Kitchen Garden Forum

Our Allotment provider wants to go green and is advising "a dilute solution of salt" to kill weeds.

Thoughts and opinions welcome.

I note the RHS counsel against it and point to the Health & Safety Executive as regards what is legal to use.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/weeds-on-hard-surfaces and https://www.hse.gov.uk/pesticides/user- ... n-home.htm

My personal opinion is if it's strong enough to kill a weed then no crops will grow where it was used.
Also think it's indiscriminate pollution and could harm wildlife, bad enough when you see the commercial use on business premises when frost or snow is forecast no "so many grams per square yard", more like drifts of it, especially at our train station platforms.

I suspect the research was conducted on the internet where brews of soap, vinegar and salt, and worse, are recommended by people with no scientific knowledge.

Absolute nonsense - used in antiquity to lay waste to enemies' land after you've finished with the rape and pillage.

I always thought salt could alter the ph of the soil and if used liberally, can even make the soil sterile…..so I don’t think it’s a good idea at all!

I don't use it. I read something that even if you use it 'sparingly' which is not defined; it will leech into surrounding soil & also kill anything growing near the area treated, but also kills slugs which we know, good bacteria in the soil, earthworms etc. You also have to ask what research has the provider done in regards to having knowledge about what things are used currently? How do they plan to monitor usage of other stuff & prove it is not as green or greener?

I think I am in agreement that they have done a bit of low key research, unlike the RHS who do their own research.

My plot is other side of sand dunes so with heavy wind/rain it gets fair share of sea water, plus in the past I have put couple builders bag full of sea weed straight from beech.
Can't say I have notice any damage to the soil.