There are a variety of ways to combat annoying weeds: you can use a chemical club from specialist retailers or remove the annoying greens mechanically by hand. Home remedies such as table s alt are often recommended to combat weeds. In the following article we will clarify whether the white granules are suitable for killing weeds, whether this is even allowed and what alternatives there are.
Can s alt be used against weeds?
S alt can act as a weed killer by inhibiting growth and drying out plants. However, the use of s alt on sealed surfaces is prohibited and can cause environmental damage. Alternatives include hot water, thermal weed killers or mechanical removal.
How does s alt work as a weed killer?
Even in low concentrations, s alt acts as a poison in plants. This is why increasing soil salinization in agriculture represents a major problem.
The plants initially experience s alt stress:
- Growth is inhibited
- reproduction is impaired,
- the plants are slowly dying.
Above ground, the s alt water leaves burns on the parts of the plants. The liquid that seeps into the soil is absorbed by the plants. The roots are completely destroyed by the solution, so that the weeds can no longer absorb water and dry out.
Even abundant watering can usually no longer eliminate damage caused by s alt. Although the s alt ions penetrate into deeper layers of the soil, they do not disappear. The damaged plant can only be saved by moving it.
Can I also use the inexpensive cattle s alt as a weed killer?
Cattle s alt, for example in the form of a s alt lick, serves as a valuable dietary supplement for animals. Since it is less purified than table s alt, it is cheaper. To distinguish it from table s alt, it is often colored pink. The main component of this type of s alt is sodium chloride, as well as various other minerals.
Since you don't consume the s alt, you can use it to kill weeds.
Which mixing ratio is recommended?
Under no circumstances should the s alt water solution be too strong, otherwise there is a risk of massive damage to the surrounding plants. If you would like to use table s alt to kill weeds, you should proceed as follows:
- Add five percent s alt to the watering water.
- Pour the mixture on the weeds.
When is the use of s alt prohibited?
The use of table s alt or cattle s alt on sealed surfaces is prohibited. These include, for example, the courtyard entrance or terrace areas. In this case, the s alt water is used like a pesticide and must therefore be classified as such. Paragraph 6 of the Plant Protection Act states that pesticides are prohibited on all open spaces that are not used for gardening.
This applies to all paths and paved areas around your house. If you still use s alt water to combat weeds, you could face heavy fines.
The reason: S alt, regardless of whether it is livestock or table s alt, cannot be biodegraded. It gets directly into the groundwater and causes significant problems during treatment. In the sewer system it can cause damage to the pipes.
Where can s alt be used to kill weeds?
You can use table s alt as a weed killer on all unsealed surfaces in private areas. However, keep in mind that this remedy is in no way milder than chemical substances. Ornamental and useful plants growing nearby can be damaged by s alt.
Why is s alt only recommended to a limited extent as a weed killer?
S alt not only dries out organisms, but also the soil and massively damages the microorganisms living in the earth. The biodiversity, which is important for humus formation, is reduced. The pore volume, the oxygen content and the root penetration of the soil and thus the root growth of all plants also suffer. Air exchange and water conductivity of the substrate are inhibited. The ornamental and useful plants can no longer absorb enough nutrients.
What alternatives are there?
Hot water is harmless to the environment and just as effective as table s alt and can be used completely legally to kill weeds. This also destroys the roots of the weeds so that they die quickly and can be removed.
A proven method for larger, paved areas is flaming with special devices (€39.00 at Amazon). The thermal weed killers destroy plants and roots sustainably and keep paved areas weed-free for a long time.
An equally effective method is the weed scraper, with which you can lift weeds out of the cracks between the paving stones. If you then sweep sand or gravel into the gaps, this material acts like a mulch layer. Weed seeds are almost always light germinators. If covered, the seeds will not sprout and your paved areas will remain free of annoying greenery for a long time.
You should pluck weeds in beds mechanically and remove them in a way that is gentle on plants and animals. A layer of mulch ensures that they no longer open up so quickly. At the same time, this blanket serves as valuable food for soil organisms.
Tip
If you want to fight weeds with table s alt, you should keep in mind that it doesn't work any more gently than chemicals. If you would like to destroy weeds without much effort, it is better to use tested products from garden retailers. When used in the correct mixing ratio, these are relatively environmentally friendly.
