An absolutely incredible weed killer...homemade

[squancho]

another weed killer we use around here is to take a plastic tea pitcher and microwave some water till its very very hot, almost boiling and pouring it on weeds, dangerous if you arent strong enough to hold the pitcher but safe and free and environmentally safe , works like a charm on weeds, anthills, all kinds of stuff, why waste money on roundup?

[cezhart]

I have no problems with roundup killing bermuda. The only thing you have to remember is that round up does not kill the ground. so as soon as the bermuda that you did not spray starts growing it will take the otheres place. I would be more worried about putting salt in my soil that roundup.

Really??? Do you think that one could water it good & make the salt disapate? What would the salt do in the soil?

[cindy]

I only read the first couple of pages of this thread but I think I can clarify a few things as I've been using this "recipe" for years. The actual recipe is 4 cups of white vinegar, *1/4 cup* of regular salt and 2 teaspoons of dish soap. More salt won't hurt but as has been mentioned it won't dissolve either. A good friend of ours who happens to have a horticulture degree suggested I try this recipe when we lived on a farm that was certified organic. Now I use this around the ponds and on the gravel driveway. I just passed the recipe on to a neighbor over the weekend who is concerned about using anything where their dogs are...

I have been desolving 1 cup of salt in about 1 cup of HOT water (just enough to make a kind of salt paste), then adding 1 gallon of plain white vinegar...basic plain generic vinegar. Making the "salt paste" allows it to mix a little better with the vinegar, but doesn't seem to hinder its weed killing ability. Then I stir in 2 Tablespoons of Dawn Dishwashing liquid, pour it into an appropriate sprayer and have a go at the offending weeds. Crab grass HAS NOT grown over areas that I have been sprayed!!

Seems to last about a month or so between applications...however, if we get a heavy rain storm it seems to need reapplied a little more frequently, so I'm not too worried about lasting "salt burn" to the soil.

And it makes my brick patio smell like a wonderful salad dressing!!!