Finally An Organic Weed KILLER!

FINALLY AN ORGANIC WEED KILLER THAT ALLOWS OUR GARDEN TO REMAIN ORGANIC WHILE RIDDING ITSELF OF THE PESKY WEEDS!

Myth or reality? There are so many options for DIY weed killers but are they really organic?

Vinegar, salt, and dish soap mixture – it works…..after 20 applications, changes the pH of your soil, and dish soap is NOT organic, see BELOW!

Store bought sprays – it works……but it usually kills your vegetables too. It is not “seed” specific, meaning you cannot buy one that kills only crabgrass and not tomatoes. The science is not there yet.

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Egg shells and coffee – NOPE! Sure it can add magnesium and calcium to your soil, but you probably do not need it. It does NOT get rid of insects either.

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What’s left for us organic farmers??

Newspaper? YES!! Yes!

Newspaper is made from wood (long drawn out process but yes, wood), wood is organic. Newspapers used to be printed with metal infused ink. Not anymore. Now they used SOY based ink. OK – soy isn’t organic either. (Watch Food Inc. if you did not know this already) BUT……it kind of is….more than straight chemicals and metal…..and soap. Just don’t use the glossy pages or colored ink pages.

I am ok with this method for several reasons.

I get a local neighborhood paper every weekend ( because I don’t have time to read it)
It is easy to lay newspaper in my garden and spray with a hose to keep it in place
It actually takes a long time to decompose
OH – before I forget to state the obvious – this isn’t the best option if you are planting seeds. (I will put the paper down, kill the weeds, pick the paper up, then plant seeds. If I need to add paper after planting, I wait until the plant is hardy and cut the paper to fit around the plant)

Second Option

Neem Oil…..never heard of it? Read about my first test with it.

Well, it is an amazing concentrate that comes from the seeds of a Neem plant. AND a natural pesticide.

Most Neem Oils are considered safe and effective in killing garden pests, BUT if you want organic……what’s the rule????

IF it doesn’t have this label , it is NOT organic. SO sorry to tell you – local hardware stores are NOT going to have what you need; unless you are willing to not go completely organic.

If you are ok with not having the label, you want to look for 100% cold pressed Neem oil – like this one

If organic is what you want, this is the same one I use.

Neem oil is a solid, when it is refrigerated, which is how it should be kept when not using. The oil turns to a liquid at room temperature. DO NOT put the undiluted oil on your plants.

Recipe for Neem Oil –

32 oz of water to 2 teaspoons of Neem Oil and 1 teaspoon of dish soap. Remember to get your 32oz spray bottle.

NOW remember Dawn dish soap is NOT organic. There are some dish soaps that are much friendlier – such as Better Life, ECOS or Attitude. They all are certified by the EWG (Environmental Working Group) which means the plant-based chemical that ARE used are safe for the environment, people, and pets.

Once your spray is ready. you need to make sure it doesn’t damage your plants. Test it on one leaf, return the following day to see if there is any damage to the leaf. If no, then proceed to covering the entire plant. Spray the tops and underside of the leaves and the stem.

The half-life of Neem oil varies based on the mixture. It is only stable in water for 2 – 4 days. Once it is sprayed on the plants this lowers to 1 – 2.5 days. Plan your spray related to rainfall predictions. Try to spray when there won’t be rain for a least a day and of course repeat the spray once the plant is dry after the rain.

Have you tried Neem Oil? How did it go? Drop us a line and let us know!!!

Happy Gardening,