Homemade Pet Friendly Weed Killer - anyone know know if they work?

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Homemade Pet Friendly Weed Killer

Posted By Heather Rhoades In Organic Gardening |

By Heather Rhoades

Your pets are as much a part of your life as your garden is and you want to make sure that your pets can enjoy your garden without it making them sick. While stores sell a number of weed killers, most of them are not very healthy for your pets, and you may want to use a pet friendly weed killer. Fortunately, there are a number of organic and pet safe weed control methods you can use to keep your garden healthy for your pets.

Boiling Water
If you have an area that you need to clear weeds out of on a wholesale level, such as a driveway or a sidewalk or just a large weedy patch where no plants you wish to keep are growing, you may want to consider using boiling water. Boiling water is certainly a pet safe weed killer and it will instantly kill any plant it comes in contact with by literally cooking the plant in the ground. But be careful, boiling water will kill all plants, not just the weeds.

Vinegar
Vinegar works well as pet friendly weed killer. All you need to do is spray the vinegar on the plants that you wish to kill. For some tougher weeds, you may need to reapply the vinegar several times before the plant completely dies.

Salt
If you have an area that you do not wish to have plants growing at all, like a brick path or patio, salt works well as a pet safe weed control. Putting salt in an area will make the soil unsuitable for plants and weeds to grow in.

Sugar
Believe it or not, sugar is also a pet friendly weed killer. It puts the soil organisms into overdrive and the soil becomes temporarily unsuitable for plants. It is great for killing weed trees, pushes or vines that are hard to pull out. Simply pour some sugar at the base of the plant you wish to kill. If you are concerned about it becoming an attraction to pests, simply mix the sugar with equal parts chili pepper to deter those possible pests.

Corn Meal
Sometimes the most effective pet safe weed killers are the ones that stop the weeds before they even appear. Corn meal has a chemical in it that acts as a pre-emergent on plant seeds. That means that it will prevent the seed from germinating. Sprinkling corn meal in an area that you want to keep weeds out of, will not harm the current plants but will keep weeds from growing.

Recipe for homemade pet safe weed killer
The nice thing about all of these is that any of them can be combined to make more effective pet safe weed killers. Just mix them together. If the mixture is liquid and you will be using a spray bottle, add in a little dish soap. The dish soap will help the liquid stick to the weed better.

Our pets are our friends and we don’t want to do anything to harm them. Using products that are available in your house to make pet safe weed killers is less expensive, just as effective and much safer than using the dangerous chemicals sold in stores.

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[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks Adrianne. I think they all should work with repeated application if need be. It's the application part that's a pain. I get less diligent about the weeds all the time. The boiling water and vinegar will kill good plants too. I for one would not want to try to tote boiling water outside. I would not use the sugar as it attracts insects and possibly doodles. Andrea's point about the varmints with the corn meal gluten is good to know too. Who needs more critters? So in the end, with provisos, the vinegar seems the best bet.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I have spent the past 1/2 hour trying to buy the vinegar. I found the 20% for $13.50 and the shipping is $13.85. Guess I will have to spend more time researching before opening my wallet. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Try the 5%, regular vinegar. You may just have to do it twice.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Looks like an old post so I wonder if anyone has any new ideas suggestions?  Also what about bugs in the garden?  I'm coping with the weeds but there are critters eating my flowers!  My sister swears by Sluggo PLUS but I can't find it anywhere in southern california!?!  I picked up an "eco" brand but it's not working.  I desperately want to save my gerbers, roses, and dahlias any suggestions? 

Then the weeds are in the grass, it seems like these suggestions above would kill the grass too? 

Thanks for revisiting.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I don't think there is anything that will select only the weeds other than 2,4 D. It is bad stuff and somebody posted the other day about it possibly causing lymphoma in dogs. So it's either keep them mowed or dig them out. Mostly I just mow but I do dig out dandelions. We did have a recent discussion somewhere on DK about putting out lids or saucers of beer to drown slugs. I just ordered Neem Oil for some of my shrubs and there's insecticidal soap as pretty non toxic deterrents to insects. Horticultural oil is also good for some things, I have my hemlocks sprayed twice a year with it.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Before mowing I walk around and pull out the things that don't belong.  I don't attack the whole yard (too big) but I have a 5 gallon bucket and when it's full the rest of the weeds are saved for next time.  While I'm weeding the dogs are having a blast chasing and playing around me.  I consider it a win/win situation. 

Whats frustrating is our yard is "supposed" to be new.  We killed EVERYTHING, tilled, leveled, amended and reseeded and I have to say everything but grass seems to be growing or it's dirt!  This was the year before these two pups and my elder dog had no interest in the yard other than to do her business and get back in the house.  These two dig, chew, and create a dust storm that has left inches of dust on every surface in the house!

We have a gardner in the front but I won't let anyone touch the back for the safety of my girls.

I've come to piece with the weeds but the bugs eating my flowers is a whole nother issue! 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Believe me, I know you pain : )

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Man, isn't it the rule that one dog is okay, but once you add a second one you can say good-bye to your grass?

[Adrianne Matzkin]

The vinegar does work on weeds. I used a plastic ketchup bottle with the flip top lid for easy pouring. Just make sure you don't get it on plants you want to keep. On the really tough ones, I use this tool to get the weed out and then pour some vinegar in the hole

This is my best friend in the garden

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Gardening-Weeder-16079/dp/B00008IHSP

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I have white flies that just love my kale plants. Anyone try anything like this? Think is might work? Is definitely is doodle safe.

Trap the white flies with a yellow sticky trap. These flies are attracted to the color yellow. You can buy this trap at the garden store or make one yourself using a yellow cardboard smeared with petroleum jelly. Place this trap close to the plants by the ground.

Read more: How to Get Rid of White Flies | eHow http://www.ehow.com/how_2089087_get-rid-whiteflies.html#ixzz2Skl9wtiG

[F, Calla & Luca]

I haven't done it but it's worth a try.