>I finally got around to trying out my extracted FFA (aka "acidulated >soapstock") as an herbicide. I've got a couple raised beds, one with >mustard about to harvest and the other growing a cover crop of win- >ter rye and fava beans, to be safflower in the Spring. The dandelions >and crabgrass are encroaching seriously around the edges. I mixed up >about a gallon of 50/50 FFA/water, with a couple drops of Ivory >Liquid to make an emulsion, and poured it around the edges of both >beds. > >Sure enough, within 24 hours the dandelions were all slimy black >and kind of "dissolving" where the FFA touched them. The crabgrass >was also wilted, but seemed a bit more resistant than the broadleaf >weeds. I probably could have used less FFA in the mix if I was just >going after dandelions, and of course one of those pressure cans >with the hose and sprayer would apply it a lot more efficiently-- >But it works! -K
Yes, it does. I'm glad you find the same. What I haven't worked out yet is how quickly it biodegrades, so it's not phytotoxic anymore. Shouldn't be very long, if the soil life's in good order. Crab grass is tough. Comes from the same place as me. :-) It "tolerates aluminum, drought, grazing, heavy soil, insects, low pH, poor soil, salt, sand, shade, slope, trampling, ultraviolet, weeds, and wind." Tougher than me - I don't tolerate being grazed and trampled very well. Let us know if it tolerates FFAs or the wilt proves mortal. Are you doing oil from the mustard and safflower? Ken, what is Ivory Liquid? A couple of drops emulsified 50/50 FFA/water? That sounds very effective. Best Keith ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Sell a Home for Top $ http://us.click.yahoo.com/RrPZMC/jTmEAA/jd3IAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
