DIY Roundup - Safe, Affordable Herbicide

Tired of buying Roundup Weed and Grass Killer?  Want something greener and cheaper to get rid of unwanted grass and weeds?  It's been called "Homemade Roundup", but this concoction is much safer and  works great!

This herbicide recipe comes from Howard Garrett, the Dirt Doctor:

Vinegar - The Organic Herbicide

The best choice for herbicide use is 10% white vinegar made from grain alcohol.   It should be used full strength. I've mentioned 20% in the past but it is stronger than needed and too expensive. Avoid products that are made from 99% glacial acetic acid. This material is a petroleum derivative. Natural vinegars such those made from fermenting apples have little herbicidal value. They are used in irrigation water and as an ingredient in Garrett Juice.       Herbicide Formula: 1 gallon of 10% (100 grain) vinegar Add 1 ounce orange oil or d-limonene Add 1 tablespoon molasses (optional - some say it doesn't help) 1 teaspoon liquid soap or other surfactant (I use Bio Wash) DO NOT ADD WATER Shake well before each spraying and spot spray weeds. Keep the spray off desirable plants. This spray will injure any plants it touches. This natural spray WORKS BEST ON WARM TO HOT DAYS. Vinegar sprayed the bases of trees and other woody plants will not hurt the plant at all. This technique was first learned about by spraying the suckers and weeds growing around the bases of grapevines.  Avoid all vinegar products made from glacial acetic acid. Recently I had the opportunity to test this formula.  The weeds and grass were winning the war in and around my garden, and I needed to up the ante.   This shows my open garden gate and the grass on both sides.  Inside the gate, the grass is dead and brown.  Just a few inches outside the gate, the grass is green and verdant.  The brown grass was JUST AS GREEN as the green grass before I sprayed it.   The result after one day is clear.  Everything I sprayed is dead or dying.  Don't get this stuff on your good plants, because it KILLS ALL PLANTS, good and bad.  For effectiveness and quick results, I give it an A+! See the line where the color changes from green to brown?  The spray killed the grass and turned it brown in ONE DAY!

This shows the same area on Day Two.  Brown vs. green, pretty thorough weed and grass killer.  I should mention that there are all kinds of weeds and grasses in the yard and garden.

 This is the same area on Day Three.  I am satisfied that the safer and better than Roundup herbicide works very, very well.  

 This is the same area on Day Four.  The results are striking.  The unsprayed area is green.  The area sprayed with the herbicide mixture is brown.

Please remember to mix the recipe well before spraying and saturate the weeds and grasses you want to kill.  Don't get it on your garden plants because it kills all plants, good or bad ones.  Never use apple cider vinegar and never use 5% vinegar.  Only use 10% or 20% white vinegar, and don't add any water.  Use it on dry weeds and grasses only.  If you water or if it rains right before or after spraying, then it won't work well.  It works best on a warm to hot day.

You will need to re-apply whenever you see your grass and weeds re-emerge.

Happy spraying and enjoy this safer than Roundup herbicide.  I am so happy to share it with you! 

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Neighborhood Donkeys

In our neighborhood, four-legged neighbors outnumber actual people by quite a margin. There is no Homeowners Association.  The dozen or so residences here are set on plots of land that measures in acres instead of lots.  A few of my favorite neighbors came to the fence for a visit today.

Donkey in a field of Indian Blankets

On any given morning or evening, you might hear one of the neighbors call to another, " Hee haw, hee haw."  We know their voices well.

Grey and Brown Donkeys in the field.

What is special about your neighborhood?  What sounds do you hear often?

Donkey at the fence line.

What is the view from your window?  Taking these photos today gave me a better perspective about where I live.  Sometimes we forget how blessed we are.  My home isn't perfect.  It needs a lot of work.  What a blessing.  I have a home!  It offers lots of future potential blog topics about home repairs!

Donkey gathering.

The neighborhood of my childhood was in Temple, OK. Neighbors visited each other along fence lines and at kitchen tables.  Mom and Dad enjoyed regularly scheduled domino games with a group of neighbors.  It was friendly and familiar.  Do your neighbors get together for leisurely activities? 

Camera shy donkey.

As the camera comes out, someone is bound to protest or silently turn and walk away. There are all kinds of personalities in the neighborhood.  A handful are happy to pose and smile, while others prefer to go unnoticed.

Donkeys and wagon wheel.

Every group has a leader.  I was able to get more photos of this cute little donkey than all the others put together.  If he isn't the leader, he is certainly the most curious or sociable towards people.

Donkey grazing through fence.

He is looking for the greener grass on the other side of the fence.

Papa's wagon wheel flower pot and donkeys.

Papa attached this old iron cauldron to a pair of wagon wheels on an axle to and turned it into a flower pot for Nanny about fifty years ago. HUBBY just planted a day lily in it for me.

Adorable donkey face.

What a face, I love his mug!  Taking these photos of him was so much fun.  Looks like he enjoyed the attention just a little bit, too.

Handsome grey donkey.

I wish you could see the grey fellow better.  He is the most handsome donkey in the entire little group.

Just a nibble from the other side of the fence.

Is the grass greener on the other side of the fence?  Should we get to know our neighbors?  Do you just want to hug his neck and give him a nice scratch behind his ears?  What do you hear and see in your neighborhood?  I love to read your comments.  If you have photos of your neighborhood, please share!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know my neighbors.  Have a great day!

Mother's Day Memories and Corsage Tutorial

Honoring Mom

 

In honor of Mother's Day, I propose that we do something to honor our Mothers. I am changing my facebook profile photo to this one of my Mother from now till after Mother's Day.

Mom, Christmastime, 1973

 

Also, I've recently spent time on Family History work.  She would be thrilled, and probably flabbergasted, about that one.  As mentioned in a previous post, I spoke to the Johnson County Genealogical Society about using facebook and other social media as a way to promote their endeavors.  One post wasn't enough.  My excitement about the recent release of the 1940 U.S. Census led to a follow-up post, too.

For many years, a Mother's Day tradition was observed in our family.  We all went to church together, and  we all wore corsages or boutonnieres.  The corsages and boutonnieres were special.  They were always made from carnations.  A red carnation was worn by everyone whose Mother was still living on this earth.  If she lived in Heaven, then it was tradition to wear a white carnation.

I remember one Mother's Day when the kids were young.  I bought silk carnations, floral tape, and chenille stems.  Mom came to visit for the whole weekend.  We stayed up most of the night Saturday night making boutonnieres and corsages.

For the last ten Mother's Days, I have been eligible for the white carnation corsage.  If you're blessed to be a candidate for the red carnation, I hope you can spend some quality time with your Mom on her special day.  

Dollar Store Corsage

My dollar store was sold out of carnations, but how about a white dollar store orchid corsage?

Want to make one?  Check out the Candy Box Tutorial.  Follow directions exactly, just use a pin to wear it and don't worry about the candy container. 

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