Paging all organic people...

[primsong]

Halloo to any organic gardeners in our midst - I need an organic weed-spray, and found several versions of a combination of lemon juice, vinegar and salt (sometimes with detergent added) for my sprayer. I understand the principle of it (add acid and salt = plants die), but have any of you really tried this?

My concern is not for the weeds, obviously, but for my trees. My firs are already acidic, so the lemon and vinegar check out okay to me, but salt? I remember reading about the Romans tilling people's fields with salt as they conquered them, to make them dependent on Rome for a while as it meant nothing would grow... Don't want to 'salt' my trees if it'll make them sick.

Anyone have other ideas for weed-killing? I've hand-weeded as much as I reasonably can, but some of them were taller than I am by the time I got to them, it being an acre. Sort of like being a clear-cutting lumberjack on a small scale. Now I want to be the aliens from space who hit them with a deadly ray-gun from above.

Comments

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

My Shire Hubby says he would use *just* vinegar around the trees...on walkways and such he says to use vinegar in general, and if its a really bad area, then use a concentrated mix of salt and vinegar (pull the weeds out first by the roots...I'm sure you know that already ;)

He said mixing a little liquid soap in with the vinegar and spraying right on the weeds helps too cause it resists the rain ;)

Its easier to get more of the weed if you pull them when they are wet. Our patio is pretty weeded over right now...he says that's where he uses the vinegar and salt mixture.

Hope this helps!