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 Post subject: Winter weed control
PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 8:22 am 
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Location: Dallas, Texas
I caught a part of HG's show on Sat and he talked about applying a vinegar/orange oil spray between Christmas and New Years to prevent germination of certain kinds of weed seeds - dandelion was one of them. This is the first time I've heard of this - but I'm interested in trying anything that will organically prevent weeds and improve my lawn. What was the organic formula HG discussed? I believe he recommended application with a hose end sprayer.


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 10:04 am 
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The formula is the basic organic herbicide that we use all year long. Take 1 gal of 10% vinegar and add 1oz of orange oil and 1 oz of liquid soap which helps the other liquids stick to the surface. Do this on a sunny day for best results.
What you are doing is taking advantage of the burning effect vinegar has on leaf surfaces, while they are very young and tender. It won't hurt the grass because it's dormant. You apply it with a tank sprayer directly on the entire yard. Do not dilute it with a hose end sprayer.
Tony M


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 Post subject: When??
PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 3:04 pm 
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I heard Howard's winter vinegar weed kill solution also.

Did he say to apply the solution between Xmas and New Years Day?

Larry


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:42 pm 
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There isn't a "window" for applying this solution. It is a contact herbicide, so I would be selective in where and what I sprayed. As Tony M noted, a nice sunny (warm/hot) day may provide optimum results, however I have had decent results on an overcast day, though the temps were warm. Applying before a rain or immediately after a rain may result in poor results.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 1:25 pm 
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Since your surface grass will be "dead" by that time in North Texas, you really don't have to be too selective. It won't kill dormant St. Aug, for example.

I experimented w/ this on my own last spring -- before Howard was spreading this idea -- when the poa annua was really bad and the St. Aug was greening up. I used liquid molasses instead of soap for the surfactant so I would be applying something nutritious at the same time for the soil. Then I BLASTED all the poa and certainly hit some greening St. Aug at the same time. Within a week the poa was gone and within 10 days any "browned" St. Aug was heading back to green again.

Good luck!

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 Post subject: spraying
PostPosted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 11:14 am 
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Pleasae make sure your grass IS dormant. There should not be any green showing if there is wait you can damage the grass.

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 Post subject: Re: spraying
PostPosted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:15 pm 
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Sanger General Store and wrote:
Pleasae make sure your grass IS dormant. There should not be any green showing if there is wait you can damage the grass.

Which will be brown anyway in another 2 weeks. It will not kill a healthy lawn at this time of year unless one is talking dumping gallons on the thing. :wink:

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 Post subject: Weeds
PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:16 am 
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Could someone tell me how many square feet 1 gallon of the mixture will cover?

Donna


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2005 9:20 pm 
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Although his radio show is limited in its coverage, don't forget this forum is more global. Our St Augustine down here in San Antonio is not dormant (yet). We can't go out spraying vinegar willy-nilly.

As for coverage, use it full strength as a light mist. How much that covers will vary with your ability to control the spray.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:44 pm 
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The 10 - 20% organic vinegars sold as herbicides at many local stores selling organic supplices is expensive. I've seen 10%-20% vinegar selling for over $15/gal. I've heeded the advice of another thread on here, and have purchased a few gallons of 9% "pickeling" vinegar at HEB for $2.50/gal. HEB is not in the DFW area, however, I do see them often when traveling around the state, south of DFW.
With my pickeling vinegar mixed with orange oil and molasses I've spot treated the green weeds in my yard on dry, cool sunny days. Most of my yard is dormant now since we've had several nights of "hard" freezes. For me, one gallon of the vinegar is not good enough for spot treatment. But I do some, then move on until all of the solution is gone. I don't see a need to spray dormant weeds. I've gone through 3 gallons of vinegar in less than 2 months. I'm hoping to reap benefits when the augustine grass greens up in spring.
Overall I think the solution works OK. It definitely does a better job on sunny days. However, at only 9% I don't think it is strong enough to kill every weed without repeated treatments, but does a decent job on most of them in a single treatment (as long as it doesn't rain).


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 4:49 pm 
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Dchall_San_Antonio wrote:
Although his radio show is limited in its coverage, don't forget this forum is more global. Our St Augustine down here in San Antonio is not dormant (yet). We can't go out spraying vinegar willy-nilly.

As for coverage, use it full strength as a light mist. How much that covers will vary with your ability to control the spray.


Actually, you can hear the radio show anywhere in the world if you have internet access. www.WBAP.com -- "Listen Live"

You are certainly correct about the surrounding grasses needing to be dormant. You would not want to spray on grass that has any green on it.

My definition of "Weeds": things growing in your yard that you do not want. Nature has a reason for growing things in certain places. It could be that the soil is too bare or because it lacks in some nutrient.

Some plants that are considered by some people to be "weeds" are actually very pretty and some are very useful... For example: Dandelions have long roots. This helps the ground to absorb more water.

I let dandelions grow in some parts of my yard last year and they became host plants for aphids. They were covered in them! This attracted ladybugs. I must have fed millions!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 10:22 pm 
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A minor follow-up, Nadine...

In springtime, on a healthy lawn, a 10% vinegar overspray on grass such as St. Aug -- and I'm guessing Bermuda too -- will only stunt it for a week at most. It will kill the target "weed" and the grass will be bouncing back before you know it.

2 years and counting with this method! :wink:

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