A question about the safety of Roundup & other weed killers.

Vinegar works on young plants, repeated applications may be effective on mature plants.
http://landscaping.about.com/od/weedsdiseases/qt/vinegar_weeds.htm

I find mulching or covering is the best alternative weed killer. cut the plants to be killed back to the ground and cover with heavy cardboard or black plastic. Seal around the edges with soil or bricks to sop the plastic blowing away. clear plastic can be used as well.
Often dealing with weeds is determined by the style of weed.

Vinegar. I will try that!

Trying to read along while cooking at the same time. I have some questions, but later, by the looks of things ...

While I confess to having resorted to chemicals a time or two, I typically use boiling water to control weeds.

Rodeo is primarily glyphosate under a license agreement. It also contains a teeny bit of paraquat,. Not only will it **** your genes, itll burn your lungs .


The AMish use a concentrated vinegar (A mix of photographic grade acetic acid and a bit of water). I tried it and , while it works a bit, it isnt really as "long lasting" as my flame thrower.

OK, Roundup (& any related weedkillers) remains firmly OUT. (So much for the advertising claim that glyphosate readily "breaks down naturally" & is "harmless". )

A few comments & also some questions if I may:

Boomerang, I've also used boiling water to kill stubborn, between-the-bricks weeds in my side footpath. Impossible to remove any other way, once established.

A number of you mentioned using vinegar as a weedkiller. Could I ask for a bit more detail about how you actually use it? Ordinary household vinegar? Diluted with water? If so, what ratio of vinegar to water? I'm also concerned about "accidentally" killing off neighbouring plants (which aren't weeds) in the process.

Also, a question about controlling moths & grubs on tomatoes. (I know the thread is about weed control, but I thought, while I have you gardening folks' attention, I'd ask anyway. ). What do you use on your tomato plants to control these pests? I'd prefer not to use the "tomato dust" commonly used here ( ) on anything I intend to eat. So I don't anymore, but sometimes end up with some unfortunate leaf & fruit damage.

Rose bushes. Any good non-poisonous suggestions for controlling aphids & other bugs? I've used a mixture of water, a little cooking oil & a drop of Eucalyptus washing liquid, diluted with plenty of water, as a bug spray in the past. That's worked pretty well, on a short-term basis, but I was wondering if you have any better suggestions.

hey fm, I got a old tractor that is part of next year's plan. I don't really have weed control problems, but I do fancy building a flamethrower.

any chance of a drawing or picture for a budding country pyromaniac?

30 lb propane bottle and a farm supply place for the hose and burner (usually called a "weed burner")

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008ZA0F/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001NDK8C8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0C0J47ARFCEVMXFTYVFF

Rose bushes.
use white oil, available at all good nurseries.
You can try soapy water. Mix a squirt of dishwasing liquid in warm water spray onto rose bushes.
Both the above are contact sprays essentially they must contact the bug to kill it. both work in the same way. Most insects breathe through their skin. coating the skin will stop them breathing. Detergent and white oil do this effectivly however repeated applications will be needed to control those critters you do not hit each time. in addition its impossible to get the crittters on the underside of every leaf.
The best you can hope for is reduction in numbers but thats Ok as it is only really large numbers of critters that do extensive damage.

Also, a question about controlling moths & grubs on tomatoes.
I use crop rotation
I dont use anything else. If critters damage too much fruit one year I just dont plant tomatoes in that area for a year or so.

yeah, I never agree with dadpad but every now and then he's right on.

Now, a request for suggestions to control my very worst invasive weed. I'm really sorry, but I can't give you the actual name of this weed. (we nearly went nuts on one of the gardening threads here, quite a while back, trying to identify it, but to no avail.)

Let me describe it for you & at least you'll get the gist of the type of plant & the extent of the problem. (I hope.) It's an extremely fast growing, strong vine (particularly in the warmer months of the year), with rounded, almost heart-shaped leaves. It ruthlessly winds itself around whatever is available (trellis, native shrubs whatever ..) in the most parasitic way! It has a pretty white-ish flowers ( It's not flowering at the moment. But white, with a just little bit of pink/mauve colouring, as best I recall. ) It produces "knobbly", quite heavy for size, rounded "fruit. When the stem (or the fruit) is broken, it exudes a white, milky liquid which can induce major itches. (As I found out, the first time I struggled with it. Gloves are absolutely essential if you are going to grapple with this beast!) Anyway, it is a shocking pest. It grows like crazy in summer, spreads to other parts of my garden nowhere near it & has an extremely strong root system. And can be found all over my suburb. I suspect it plans to take the suburb over!

So, gardening folk, even if we can't identify this triffid-like pest, what, if any are you suggestions for controlling it? Sadly, I suspect eradicating it altogether may well be a bit of a pipe dream. Sigh.

Thanks, dadpad & dys.

I grow my (cherry) tomatoes in a couple of humongous pots. (Not enough space in the yard. The garden is too established now to fit them in.) But still get the odd bit of plant & leave damage.

Yes, I use the (homemade) detergent & oil spray already on my rose bushes.

like this?

In addition you could try importing ladybird beetles. Ask at CERES Nursery
or check Ebay. please ensure you use only an Australian supplier

and they will fly away home within 48 hours.

The leaves are more "rounded", heart-shaped, almost, than quite so pointy, dys.
The knobbly "fruit" is unmistakable.
Thanks for trying to identify the beast, though. Many have tried (on another A2K thread, ages ago) & lost their marbles in the process!

Ha, I'm thinking this beast should be torched!
It may be the only way!
I hate it, it is SO invasive!!!

Ladybirds!

I like that idea!

Again I'd suggest taking some of your creeper down to CERES or to another nursery somewhere and asking.