Natural pesticides and weed/fertilizer products?

Natural does not mean safer. Most synthetics are just synthesized versions of the natural.

The insecticide Pyrethrin is natural and Permethrin is the synthetic. Both are safe products when you follow the label instructions. The mode of action in both is the same and have every low toxicity to humans.

Natural fertilizers smell like shite, well because they are either shite or something rotten. I've never fertilized a lawn with them, but if you look at the NPK analysis they're typically pretty low across the board.

My only use for them is to increase some bacteria growth which helps in the long run.

From Ohio State:

quote:

---

When rats were used in the test procedure, the LD50 value for glyphosate was 5600, and the LD50 value for acetic acid was 3310.

If we keep in mind that an LD50 value represents the amount of individual dose required to kill 50 percent of a population in the test, we realize the lower the number, the more toxic the material. When equal amounts were given orally and compared, it took less acetic acid to kill rats in the laboratory test that it did glyphosate. The acetic acid in even household vinegar was MORE toxic than Roundup!

Going one step further, in this case a comparison of rate of application is a moot point. A 1% solution of glyphosate will kill most any annual weed listed on the label, and also the majority of perennial weeds. It may take more than one application of a 20% acetic acid product to kill, at best, only a portion of the annual weeds we see in the landscape.

This discussion isn’t meant to suggest vinegar is not an acceptable herbicide. The intent is to create awareness that regardless the origination of a material – be it considered ‘natural’ or a synthetically manufactured product – if it has the ability to kill plants or insects, it is a toxin. All toxins should be handled with care, in accordance with the label and their intended purpose, and at the rate of application that has been determined to be acceptable. When done properly, both natural and synthetic herbicides can be safe and effective.

---

I dont think anyone is using glyphosate on yard weeds. You would only use that if you want to kill everything including the grass.

Which products do you use?

Thank you all for the responses.

quote:

---

Which products do you use?

---

All I use is Menard's natural fertilizer because it is 85% slow release.

I have cool season grass, though. If you have warm season grass your fertilizing needs vary quite a bit from mine.

quote:

---

For a decent spot weed killer, mix a gallon of Vinegar to 1 box of salt and 5-10 drops of dawn soap.

---

It needs to be 10% vinegar which I can find 20% on amazon and mix 1 gallon with 1 gallon water in my sprayer. I also add 2 oz of orange oil as well as 2 tbls liquid dish soap and an oz of salt. It browns most weeds and bermuda/ st augustine but doesn't kill it. I use more as a way to slow the weeds down. If you do an application every 2 weeks it keeps most weeds knocked down and will eventually kill them. It doesn't work on poa which is all in my planting beds so this year I bought bags of mulch in november and laid the full bags in my beds between plants to suffocate/deny sunlight to the poa and it has works pretty well.