Hello Tom > I've been gardening for over 30 years by essentially "building >dirt" and caring for my plants from the ground up.
Good for you! Thirty years in the same place? >I've been know to chop off a weed's head now and again or yank them >from the ground. I've squished "bugs" by the thousands and lured >others to deadly traps. I've never used a spray that has any real >obvious results (dead insects or "weeds"). > I've been splitting my glycerine co-product into FFA's, potassium >(and some sodium) phosphate, and crude glycerine. > Yesterday I sprayed FFA's on some weeds in an area of the garden >that hasn't been turned yet. Today they appear to be dying. It >didn't seem to discriminate ... dandelions, wild mustard, plantain, >grass .... all withering. > I'm a bit taken back. The sprays I concoct from chives, peppers, >mulberry leaves etc. are intended to repel/discourage pests. I don't >see any corpses. It's more a matter of faith or delusion that they >are working ... I don't care which. I think they discourage rather than kill, either directly or by strengthening the plant's resistance. >Weeds involve physical removal and discouragement with thick mulch. > The "weeds" sprayed w. FFA's appear to be in serious trouble >only 24 hrs after spraying. What is the mechanism of FFA action on >plants? Does it act on the lipid component of the cell membranes? Is >it systemic or just act on the point of contact - the leaves. If it >only acts on the leaves, will new shoots be sent up? > If FFA's are non-toxic, biodegradable, and effective weed >killers, it would be very good news to an aging gardener who turns >each section of the garden by hand, meticulously picking out the >weeds. I don't mind the turning, countless tons of compost over the >years has turned shallow hard-pan clay into beautiful rich soil that >takes little effort to turn. It's the bending to pick the "weeds" >that gets to my back. > I believe Todd Swearingen and Prof. Bob Allen have both >mentioned FFA's as weed killer. Also Ken Provost. You ask the same questions I do. I've been wanting to run some side-by-side trials of FFA, raw by-product and vinegar, especially of FFA, but I'm put off by not knowing the mechanism, especially whether it's systemic or point-of-contact, and its residual effect on the soil life before it breaks down. What will FFA do to something like mycorrhizal fungi? I know that raw by-product kills worms, unsurprisingly, I expect FFA will too. So I'm reluctant to use it. Best Keith > My back thanks you, > Tom _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
