check and see if they sell it here. I usually dilute it to 10% - only a couple survived that.
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Post by raphanus on Apr 19, 2024 14:26:18 GMT -5
Most certified organic herbicides are strong acids. The addition of some dish detergent acts as a surfactant and helps with adhesion to leaf surface. If you plan to grow plants in that area in the future, don’t add salt to the mix. If you don’t want anything to grow near there, add salt. Amazon sells agricultural vinegar. Many landscape supply places and farm stores sell organic herbicides which are usually either 20% vinegar or some other naturally derived acid like capric acid from coconut. Some organic farmers use a product called “Suppress” which is strong enough that it can peel skin off. Organic herbicides are generally pretty expensive for large areas and don’t work great, so mowing, weed-whacking, tilling, and using silage tarps or landscape fabric or even burlap, cardboard, and thick layers of mulch is sometimes more cost effective than spraying vinegar or other acids regularly.
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 21, 2024 5:22:05 GMT -5
I did find Harris 30% at Walmart. I'm no chemist, but probably need to dilute it 1:3?? The label says dilute 1:60 for cleaning, must be some powerful stuff!
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Post by desertwoman on Apr 21, 2024 9:20:39 GMT -5
Quinn thinks 2 parts water to 1 part 30% vinegar to get 10%. pepperhead212 , dilutes his 20% to 10%- he might have a formula that would confirm- or counter- Q's thought.
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