Re: Rock Salt as a weedkiller?


In article <1149103074.729896.287960@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
|||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk writes:
|>
|> > |> How effective is rock salt at killing weeds and how long before crops could
|> > |> be grown on treated soil?
|>
|> If you managed to add enough to be effective probably a year or two to
|> wash out.

Nah. With the rate that it has been droughting here, a month at most.
But let's say that we have a dry summer - it will last until next winter,
when (even in East Anglia), the excess of rain over evaporation will be
at least 9". That will wash out quite a thick layer of salt - probably
at least 1/4", which would be something like 10 Kg/m^2 of salt.

|> The inorganic weedkiller Sodium *Chlorate* degrades to sodium
|> chloride and is effective in much lower doses (as the warnings say it
|> may promote combustion)..
|>
|> Glyphosate is far more environmentally friendly than either as a
|> weedkiller.

No, DEFINITELY not. Sodium chlorate is used in quantities such that the
amount of sodium chloride is negligible - it is probably the MOST
environmentally friendly chemical weedkiller of all!

|> > In the UK, almost not at all. Don't do it - it won't kill the weeds
|> > and, in very large quantities, can pollute groundwater.
|>
|> In North Yorkshire we have great piles of rock salt on the steep hills.
|> The run off from them kills grass out to about 6" from a big pile and
|> ellipse about 8 feet down the hill.

Interesting. I didn't realise that it was THAT ineffective.

|> Using rock salt as a weedkiller in the UK is dumber than dumb.

Quite.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Rock Salt as a weedkiller?
    ... The inorganic weedkiller Sodium *Chlorate* degrades to sodium ... In North Yorkshire we have great piles of rock salt on the steep hills. ...
    (uk.rec.gardening)
  • Re: Rock Salt as a weedkiller?
    ... |> How effective is rock salt at killing weeds and how long before crops could ... |> be grown on treated soil? ...
    (uk.rec.gardening)
  • Re: Rock Salt as a weedkiller?
    ... |> How effective is rock salt at killing weeds and how long before crops ...
    (uk.rec.gardening)
  • Re: Rock Salt as a weedkiller?
    ... |> How effective is rock salt at killing weeds and how long before crops could ... |> be grown on treated soil? ...
    (uk.rec.gardening)
  • Rock Salt as a weedkiller?
    ... How effective is rock salt at killing weeds and how long before crops could ... be grown on treated soil? ...
    (uk.rec.gardening)