GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

Martin Brown · 03-06-2010, 05:38 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 03/06/2010 12:40, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Thu, 3 Jun 2010 12:28:50 +0100 (BST), wrote:

In ,
wrote:

Did you read it? It is highly toxic to humans and animals breaking down
red blood cells, sterilises the ground and persists 6 months to five
years in the ground. Do your really want that getting into your water
supply?

I certainly don't want such extreme claims getting there! Bluntly,
that's so misleading as to be tantamount to being twaddle. It's one
of the ecologically safest horticultural chemicals because, while
it's nasty when it is still around, it decomposes completely into
totally harmless and widespread chemicals - i.e. common salt and
combined oxygen.

So you may as well use common salt as people have suggested.

Twaddle. That is NOT an effective weedkiller in the UK, as the
rainfall is too high.

Cooking salt keeps my path clear of weeds but it needs to be applied
dry three or four times a year. The path is not pointed and so would
be very likely to have weeds in the cracks. The salt gets washed away
by the rain but that does not stop it working.

Grit rock salt would be cheaper and a heck of a lot more environmentally
friendly. Do you have any idea how much additional energy goes into
making food grade refined and recrystallised salt?

Regards,
Martin Brown