TIPZ FOR ORGANIC LIVING
June 2006
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Spray Weeds With Vinegar?
Some home gardeners already use vinegar as a herbicide, and some garden stores sell vinegar pesticides. But no one has tested it scientifically until now.
Agricultural Research Service scientists offer the first scientific evidence that it may be a potent weed killerthat is inexpensive and environmentally safe--perfect for organic farmers.
ARS researchers Jay Radhakrishnan, John R. Teasdale and Ben Coffman in Beltsville, Md., tested vinegar on major weeds--common lamb’s-quarters, giant foxtail, velvetleaf, smooth pigweed and Canada thistle--in greenhouse and field studies.
They hand-sprayed the weeds with various solutions of vinegar, uniformly coating the leaves. The researchers found that 5- and 10-percent concentrations killed the weeds during their first two weeks of life. Older plants required higher concentrations of vinegar to kill them. At the higher concentrations, vinegar had an 85- to 100-percent kill rate at all growth stages. A bottle of household vinegar is about a 5-percent concentration.
Canada thistle, one of the most tenacious weeds in the world, proved the most susceptible; the 5-percent concentration had a 100-percent kill rate of the perennialstop growth. The 20-percent concentration can do this in about 2 hours.
Spot spraying of cornfields with 20 percent vinegar killed 80 to 100 percent of weeds without harming the corn, but the scientists stress the need for more research. If the vinegar were sprayed over an entire field, it would cost about $65 per acre. If applied to local weed infestations only, such as may occur in the crop row after cultivation, it may only cost about $20 to $30.
The researchers use only vinegar made from fruits or grains, to conform to organic farming standards.
A Lemon a Day Helps Detoxify and Cleanse
Your body, when functioning at its' optimum, is designed to automatically detoxify and cleanse toxins and impurities from your body that you come in contact with daily.
When you over expose yourself to toxins, your body can't always keep up with the demand and you may begin to feel sluggish, have aches and pains, skin problems, or digestive problems.
Incorporating lemon and water into your daily diet will help your body keep up with the elimination demands and keep you feeling healthy.
Lemons are a good source of Vitamin C which helps your body naturally produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.
Drinking at least 64 ounces of water daily is one of the most important and natural ways to detoxify and cleanse your body.
A cup of hot water with lemon, first thing in the morning, is a great way to start each day. Your body is in a natural cleansing state, first thing in the morning, and lemons help your liver and gallbladder effectively eliminate toxins and run efficiently.
Adding fresh lemon juice or a slice of lemon to your water throughout the day will help keep the natural cleansing process going.
More Thrifty Tips For Frugal Living
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