A lot of birds visit my garden, along with butterflies and bees and I don’t like to use toxic products, I have been using Roundup in the areas away from creatures but that has made weeds a problem – I usually let them grow and pull them out (or leave them), one is tedious and the other untidy. Non-toxic has to be the answer.
I researched this and the main ingredients seem to be; Salt, white vinegar and dishwashing liquid.

The recipes vary, so I just tried different mixtures and it doesn’t seem to matter much – probably more is best.
The rules seem to be that the vinegar and salt are the killers and the dishwashing liquid is the accomplice because it helps the mixture cling to the weeds.
The mix is lots of salt and vinegar and a cup or so of liquid. The result is amazing, this gravelled area was smothered in weeds just a week or so after weeding but I sprayed this area two months ago and not a weed.

The downside, if there is one, is that nothing will ever grow where salt is used and that’s fine by me where I’m using it, I don’t intend to dig it up and plant it out, just buy fresh gravel, this lot has been down for 20 years.

Other ready-made products are Bioweed and Nature’s Way, the names sound ‘green’. I haven’t been able to buy Bioweed locally but Nature’s Way is excellent for killing encroaching runners from the Buffalo lawn into the garden beds, just a squirt (being careful not to hit the plants) and it dies back overnight and it doesn’t kill the soil like the other mix.

The label doesn’t list the contents but their blurb is this;
“Yates Nature’s Way offers a full range of products that are certified for use in organic gardening (by Australian Certified Organic) and help control common garden insect pests.  All our products are made from natural ingredients such as plant extracts, oils and beneficial bacteria to achieve a healthier and safer growing environment.  And just because we are organic doesn’t mean we are soft on the pests”. 

I suppose it’s an oxymoron to call them non-toxic when these products are toxic to weeds but they are only bad for plants, not animals or insects, so that’s ‘good toxic’.

The animals are happy, and that means I’m happy, so all is good.
No gardening today, it’s raining, I bought a new edging gadget that I’m eager to try.
Stay safe and well,
Will.