The above link leads to an article about using white vinegar for weed control rather than Monsanto’s toxic Round-Up products.  It’s a good read.

It is the high acidity of the vinegar that kills off the plants, and this means ALL plants that it gets on.  So, don’t spray this in your garden with even a slight breeze or you may kill your veggies!

Typical vinegar acid levels (acetic acid content) is around 5%.  For the most effective weed control 10-20% concentrations are used, but this level can be harmful and even cause burns!

In my mind, being a “freegan” and a DIY experimenter, a high acid, home brewed apple cider vinegar is the perfect solution!  So, here it is…

If you don’t grow apples at your place, make a deal with a local orchard to pick up their deadfall apples, or offer to take the “bad” apples from the local supermarkets.

The quick and dirty method or steps are to wash the apples well, core them (you don’t have to peel them, cut them into small pieces, and chop them into finer bits with a food processor.  Now they’re ready for the press.

If you don’t have a press, access to one, or can buy one right now, the alternative is to put your finely chopped apple into a muslin bag and either let it drip drain into a pan, or just squeeze the juice out through the bag by hand.

Once you have the amount of juice you want, or your hands cramp, put the juice in an jar with a muslin cloth over the opening.  You can keep it in place with a rubber band.  Put the jar in the back of a dark cupboard for a few days to a week until you get a faint cider odor, then you could refrigerate it or on to making weed killer!

To turn your cider into vinegar is even simpler than making the cider to begin with.  Just take your jar, jug, or bucket of cider and transfer it to a clean container (but not plastic) and cover it with a fresh muslin cloth.  Set this in a dark cool place for about 3 months until you begin to smell a distinct vinegar odor.  It’s ready to use!

If you’re in a hurry, add about a tablespoon of bakers yeast per gallon, and cap the jar, bottle, etc., with a brewers valve or fermenting cap.  This method only takes about a month, but you really have to watch that valve so the whole thing doesn’t explode!

Voila! You now have home made Weed Killer!  Enjoy.

~ Stoney

The clover is all over and I am now wondering how to get rid of it. The sad part is that the clover doesn’t seem so bad. It seems to have created a lush carpet-like surface in the middle of the lawn. Dare I say I actually like the invading clover? I am sure this is blasphemy for those who pride themselves on a weed-free, lush, green lawn.

As much as I like the clover, I doubt that it can survive the 115 degree heat of summer here in Arizona. So my clover enjoyment is fleeting. Should I kill the clover with some herbicide weed killer? I almost don’t have the heart. Can’t I just let the blazing summer heat do the job for me? Should I let nature take its course? It may come July and I will have a large brown patch of dirt where the clover once was. Either way, I am confident the clover will disappear.

Funny how sometimes things that we don’t like (clover on the lawn) we can actually grow to enjoy and we hate to see them go. The invader becomes loved. The annoyance grows on us, literally.

I will be happy to have all the other types of weeds disappear over the next few weeks as the weather heats up, but I will definitely miss the clover. Maybe it will return next spring because as much as it annoys me, I love it.

I thought I’d call this one Cloud 9.  I haven’t a clue what Cloud 9 should look like but I rather suspect it would be big!  And this was big. Huge!  I cropped out most of the field (the weed killer had done its job and left everything brown) to concentrate on the sky.  It was one of those Dick Enberg moments…..”Oh My”!  See you next time on most of this same site.

Oxalis is hard to control because it spreads through seeds, bulblettes, and roots. Often, it takes more than an entire season to control oxalis, with regular treatments necessary. Simply pulling up this weed from the lawn will not do the trick; oxalis will grow back and you’ll have the same problem. However, a strong weed killer will help eliminate this pesky weed.

To learn more about how to eliminate this persistent weed from your lawn, contact Ferta-Lawn to speak with a lawn technician.

Temptation is practical this application.

See him there at convenience store

Not for coffee, not for porn

He is kill what is never to be born.

See him at the law office

Especially close to the counselor’s Mercedes

Cancer and law and agonizing grueling death

Makes good friends to old men and raggedly poor children.

He appears as a moon apparition

The last man on the moon,

Without his visored helmet

A wand of death magic

Paltry and foul the near rotting potato

Smell of chemicals burned and brewed

In such chemical industry and now applied so well

At law office.

Until I started work for a large commercial landscape company in Santa Rosa, CA I had primarily worked as a small home gardener, designing, installing , and repairing relatively simple landscape systems. After several years of small and medium sized garden center management I had many landscape skills down pat by then. My plan was to learn as much as I could about large, commercial procedures because I loved work with plants and word of mouth garnered me new jobs regularly. I had a bright future as a horticulturalist.

One of my duties as a crew leader for Redwood Landscaping was to eradicate weeds. We employed several methods to destroy these unwanted specimens, including the spraying of Round Up. My supervisor, who later lost a couple fingers to a gas powered hedge trimmer, instructed me on how to mix and use Round Up.

First, I put water into the five gallon backpack sprayer tank (dedicated for Round Up) until near the fill line, then I put in the recommended dose of Round Up for five gallons of water. Then, I topped off the tank with more water, screwed the lid on (it has a hole in the top which functions as part of the pump control), rocked the tank back and forth several times, perhaps five or six times, and proceeded to put the tank on my back. All per my supervisor’s instructions. I wore no protective clothing of any kind and was not instructed to do so, other than to use rubber gloves during the mixing procedure.

I had been instructed to do the procedure on my knees and when the solution splashed onto my low neck and upper back as the tank settled on my shoulders and back, I looked up to my supervisor and said It just splashed on my back. His response was Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.

For several weeks, I walked around job sites with the solution splashing on my body, told my bosses I didn’t like that, they didn’t offer protective clothing, and said Design a system to divert it away from your body. Word.

My job was complex and the combination of all my duties required I spend no time outside of routine duties if I wanted to stay on schedule. I desired to be a model employee, but I had no time to learn mechanical engineering and one day, after about three weeks or so of the solution splashing on me, my hands “gave out” and I had to stop work and report the incident to my boss on site. He sent me to a Dr. not far away who said It looks like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CT). For several years, every test I performed for CT evidenced no CT. Results were always negative and I walked out of Dr. Offices with pain in my arms after they sent electrical shocks up my arms (CT test procedure). Drs. said it shouldn’t hurt as much or for as long as I reported.

The moment at which I became aware that something was wrong with my body was while using a large, 36” or 48”, commercial mower in a relatively new landscape (the trees were small, perhaps 1.5+/-” in diameter and few more than six feet tall). The swath of grass I was cutting was broken up by many young trees and I was headed straight for one when my hands began bothering me with huge electrical shocks up and down my forearms and through my hands. I suddenly lost considerable strength in my hands and could not turn the machine by using the brakes as required operationally. I was quickly approaching one tree and had to pull the machine back with my upper shoulder muscles to slow the machine (check its speed) and used my right hand to slap the power switch off while holding as tight as I could with my left hand on the left handle. The first Dr. I saw told me to go home, rest for a week then go back to work with limited duty specific to CT and my hands.

That weekend my body kind of convulsed into a large whole system bronchial illness. One week off work lapsed into years with much time out due to ongoing issues with my hands and various health issues like multiple sinus infections, easily acquired staph infections, pain in my arms as I lay them on counter tops, hard edges as are on car windows, any place one might rest their arms, constant tingling in my arms, electrical shooting through my hands and arms. And I was so tired most of the time. Work was sparse and I was never able to continue due to issues with my hands and health. My body’s immune and neurological systems were seriously knocked back. It wasn’t until 1987, nearly 12 months later, that I learned the cause of my malady.

I had thought that maybe I contracted HIV and tested in 1987 (and for many years later), prior to reading an article in The Progressive magazine about Round Up and its impact on agricultural workers and others. Upon reading the article by Anthony Kimery, I realized I had been poisoned by Round Up and began herbal cleansing regimens. I ate as much organic food as I could afford and primarily cut breads, dairy, sugar and meat out of my diet. I found a Dr. In Arcata, CA who had just returned from the UK after studying homeopathy. Herbal healing was his specialty. He listened to my concerns and, after researching the issues, prescribed extract of Hypericum for one week, then a second week as improvements evidenced and no negative side effects occurred. The result I felt was cessation of the tingling in my arms and over years the sensitivity in my arms essentially dissolved. My health improved with years of care towards my diet and regular but infrequent internal cleansings. I also used epsom salt baths regularly. I was able to return to work in 1990, but not in any normal capacity in horticultural pursuits. That was essentially over for me, though I have worked in that realm since, for short periods.

Today, I have a small bump in my right breast. I have not yet been able to afford a specialized Dr. examination, but am daily taking hefty quantities of cayenne, turmeric, cinnamon, curry, and cumin. I try to do onion and garlic at least four times each week. The foods I acquire are locally grown and very fresh.  My diet is much healthier than what I would be able to experience in the USA due to costs and product quality (healthiness).

I used to have my blood checked to watch for any signs of cancer, but have not been able to see medical professionals for any health reason for some time and have not tested my blood in more than ten years now.

I don’t know what more I am capable of doing to remain well without more resources to access medical services, but I am very glad that people are rising up against Monsanto. Thank you. You should know, the most important thing I learned from the process of working through the impacts of my exposures was that as of 1994, Round Up’s inert ingredients had included a very toxic chemical component, POEA (polyoxyethylene alkylamine). I sent detailed letters to federal legislators, media outlets, and agency personnel which included evidence provided by the Washington State head of Toxicology in Seattle (1991) specific to the toxic nature of one of Round Up’s inert ingredients.

There was no care taken in testing the safety of Round Up en todo. In fact, a slough of research studies done by IBT for Monsanto to get approval from the EPA were found to have been done fraudulently and were not caused to be repeated. They were “dumped.” The dumped data and research reports included neurological and immunological studies. Go figure. Round Up should never have been put on the shelves for consumers to procure, but the Environmental Protection Agency allowed it while being knowledgable of its lack of honest data and criminal activities that occurred during testing.

Following is a letter I sent to President Obama on my experience.

10 October 2010

Dear President Obama,

As a former elected official I have learned that due process is an extremely valuable tool when faced with complex situations requiring the attention of government agencies and officials. I am writing today because while I appreciate your plea for supporters to rally around in support of democratic choices in upcoming elections, I have to acknowledge to you that it no longer matters to me. The actions of others, the masses and mass media, have long been a disappointment to me. Having grown up with the founder of Project Censored, represented community members politically, and having dealt with several serious disabilities, I find I have little energy for anything beyond fulfilling my primary needs.

I would like to ask your indulgence on one issue that gnaws at me. Corporate and government responsibility.

Monsanto corporation has produced toxins not fit for our ecology or our bodies. I know this from personal experience (exposures in 1986) and through reading investigative reports and scientific research on the herbicide RoundUp and genetic modification practices (including insidious lawsuits by Monsanto against farmers surrounding their patented crops). We know, scientifically, that organic methods out-perform chemically driven, large-scale agricultural practices. Crops are less susceptible to disease and other failures of mono-cropping when managed through naturally engineered practices (e.g. Permaculture). People and other critters are not bombarded with chemicals when in the midst of organic practitioners. End users, consumers, are not subjected to toxins when eating organic produce.

Personally, I think its a “no brainer” when contemplating what works and what doesn’t in the case of big business versus the people. What I wish to ask of you is that the federal government put more emphasis on honest social transactions by publicly exploring the pros and cons of toxic industries and sustainable societal paradigms.

What I mean by this is the United States EPA ought recognize their role in our health and call out Monsanto for their detrimental impacts on society. Time for accepting responsibility passed sometime after Anthony Kimery’s expose on RoundUp’s effects on agricultural workers and one person in particular, Eduardo Neaves from Coral Gables, FL.

Eduardo swam in a canal which was found to have four times the recommended dosage rate of Round Up in the canal. He became a quadraplegic after swimming in that canal. While living in Florida, I attempted to find out if Eduardo was still around and how he was. I had no luck finding him. But, I think it behooves America to know what happened to that young man and to create a pattern of responsible actions by caring about those who’ve been harmed, such as Eduardo, myself, and probably tens of thousands of others (homeowners, their children, agricultural workers, those who pass by or into sprayed areas).

Had I been the one poisoning the canal Eduardo swam in, I’m sure I’d have faced certain terms such as jail and hefty fines. But, because Monsanto is thoroughly represented by lobbyists, money, and lawyers, there is no justice, hence no responsibility for harmful actions of mega corporations. Corporate law should not be allowed to protect criminals. In my book it is criminal to do harm to others for profit.

In an attempt to understand my situation, I contacted the EPA recently and in the past with no response. In contrast, I contacted a researcher in France several weeks ago about his studies on RoundUp and we will be discussing my case this week [I have not followed through and contacted him, to date]. While his work primarily focusses on endocrine disruption and the impacts on female reproductivity, there is evidence that the toxic ingredient in the inert ingredients has other impacts on human neurology and immunology. Direct exposure by drinking it has killed people.

Why is the USEPA not responding to my query? Why does Monsanto luxuriate in huge profits while causing harm to all of us though their insidious use and production of toxic chemicals and potentially catastrophic farming practices and bio-engineering? These are questions I have entertained for some time. After I learned that it was a toxic ingredient in RoundUp that caused my health issues, in 1991 I sent more than a dozen letters with scientific evidence to US agencies, politicians, and news outlets. My letter was printed in several publications. I have received no responses to date.

So, as you might now understand, I am truly uncaring about political activities since there are no consistent signs of responsibility toward the public by either politicians or corporations. I appreciate your plea for support, but I am pretty wrapped in my disabled life – still trying to wrap my head  around what it means to make $934/month on SSDI.

Please tell me, what will you do to protect us from harmful corporations and to help us recover from their direct and negative impacts on our lives? I’d like medical insurance at no cost and my student loans wiped out. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Ultimately, though, I’d like to see all corporations and entities be stripped of whatever laws allow them to do harm and profit from the suffering of others (this includes Wall Street, BP, Monsanto, etc.).

I think if you let go of your responsibility to corporations, political thugs, and war mongers, there’d be more than enough tax money to take care of our social needs, such as medical care, education, job creation, and incentives to bring jobs back to the USA.

Good luck, sir.

Pia C. Jensen

N.B. I made a couple edits for clarification so this letter does not exactly match the original but the intent and import remain the same. PCJ Tuesday., March 10, 2012.

References:

Study Shows Monsanto Roundup Herbicide Link to Birth Defects http://www.engdahl.oilgeopolitics.net/GMO/Roundup_Study/roundup_study.html

Research: Roundup Diluted by 450-Fold is Still Toxic to DNA http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241613-Research-Roundup-Diluted-by-450-Fold-is-Still-Toxic-to-DNA

POEA (polyoxyethylene alkylamine) PDF from:
Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific www. panap.net

Black medic seeds germinate at temperatures between 50 to 75 degrees, both in spring and fall. Flowering can occur approximately 6 weeks after the seedlings emerge in the spring, and will continue throughout the growing season.

The best way to eliminate black medic from your lawn or garden is prevention. Start the spring off with a pre-emergent application, stopping the seeds from growing in your lawn before it becomes a problem. If, however, you forget to apply the pre-emergent to your lawn in the spring, regular blanket fertilizer applications will eliminate this weed.

To learn more about this weed or how to eliminate it from your lawn, call Ferta-Lawn to speak with a lawn technician. Or, click HERE to read more about black medic from Utah State University.

We were able to apply fertilizer and weed killer to about 400 acres of bermuda grass before a nice quarter-inch rain.

struggle to get it to cure in late April, which has me wondering what will happen laying it down this early.  We saved 160 acres to lay down for hay this spring and have decided to monitor it and let it remain standing until it starts losing leaves.  It’s not “normal” but nothing has seemed “normal” for the past 18 months.  We’re going to hay 480 acres of wheat, which will probably be earlier than usual too.  I’ll keep you posted as that gets closer.

We started fertilizing and applying weed killer to our bermuda grass.  We have about 1,000 acres to get over and we covered 400 acres before the nice quarter inch rain this morning.  We should finish up this week.  We hire an aerial sprayer to apply weed killer to

Our son, Clayton, filling the fence row sprayer.

our native pastures.  I turned in the acres yesterday, so they should get started soon. Clayton finished up our fence row spraying to keep the feral rye from getting a foothold on the edge of our wheat fields.

Cari and I went to a bull sale, B&D Herefords, on a ranch near Claflin, KS, last Tuesday.  It is our third year to buy bulls there.  We bought 3, two-year-old bulls, which they delivered to our farm.  We branded, ear tagged, and turned them out with a herd of 40 Angus cows the next day.  Pictured

Our son, Wade, and a friend move cattle to another pasture.

with one of the new bulls is a half Hereford, half Angus calf whose sire is one of the bulls we bought from B&D two years ago.  I really appreciate the good dispositions and genetics that Herefords bring to our herd.

Our heifers continue to calve daily.  We are all looking forward to them finishing up.

A hereford-cross calf out of one of the B&D bulls we bought last year.

The weather here has be so great recently it has been a pleasure to be outside pulling up weeds. At one point ( when my back felt like it was breaking) I thought ” why don’t I just get some weed killer and be done with it? ”  I then thought about the affect on our health and  the environment from the hundreds of gardens with people applying chemicals that seep into the ground water. So I looked into some other options on how to have a beautiful garden that is also kind to the planet . Here are some helpful points to consider when trying to create your own eco friendly garden:

• 1 – Avoid chemical fertilizers, pesticides and weed killers that are bad for your health and the wildlife. Instead use natural horse or chicken manure to fertilize. Use crushed eggs shells and used coffee grains to deter slugs and snails. I have heard copper coins around the beds stop them too but have yet to try that one myself! Consider attracting birds to the garden with feeders they may eat some of the insects. Do ensure you hang them high enough if you have cats. Domesticated cats are having devastating effects on the backyard songbird population.
• 2 – Welcome bugs in a natural “set aside” area of the garden. Many species are struggling to survive through lack of natural habitat. Our obsession to keep things cut back and tidy has meant many natural flowers and plants that are essential to certain species survival are now endangered. Its a great place for  kids to spot bugs too. You maybe be pleasantly surprised to see what plants grow there, you can of course buy wild flower seeds too.
• 3 – Conserve water. There is a good reason for water preservation orders, we use so much water in the dry summer months trying to keep our gardens green. Consider planting hardy plants that can survive with less water. Only water in the early hours or late evening to minimize water evaporation. Install rain barrels that catch the water from your drainpipes. Consider diverting the waste pipe from your bath to empty in your flower beds.
• 4 – R R R – Reuse, Recycle and Reduce. Purchase recycled or natural biodegradable containers you can plant seedlings straight into the ground from such as peat. Consider making planters from used reclaimed timber. Use local products to reduce their carbon footprint.
• 5 –  Make your own compost. Home composters made from recycled materials can be easily purchased. Add all your grass cuttings, trimmings, leaves and food scraps which also helps reduce landfill waste.
• 6 – Investigate your local area. Some areas provide free mulch from annual tree cutting services. Mulch helps replenish the soil, protect plants from frost and reduce weed growth.
• 7 – Use a weed barrier fabric to stop weeds coming up through in your flower beds eradicating the need for harmful herbicides.
• 8 – Grow your own organic vegetables. Its a great way to save money and eat healthy. Some plants such as runner beans actually release nitrogen naturally back into the soil from their root systems so can help improve soil quality if you rotate the flower beds each year.Even if you have a tiny garden or just window boxes you can grow herbs, lettuces and tomatoes and they taste so great fresh from the garden. Growing your own vegetables is also a great way to get kids active and involved and to get them to eat their greens!

See the links below for more ideas:

http://www.the-compost-gardener.com/composting-grass.html#axzz1r0YuTbBA

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/planting-a-window-box-container-garden.html

http://www.home-vegetablegarden.com/

LIFE

Such small words can have such valuable and vast meaning.  Which makes me wonder, just what is the meaning of life?   How does one define life?  It is as broad as the ocean is deep.  It has different meanings to us all, yet ultimately, it is the same.

Life began from one root-one tiny root.  Think about it.  Think how truly amazing this is.  ALL life.    Which means we are all the same…yet how come we are different?

Slowly that root managed to surrounded the earth.

 We are the same….yet different

Just as slowly as the root of life grows, our differences evolved.  The roots stretch out, destinations far apart.  Genes, like seeds within the roots, dropped along the way.  Separating themselves from the roots.  Evolving.  Changing.  The same, yet different.

Time

Another small word with great meaning.  Time is responsible for the differences in life.  The process of life did not occur over night.  The roots were allowed to grow, they were tended too.  They were watered and received adequate sunshine.  They had to be nurtured.  Time was needed.  It slowly ticked away as the roots spread.

Help

This small word frequently screams loudly in my bloodstream.  One of my roots wrapped around poison ivy.  It evolved and grew into a weed which is choking the stem of my life.  There is no weed killer designed to defeat it.  For now it gets plucked out by it roots with the hope it is all intact.  It gets sprayed with chemicals which are dangerous, highly toxic.  We spray the weeds with these chemicals, but can only hope it will work.

This weed is trying to choke the world.  Not just me.  The only thing we can do right now is to help each other out.  Give a smile and a pat on the back.   A card.  An embrace.  There are so many small gestures that can be done to let the root know you are there.  Let the root know it is loved.  These gestures help in the fight for life.  These gesture nurture the heart. How can we not help each other?  No matter what weed, flood or storm blows in, how can we not help someone in need?  We are all the same, yet different.

God

I can not end this piece without remembering the smallest word with the biggest meaning of all. For without His hand and His grace, the root would have never planted, never grown, never evolved and never existed.   He is what gives us hope.  The hope we need to carry with us when burdens are weighing us down.

by Renee Robinson

Common groundsel seeds germinate in mid-spring and in autumn, flowering 5-6 weeks after seedlings emerge. Approximately 5-11 days after flowering, most seeds are able to germinate immediately.

Groundsel can grow to heights of 6-18 inches tall, with mature leaves about 3/4 – 4 inches long and 1/4 – 1 3/4 inches wide. Veins on the underside of the leaves are usually cottony-hairy. Stems are often purplish in color. The flower head appears to look like a small dandelion.

This pesky weed grows easily in the lawn and garden, but is not difficult to eliminate, especially with a consistent application of weed killer. For best results, use a pre-emergent application in the early spring, continuing with a blanket application of weed killer throughout the year.

This is a great little shop in Clonakilty, with floor to ceiling shelves stocked with plastic things made in China!

The field behind our house a few days after being sprayed with ‘weed killer’.  Our water supply comes from the reservoir you can see as a green mound behind the tree in the field :-(

Chocolates for sale in the English Market, Cork.

Church of the Immaculate Conception, Clonakilty

Jasper the cat was interested in one of the books that the boys brought home from the library…

The Moon and Venus taken last night.

Greenfly be very afraid!

Weed killer can be rather expensive and unhealthy for your pets and children. Why would anyone spray harsh chemicals when you can just use cheap, safe alternatives? It’s a no-brainer. Just make it yourself!

Materials:

• An empty spray bottle. You can find these at any dollar store.
• Vinegar. The higher the acetic acid % is the better it will work.
• Salt. 1/2 cup should work for your average sized bottle. Add more for bigger bottles.
• Dish washing soap. You’ll just need a squirt.
• Funnel

1. Add salt to bottle using a funnel
2.  Then fill the rest of it with your choice  vinegar.
3. Lastly, add your soap and give it a good shake before attacking weeds.

Tips:

• Spray when the sun is shining bright for a quicker weed reaction!
• Though, this one can be tricky you can pour some boiling water on the weeds before spraying to help saturate the entire weed and root. BE CAREFUL ON THIS ONE! I would never attempt this one because I have a good amount of stairs on each side of my house.

This is a pretty bizarre story that has just hit the media. It involves a disfellowshipped Jehovah’s Witness who in revenge for his being thrown out of the 100 strong JW congregation took it upon himself to sneak into one of the church elders house and attempt to poison the entire family. He apparently injected glyphosate weed killer into food, milk and fruit juice cartons in the fridge of the victim who subsequently caught him in the act months later with a hidden camera.

The victim had suspected someone had been breaking into his house and tampering with his food whilst he and his family were at congregation, which spurred him using a covert camera at home.

All this occurred in Adelaide Australia of all places… The culprit had his house searched by police after being caught, who found hand guns, ammunition, two silencers and a Taser!?!?

One can only wonder why such a man was turfed out of his congregation haha. More info here.

 Recipe:  1 Gallon white vinegar + 1 oz. liquid dish soap.

http://pinterest.com/pin/179651472605568071/

If any of you have tried this remedy, feel free to leave a comment and let me know how it worked!

~Gerean

Want to know which is the best weed killer? Look no further as this article will help you with that! So read on!

Imagine your garden is looking great with beautiful dandelions and roses perhaps, ferns and the like. You go through the motions of gardening chores you have to do and are happy with the result. Your yard lawn is absolutely gorgeous. Then a few days pass and you see a small green growth which does not correspond to your lawn and you are astonished. After a close look, you go ‘arggghhh’! To your despair and annoyance, it is a weed growing, threatening to spoil your garden. Weed killer! You mumble to yourself. But which is the best one? The text to come will tell you about the best weed killer.

Best Grass Weed Killer

There are several categories of weed killers available in the market for weed control. There are these synthetic or chemical based ones, then there are natural weed killers like vinegar and there are herbicides. All of these work in their own way.

Synthetic or Chemical Based Weed Killers

Such lawn weed killers mostly come in the form of a spray. One such popular and effective weed killer is Round up. With Glyphosate isoproplymine salt as the active ingredient for killing the weed, this product is effective, but not without a catch.

First of all it has to be used very carefully and correctly. The second thing is that such type of weed killers cannot be expected to distinguish between weed and plants. So it can eliminate your plants as well. A foam or stream setting is available for this product for usage. Another such weed killer is Eliminator Dandelion & Clover Killer. This lawn weed control product also is used as a spray.

Herbicides

Apparently amongst the weed killers, this may be said to be the best weed killer amongst the categories of weed killers. The good part about them is that they can be selective as well, in addition to being non selective (sigh!). These weed killers nip the weeds in the bud, literally. What I mean is that these herbicides prevent the weed seeds from growing, in the dormant stage itself.

YES, the disadvantage is that they would not be effective once the weed starts growing. These are pre emergent herbicides. The post emergent herbicides can be used once the weeds start growing, but then they have to be used when the weeds are still growing and not when they are dry.

Natural Weed Killers

These are undoubtedly the best weed killers for lawns, the natural ones. These are vinegar, salt solution, boiling water, dish washing liquid and detergent. Further, you can check out the vinegar weed killer recipe for using vinegar as weed killer. Using this is economical as well as environment friendly.

Although this category is the best weed killer, care should be taken that you use it with discretion as they tend be non-selective. They will get rid of everything in their way, along with the weed. You can also think of adding sugar or molasses to the weeds. That will increase the level of micro organisms in the soil, killing weed in turn.

Apart from these there are a number of best weed killers in the market. You can know about them in the weed killer reviews available on the internet. A very important thing to remember when you are using a weed killer is to use gloves and other safety gear.

To know which one is the best weed killer for lawns, however will require a bit of research on the weed patterns. For instance, there are 3 types of weed, annual, biennial, or perennial.

Finally, if none of these seem to work, the best weed killer would be your hands! Just pull them out and get rid of the annoying weed! I sign off here! All the best for your weeding woes!

{Also find this article at The Truth Denied: From The Truth Denied: NWO’s Biological Weapon Against Humanity-GM Foods }

Genetically modified foods (GM foods or GMO foods) are foods that are re-created from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Modifications have been made into the DNA of many foods, using genetic engineering techniques, such as  mutation breeding, selective breeding; plant breeding, animal breeding, and somaclonal variation-which is a variation of alteration done in a plant’s tissue culture. (FYI: The world’s largest distributor of genetically modified food is Monsanto-which was initially a chemical company)

In 1996, GM foods were first put on the market! Then, between 1997 and 1999, genetically-modified ingredients abruptly appeared in 2/3rds of all US processed foods. Also, a single Supreme Court ruling permitted the patenting of life forms for commercialization, and it has exploded since then!

GM foods are usually plant products, such as soybean, corn, canola, rice, and cotton seed oil. However, GM animal products were developed, but supposedly none are on the market, as of July 2010. There’s also GM foods in your cereals! See the report here: From InfoWars/PrisonPlanet-There’s GMO’s in Your Cereals

Many critics have opposed the production of GM foods on several grounds, including health problems, safety concerns, major pest-resistance issues, environmental worries, and economic troubles. Furthermore, genetically-modified foods have been known to act much like pre-cancerous cells and literally infect other organisms that were once pure and healthy.

By 2010, the #1 country that grew the most GM crops was the United States (45%), then Brazil (17%), Argentina (15%), India (6%), Canada (6%), China (2%), Paraguay (2%), Pakistan (2%), South Africa (1%) and Uruguay (1%)! Moreover, in the same year, 10% of the world’s crop lands were genetically modified.

It’s apparent that the production of genetically modified (GM) foods and crops are an epic failure!

Here’s the newest update on Monsanto’s GM foods:

Here are just a few articles stating the many problems of genetically-modified foods:

From WIKIPEDIA-Wikipedia on GM Foods

From Disabled World-Disabled World on GM Foods

From Natural News- Natural News-Monsanto and GM Foods

From You Could Save the World- You Could Save the World’s Article on GM Foods

From The Cornucopia Institute-The Cornucopia Institute’s Report on Natural vs. Organic Cereal

From Alex Jones InfoWars: InfoWars Article on “Food: The Ultimate Secret Exposed”

Also, This will help you to avoid GM foods. WEB MD is one of the many sites to have an article on how to identify GM food labels & a list of ways to Avoid GM foods. From WebMD-Web MD’s article on How to Avoid GM Foods

CHART BY WIKIPEDIA

TAKE ACTION AGAINST MONSANTO’S GM FOODS: Millions Against Monsanto-Take Action

Quote from Kissinger: “Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people.”

References: WIKIPEDIA, Disabled World, Natural News, You Could Save the World, WEB MD, Alex Jones’ InfoWars/Prison Planet, and Millions Against Monsanto

Again…This will help you to avoid GM foods. WEB MD is one of the many sites to have an article on how to identify GM food labels & a list of ways to Avoid GM foods. From WebMD-Web MD’s article on How to Avoid GM Foods

Glyphosate is an herbicide and an active ingredient in Roundup. It comes in many forms, most commonly, as an acid and several salts. There are over 750 products containing glyphosate for sale in the U.S. However, when it is sold as a commercial herbicide, it is combined with surfactants and other ingredients to make it more effective at killing weeds.

This toxic herbicide, Glyphosate, was first discovered to have herbicidal activity in 1970 by John E. Franz, while working for Monsanto, and it was first registered for use by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1974 for public and industrial property and as a burn-down herbicide in agriculture. The re-registration of  Glyphosate was completed in 1993.

In 1996, Roundup Ready crops were introduced for in-crop weed control agricultural use. Consequently, the use of glyphosate has increased from less than 11,000 tons in 1992 to more than 88,000 tons in 2007!

Supposedly, glyphosate’s patent expired in 2000, BUT Monsanto made more than $2 billion in sales of Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides in 2010! The Environmental Protection Agency is examining the issue and is in the process of deciding if glyphosate should continue to be sold or in limited.

  
Just a Few of the Many Reasons Why Glyphosate is Hazardous:

Even though Monsanto claims that it “completely biodegrade in soil”, it actually persists in the soil for years!

Glyphosate destroys proper plant function and degrades high quality nutrition. It has also been known to substantially increase disease-causing pathogens.

It is known to cause reproductive problems and has been linked to spontaneous abortions in livestock and birth defects in humans.

Glyphosate herbicides are known to harm DNA in human cells.

Roundup initiates total cell death within 24 hours.

Japanese research has shown that consuming a 3/4 of a cup of commercial glyphosate products is fatal. Those who consumed less than 3/4 of a cup suffered a range of severe health problems, including intestinal pain, vomiting, erosion of the gastrointestinal tract, excess fluid in the lungs, pneumonia, lung dysfunction, clouding of consciousness, destruction of red blood cells, abnormal electrocardiograms, low blood pressure, damage to the larynx, and kidney damage (causing permanent damage and forming scar tissue).

Studies have also shown that exposure to Glyphosate is associated with a range of reproductive effects in humans and other species

Two separate studies in Sweden have shown that exposure to Glyphosate can cause Hairy Cell Leukemia and Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. Even though it was considered extremely rare, the non-Hodgkins lymphoma is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the Western world. It has increased by 73% in the USA since 1973.

Another study has found an escalation of Parkinson disease amongst farmers who used glyphosate.

So the question is…why is this product still being used as an herbicide?
Dr. Mercola interviews Dr. Don Huber on the subject:

Here’s a Link for Some of the More Natural Herbicides and Pesticides: eHow Home’s Natural Herbicides & Pesticides

(References: Mercola.com & eHow Home)
Article Also Found in The Truth Denied

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Published from my Android phone by Google while relaxing in my ergonomic chair by Herman Miller