Question
Are there any effective, inexpensive homemade weed killer remedies? I'm not concerened about damaging any plants or grass because the weeds are in an area with no grass and not too close to plants. I live in south Florida. Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Alex,

Methods to kill un-wanted weedy plants that do not involve the use of industrially synthesized chemicals which sometimes have some measure of toxicity for the environment and for humans and animals are called 'Organic Methods'.


About ORGANIC WEED CONTROL::

Where weeds exist in dense patches, you can "light-starve" them by covering them with any opaque material like a piece of plywood, flat stones or a tarp or similar.  This works very good when hot weather and lack of moisture amplifies the effects.

Weeds are also killed by using heat treatments, for example a plumber's blow-torch, hot-air paint-remover or hair-dryer.  These tools may not be practical for many weeds and the costs of electricity can add up.  For weeds in pavement cracks, heat killing can work very well.

Other Organic strategies include: Organic "fatty-acid" soaps (often sold at garden centers), vinegar (acetic-acid) dosing, vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol sprays (to dessicate foliage), animal urine dosing (to create salty desiccation of foliage).  Some of these classic "Organic" approaches will have their respective health and environmental hazards to be recognized.
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Keep any weed from producing and dispersing its seeds and you will be doing much to reduce its populations on your property.

If you know of the source of weeds, namely adjoining un-kept property, there are often laws requiring the land owners to keep there areas mowed regularly.  This alone can prevent zillions of weed seeds reaching your lawn from wind dispersal.

Note:
Many WEED SEEDS can remain DORMANT in the top soil for extended periods of time, even years.
Under-tilling the top soil can do much to prevent these seeds for sprouting in the future.
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With some species of weeds, you can let them grow as tall as they can get and then simply slash cut them to the ground.  This will cause a "physiologic shock syndrome"  since so much of its usual energy resources will be removed at once; so the plant often dies with such a drastic cut-back.  This is a very safe and non-toxic way to kill some but not all weeds.


Biological Product Suppliers:

ORGANIC Moss/weeds/pests eradication:
http://www.biconet.com/lawn/moss.html
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This commercial web-site has other "ORGANIC" ideas and products:

http://www.guarding-our-earth.com/aggrand/weeds.htm

Also checkout these informative sites:

The RODALE INSTITUTE:
http://www.rodale.com/corp/sub/1,1874,3-13,00.html

Pesticide Health Effects: http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/facts-slides-self/facts/gen-posaf-health.html

Toxicity treatments:  http://www.beyondpesticides.org/todo1.html

Guide to house-hold toxins:  http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/consumer/environ/toxref.htm

Web-Search @ GOOGLE.com for new ORGANICS METHOD WEB SITES.
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TIP: Avoid adding weedy seed heads to your compost system.
     These may not bio-degrade and will become a problem
    when the compost is used.

SYNTHETIC COMMERCIAL CHEMICALS for lawn weed treatments vary in toxicity, when properly used most are well tested and generally safe and will break-down into metabolites for soil microbes to use and degrade. All must pass stringent studies and testing before marketing.
Often, you can spray an efficient chemical and just keep kids and pets away for a few days and Nature will  bio-degrade the product eventually in the soil.
If you are concerned about any chemical, the technical details about its use and toxicity
are public information available from many reference and online sources.
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Use this website to read the Product Information for many home chemicals and pesticides to help you shop for what will work best and to know what to expect:

READ LABELS BEFORE YOU PURCHASE A CHEMICAL:
http://www.greenbook.net/free.asp
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OTHER RECOMMENDED WEBSITES:

Pesticide Management Group:    http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/

Pesticides by Group listing:   http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/TIB/pesticides-
                              by-group.html

State Pesticide Regulatory
Agencies and Information       http://ace.orst.edu/info/nptn/state1.htm

Quality Spraying Tools:        http://www.bgequip.com/
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A Non-Chemical WEED Control for Garden Areas:

For weeds found invading garden areas, consider installing commercial weed barrier fabric.  This material will mulch the garden, conserve moisture, and prevent weeds as various plants and shrubs can grow through openings cut in the fabric.  With this, your weeding efforts will be greatly reduced and weed seed sources will be also be reduced:

Dewitt WEED BARRIER:  http://www.growers-supply-co.com/dewitt.htm
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Note:
Once you can obtain a relatively WEED-FREE lawn using either "organic or non-organic methods" (or a reasonable compromise between the two strategies), it can generally become an easy task to KEEP THE LAWN WEED-FREE.  This may be only a matter of preventing weed seed sources, keeping a dense-lush turf stand, or using one or two well-timed applications of a PRE-EMERGENT CHEMICAL per year.  So, if you value a weed-free lawn, work to attain the status and strive to conserve it, less chemicals will be required and so too less chemical concerns.

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With a good fertile-loamy well draining top-soil, best quality hybrid grass type(s), 1-3 inches of water per week, plenty of sun-light, ...almost anyone can have an excellent lawn with a minimum maintenance effort.
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I Hope this has answered your question(s)!
Have a fantastic Summer!

Visit my Lawn & Gardens webpage for more Tips, Facts and Links:
http://hometown.aol.com/eilatlog/lawnol.html

Your Questions and Comments are welcome at ALLEXPERTS.com
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