Roundup is a household name in gardening and farming communities. Initially known for its glyphosate-based formula, it has evolved into a product line with various formulations. This article provides an overview of different Roundup products, with a focus on the new vinegar-based Roundup and its possible use in organic gardening.
Commercial weed killers have been banned in a number of Countries including Ontario, Canada and people are now looking for natural weed killers. Does vinegar kill weeds? Is it a natural weed killer? Let’s have a closer look at this common garden myth.
We all wash fruits and vegetables and so it is surprising that many food blogs are giving out the wrong information about how you should wash fruits and vegetables. Why should you wash your produce? Is it a good way to reduce pesticides in your diet? Find out why and how you should be washing food.
Did you know that coffee contains thousands of chemicals and some are carcinogens. Is coffee safe to drink? In my previous post Fear of Chemicals I discussed some basic concepts about chemicals and tried to convince you that most chemicals will not harm you.
I know many of you are still doubtful so consider the following.
Over the last 20 years there have been a number of news reports about herbicide contaminated manure, compost, straw and organic fertilizer. This is a real problem for gardeners because such products will harm and even kill your plants. The danger is real!
I’ll answer all of these questions in this post. Every gardener should read it
Weeds, weeds everywhere! Gardeners are looking for the best natural weed killer to get rid of them. Roundup certainly works, but is there an equivalent natural product that is less harmful to the environment and our health. In this blog I’ll look at a variety of organic herbicides to see if they work for controlling weeds and lawn grass.
If you spend any time on social media or reading popular gardening blogs you already know that hydrogen peroxide does all kinds of useful things in the garden. You will see blog headings such as, “11 Mega Reasons why Hydrogen Peroxide for Plants is a Must” and “10 Amazing Uses of Hydrogen peroxide for Plants in the Garden.”
This stuff must be fantastic! Or not.
Not every claim is a complete myth, but many of these claims are just wishful thinking. Time to look at some science and get down to the reality of using hydrogen peroxide in the garden.
Everybody is talking about Btk because of the gypsy moth outbreak this year. This microbial pesticide kills caterpillars but does not harm any other insects. Unfortunately, its popularity has generated a number of misconceptions about the product.
I see this all the time in the gardening world. A little bit of misunderstood true science morphs into solutions that just don’t work. Let’s have a close look at Btk and separate scientific fact from fiction.
Several years ago I was going to write a post about Roundup and glyphosate, its active ingredient, but decided against it because several very good science-based reports were produced by others. Unfortunately, those reviews were not directed towards gardeners and based on frequent discussions on social media, the message is still not getting through to the gardening community.
My goal in this post is not to do my usual deep dive into Roundup, but instead I want to give readers a summary overview of the facts along with references containing more details. I hope that putting all of the information in one spot will make it a useful tool for discussions in gardening social media groups.
The great debate about Roundup causing cancer had a major shakeup in August 2018, when a court ruling went against Monsanto (parent company is Bayer) and awarded $289 million to Dewayne Johnson because Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The courts have reduced the settlement to $78 million and Monsanto is appealing that.
A few months later two more lawsuits reached the same conclusion.
For the general public this was proof positive that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup causes cancer.
But what are the facts?
Powdery mildew and black spot are common garden diseases and one of the most common home remedies is a mixture known as the ‘Cornell Formula’, a mixture whose main ingredient is baking soda.
This is an example of how and why myths get started.
In this post I will discuss the Cornell Formula, explain how it got started, and have a look at the efficacy of using baking soda as a DIY fungicide. Does it work? Will it harm your plants? Are there better options?
Corn gluten meal is the new herbicide for lawns. The movement away from synthetic chemical herbicides has left a gap for managing lawns and researchers are scrambling to find an organic solution. One product that is showing promise is corn gluten meal. Its proponents claim that it prevents weed seed from germinating, and if seeds don’t germinate you have a weed free lawn. Sounds like a perfect solution.
There are scientific reports, both for and against the product. Anecdotal evidence from gardeners is also mixed. Does the product work? How should it be used? Are people using it correctly?
