I want a pretty lawn. What can I do about these weeds?

Spring is almost here and so begins the fertilization and weeding programs many use to chase a pristine lawn. I myself love the color contrast of dandelions in the yard as it’s one of the favorite flowers of pollinators. I see yellow and I think healthy and happy bees, some see yellow and think their lawns are unhealthy. Well I was asked by a friend about an alternative method to using herbicides to kill weeds and thought it would be a great opportunity to share a process that works pretty well. Today I’ll share a very simple spray solution that is pet friendly, environmentally safe, and typically cheaper than the commercial stuff.

So first thing first. Please do not use products that contain glyphosate to kill grass and weeds. Glyphosate is a herbicide that is extremely effective at killing plants. It also does a pretty good job of disrupting, if not destroying, the microbiota found in the gut of honey bees. I wont get into naming specific products or even discuss the health complications that some studies have shown glyphosate can have on the human body, but I will ask again, please do not use glyphosate products to treat your lawn or weeds.

Let’s get into it. What do you need for our alternative method of weed remediation?

• A gallon of white vinegar

• An empty 5-gallon bucket

• A bag of water softener salt - I prefer to buy water softener salt because it's fairly cheap and you get a lot of it. A 50 lb bag of softener salt can be found for about $7 at the local big box store.

• Dish soap

• A Sprayer or spray bottle - I bought a cheap pump sprayer from Harbor Frieght.

• Water

Once you have all of your items, pour a third of the bag of salt into the 5-gallon bucket and then fill the bucket with water. Let the mixture sit for at least 12 hours to create a brine. You can speed up the process by adding a small water pump tor agitation in the bucket. Don't worry about adding too much salt or if you still see salt in the bottom of the bucket, this is normal. The water will only be able to absorb so much salt before it falls out of suspension and to the bottom of the bucket. The nice thing is that once you remove your solution you can simply add more water to the salt left behind to make another batch of brine.

Once your brine solution is ready, add equal parts of vinegar and the brine solution to your sprayer along with 4-5 drops of dish soap and shake briefly before spraying onto the leaves of the plants you wish to get rid of. Take caution to only spray the plants you wont gone. The soap helps the solution to stick to foliage and minimize run off. For best results spray your solution when there is no rain in the forecast for the next 24 hours and allow 48 hours for the solution to fully work.You can do as many re-applications as you like. Any salt residue can be washed away after your desired results have been achieved.

There are many alternatives to ridding your yard of unwanted foliage including spraying with the vinegar solution outlined here, spraying with a lemon juice solution, steaming with hot water, or even good old elbow grease in the form of pulling weeds by hand. Whatever method you choose please think about our pollinators before beginning your lawn care regime.

-Bee kind