Salt in the garden?

Question

I have chronic weeds in places I don't need any plantlife to exist.
While I can poison the area, i'd prefer to avoid that. But i'm lazy...

Is salt any good? Its not dirt cheap, so if its good, how much? Does it help for a month, or some longer duration?

Answer 1

I've used a salt and water mix before in the garden. It does work but sometimes the weeds come back because the mix cant be that strong. Half cup salt and the rest water in a gallon sprayer, mix well and apply when soil is moist and its at the hottest point in the day. Careful not to spray plants that are wanted. I try to stay a foot or more around small plants and never around trees. Also, I still have to pull those weeds that live around my plants. Bindweed/Morning Glory can have roots up to 20ft if there well established and any spurge can come back from very small roots. Use a weed block or landscape fabric to keep weeds to a minimum, and mulch. Salt is a good idea if you don't want to use herbicides like Weed-B-Gon or Roundup, but to be honest, Ortho Season Long or Extended Roundup are the best ones out there for total vegetation killers.
Hope this helps you some!! Good luck....

Answer 2

I would stay away from the salt. You might feel bad if some neighborhood critter came along and started eating it and got really sick.

Have you tried to put down mulch or stones? Try using Roundup on the area to kill off the weeds (a second application may be necessary). Then put down mulch or stones or something to keep weeds from coming up, but you are always going to have to weed, or apply roundup.

Weeds are always going to be a problem. You must remain vigilant in your fight to keep weeds to a minimum. Even if you paved the area, weeds would find their way through the cracks and crevices, so you'd still have to do something!

Answer 3

Try getting some of that black plant fabric. It will block the weeds and you can put anything on top of it. Salt won't hurt animals, in fact hunters in our area use salt to lure deer, but I've never heard of it on plants--don't know either way. If it's a little used area, can you just keep it mowed?

Answer 4

Salt is definitely a bad idea. It could contaminate other spots and kill something you don't want to kill.
If the weed is really persistent, try putting brush-be-gone onto the leaves of the weed with a brush. Be careful not to drip it onto anything else.

Answer 5

I have never heard of salt in the garden. Get off your A$$!!! ;-)

Answer 6

pour vinegar on them $3.00 a gallon jug at wal-mart