legalities of home made weed killer

[NGF]

would any body know if it is illegal to make your own weed killer.

from food condiments and dish washer liquid

[vivandorron]

I don't think so. Perhaps you should re-post your question in the Law Section of AB and get a Legal Eagle's opinion.

Anyway, what's your recipe for me to try; I'll chance it in my garden if it's cheaper to make than buying overpriced marketed weed killer...........Ron

[Zen]

You can make a homemade weed killer using white vinegar, salt and dishwashing liquid. Most people call this a weed killer, but it is actually a vegetation killer. It will kill anything it comes in contact with and will change the composition of your soil. Spray it on your lawn and it will kill the entire lawn and you will not be able to plant new grass for sometime. The same is true in your garden. You will not be able to plant where you spray it for several months. So before you do it, think twice. Mix a gallon of white vinegar with a cup of table salt and 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. The dishwashing liquid makes the solution stick to the plant leaves. Make sure you shake the solution to dissolve the salt

Keep in mind that many plants have already dropped their seeds, so the weeds are going to come back. The best solution to eradicate weeds is spend the time to pull them out when they first appear for several years and use the solution to spot kill weeds in a garden but not a lawn.

[NGF]

VIVIANDOREEN

Here is the recipe;I WAS GIVEN

1 litre of boiling water (hot tap water
will also work but not
quite as well)

5 tablespoons vinegar

6 tablespoons salt (regular table salt)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons dishwasher(machine) detergent

to make a gallon multiply by 4
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Explanations


Natural Weed Killers are simple substances with a direct and
obvious action. They destroy plant life for a short period.
They are substances encountered naturally but in small
quantities. Their presence is well-known and normally not
harmful. But when applied in larger doses the results are
usually obvious in a very short time.

As always these methods need due caution. But they act at
the point they are used. After treatment their damaging
effect is dissipated.


Artificial Weed Killers (Herbicides)
These are more complex 'man-made' materials with indirect
and subtle activity. They have no natural occurrence. They
effect the biochemical processes of growing plants from
within. Examples of these are 2 4 D, Atrazine, Glyphosate,
Clopyralid. They may be described as organic by chemists,
but are banned in organic gardening.
As they are not produced naturally, organisms are not
adapted to their presence and we do not know the full
effects of releasing them into the environment

[vivandorron]

Thanks for the interesting info. The ingredients are simillar in both your recipe and that given by Zen; although Zen's does have a lot of vinegar, which could make it quite expensive to produce. However, bearing in mind the need to watch where one applies the weedkiller, I think it could be ideal for application to weeds which grow in the chippings of my garden paths.

Best wishes........Ron

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