stardancnminpin
Posted : 8/5/2013 9:04:32 PM
For those who might like a natural alternative to Round-Up, try Clove Oil. I can get a 4 ounce bottle of Clove Oil from the health food store for about $12. You can replant pretty quickly after using it vs the Round-Up which recommends not planting anything where it is sprayed for 4 months.
Clove Oil Based Herbicide
With so much rapid growth in your flower beds, it’s important to be
able to spray once in a while to control the undesirable plants to save
time and your back! It’s also convenient to spray around the bases
of trees in the yard to simplify seasonal mowing duties. Perhaps you
weren’t aware that clove oil can be used as a strong, yet nontoxic
herbicide in your yard. It is stronger than the vinegar and salt based
herbicides that you may have tried in the past. It is very
expensive to buy clove oil based herbicides at the organic nurseries, so
be aware that you can make them yourself much less expensively.
To make your clove oil based herbicide at home, mix the following in a one gallon sprayer
8 TBL clove oil (this would equate to one 4 oz bottle)
1 gallon water
12 drops dishwashing liquid (nontoxic adjuvant which helps clove oil more easily penetrate the leaves)
Mix gently
Spray this mixture on all undesirable plants early in the morning
after the dew dries making sure it will not rain at all that day.
Take care not to spray desirable plants as this mixture will burn any
plant’s foliage, not just weeds. Weeds should begin to wilt and die
within 8 hours or less! I sprayed around my yard on a Saturday morning
and many of the weeds were wilted and dead by dinnertime. Plus, my
yard smells fabulous from the lovely clove scent!
Be aware that clove oil will burn your skin if it comes into contact,
so it is wise to use gloves and protective goggles if applying on a
breezy day.
Happy weeding!