Does anyone know of a weed killer that is non-toxic to dogs?

Question

I need to deal with a weed problem but don't want to put my dogs in danger of being poisened and I can't seem to find a product that won't. Any assistance would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I know this sounds crazybut....boiling water. Pour it on at the base of the weed. I have 2 dogs and have that very same concern. I boil a big pot of water and then take a 4 cup glass measuring cup and use that to dip in and get the water. It works great if you don't have a ton of weeds-otherwise it would be work intensive! Good luck

Answer 2

Dog Friendly Weed Killer

Answer 3

Your own two hands.

Seriously, any chemical weedkiller is to some degree toxic (which is how it kills the weeds). And unfortunately, the less toxic they are, the less effective they are at actually getting rid of the weeds.

The best option is if you really need to use a chemical weed killer is to follow the directions very carefully and keep your dogs out of the sprayed area until the toxins have had a chance to disapate (the label will indicate how long you should wait). When storing the weedkiller, keep it in a locked cabinet away from any of your dogs food or toys.

Answer 4

Diatomaceous Earth (food grade) is the best thingto kill pests, both in your home and garden. I have included a site.

For the weeds, I hire a couple high school boys to come over and pull them for me. $15 an hour each. They do a pretty decent job. They come over once a week, although they could probably come every other week. If there aren't any weeds, I just put them to work mowing or whatever. They're good kids and are saving up for college. So, not only is it safe for your dog, you are also helping a couple kids in your community. I guarantee them at least one hour each per week. That's $120 per month, but that's less than a landscaper would charge, lol.

Answer 5

Start with laying down garden fabric, then by mulching the area, this will not only help with weeds, but also with moisture retention. If weeds do come through, then pulling them, or spraying them with a mixture of vinegar and water with a drop of dish soap will act as a non-toxic weed killer.

Answer 6

I use a product called Weed-B-Gone by Ortho. You buy their dial a sprayer which attaches to your garden hose. You pour the concentrate into the attached container, dial the proper dispensing rate and simply walk your whole yard soaking down the grass and weeds. After drying for a short period of time its supposed to be non-toxic to pets and young children, unlike drop down products that must be watered in over a period of a week or more. My grandson plays in my yard after the application drys for two to three hours. The package will specify the recommended drying time. Its a little shower to work, but it works and within 3 or 4 weeks you'll see the weeds wilt away. Be sure if your in the south and have St Augustine grass to use the special formula made exepcially for St Augustine grass.

Answer 7

Mix 1 cup of vinegar and one cup of dishsoap in a spray bottle, and shake real well. Spray at the base of the weeds, particularly on a hot sunny day. They will dry up and die! The soap holds the vinegar to the plant, plus the added ammonia and such in the soap isn't good for the plants. The dog will not see this as appetizing, but if he licks it/sniffs it will not be overcome by toxins, either. Be sure to dig up the weed bodies, root and all, so they will not come back. If you have to do a large area, and do not want ANYTHING to grow, salt is also great. Boiling water poured directly on the weed, like in cement or edging, can help kill as well.

Answer 8

I'd say a homemade weedkiller is your best bet.

Ingredients:

* 1 gallon of white vinegar
* 1 cup of table salt
* 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap

Mix everything together making sure the salt is completely dissolved. You can then pour this into a spray bottle or one of those weed sprayers you can get at any garden center. You spray this solution directly on the weeds you want to get rid of preferably on a hot day.

One thing to remember with this solution is to not get it on anything you don’t want to kill and don’t spray it on the soil. It is non-selective in what it kills meaning it will kill any plant life it comes in contact with and it will sterilize the soil for up to two years depending on how much you get on the soil.

If you are concerned about getting the vinegar solution on your desirable plants you can use a cloth to wipe the solution on the leafy parts of the weeds. This will keep any of the solution from coming in contact with the plants you want to keep. If you use this method it is advisable to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the acidic affects of the vinegar.

If you don’t want to use this formula for a homemade weed killer then you can always rely on the tried and true method of hand-pulling any weeds you find in your landscape. Eventually the weeds lose the ability to create enough food for their roots to continue to grow and their roots will die off. This actually works best if you don’t have a lot of weeds in your yard or garden.

The nice thing about using a bio-degradable homemade weed killer is that you are not harming the micro-organisms that live in the soil. These micro-organisms create the fertile environment that helps your lawn, flowers and vegetables grow to their maximum potential. You are also protecting your family and pets from the harmful affects of the commercially available weed killers on the market today.

Answer 9

If the weeds are in cracks of sidewalks, or away from your plants, you can just pour boiling water on them.

Vinegar is used as an inexpensive, environmentally safe herbicide for spot treatment on organic farms. For the toughest weeds you may have to apply it several times. If you spray when it's sunny, dilute it, or buy a stronger grade than household vinegar, it works quicker & is the most effective.

Researchers found that 5- and 10-percent concentrations killed weeds during their first two weeks of life. Older, tougher weeds may need repeated applications or a stronger concentration than the 5% concentration of household vinegar. By distilling household vinegar, a 15% concentration can be obtained. Adding some liquid soap increases the coverage ability of vinegar.http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2002/020515.htm
http://www.moscowfood.coop/archive/VinegarKillsWeeds.html

Salt works, but it will be harmful to your soil.

In your garden you can cover the weeds with a heavy mulch ( like a thick layer of grass clippings) that keeps out light & prevents nutrients from getting to them. The weeds will die from suffocation.
Good luck! Hope this was helpful.

Answer 10

Get your lawn fertilized by a lawn fertilizing company (LFC). It's cheaper in the long run and it's safer for your pet. Just keep your pet off the lawn for 24 hours or what ever the LFC recommends. Use a weed killer that kills instanly like Round Up but remember that Round Up will anything green in a few hours you can wash off the chemical when the weed has started dying.