As a trained biologist, I tend to approach home and yard maintenance with a unique perspective. I see a client’s property as a functioning ecosystem. A balance of the homeowners’ needs and biodiversity optimization, and most the time these two things can work hand-in-hand! Bret Leake, owner of Northwest Custom Yard & Home Care, believes that, “business owners control the marketplace," that is why we seek the safest alternatives for pest eradication.
Invasive Species & Weeds
Spring conditions on the Oregon Coast and in the Valley expedite weed growth; it is hard to keep up with! That is why many people tend to use solutions with glyphosate, the active ingredient in popular weed killers like Roundup. Glyphosate was invented in 1950 by Henry Martin, a Swiss chemist. He never published his work, but it was later patented by Stauffer Chemical in 1964. Then in 1970 glyphosate was independently discovered in the United States by a chemist working for Monsanto, whose chemists had synthesized many derivatives of aminomethylphosphonic acid, glyphosate being one of them.
The chemical binds and removes minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, and zinc. This action kills plants by interfering with enzymes critical for the synthesis of aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan). The effects of glyphosate on human health is a controversial topic.
Many governing bodies have contradictory views on the available research. In 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The IARC report noted association between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and glyphosate (made more potent in Roundup), significant evidence that the chemical caused cancer in lab animals, and strong evidence that it damaged human DNA. On the other hand, European Food Safety Authority issued a report concluding that glyphosate was “unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans”. Chris Portier, an advisor to IARC, stated to the Guardian that "the guidelines maintained by ECHA [the European chemical agency] would easily classify this compound as a group 1B carcinogen and, as such, it should be banned for use in Europe”.
Our Go-To Solution for Weeds!
Since the inception of our business we have held strict policies against spraying poisonous chemicals. For us the health risks out way the benefits. So instead we turn to natural and organic solutions. Our go-to solution for weeds is a mixture of industrial strength vinegar (30%), epsom salt, and dish soap. Trust me it is just as effective as spraying chemical herbicides! Additionally, vinegar can be effective by applying to foliage or soil. Glyphosate is only minimally absorbed through roots therefore it is not effective at preventing weeds from sprouting, and must be applied to foliage.
We had used this vinegar solution on many yards and gravel areas to kill the usual dandelion weeds, but had never tested it on an aggressively growing plant like Knotweed. To my surprise it was incredibly effective!
Knotweed Eradication without Roundup
I was fortunate enough to have a client agree to an experimental knotweed eradication using only our vinegar solution and epsom salt. We did this at the end of Summer 2017:
1) Sprayed all foliage with industrial strength vinegar, dish soap, and salt solution.
2) Injected the same solution into all uprights, near the base at ground level. We used a cattle syringe, but you can buy special herbicide injectors.
(Photo of rhizome stems which allow knotweed to spread rapidly)
3) Spread remaining bag of Epsom salt on soil.
(Photo of Knotweed patch in Winter 2018)
Our next step will be to remove the dead material and re-treat any living material before growing season this Spring. It is important to bag and burn all plant material, especially if the stems are still green. Knotweed is highly invasive and can establish new patches with a cut or broken stem!
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