A long-standing client considered using Roundup to tend to the weeds in his patio and walkway. Instead, I shared Safe Alternatives to Harmful Weed Killers.
In this episode, I share bits of our 15-year history of working together, including reflections on Andrew's youngest daughter helping to tickle the roots of perennials on planting day. Jessica, now 22, will join her siblings to attend their father's wedding. Knowing all he did to raise his children in their family home warms my heart.
Life is a journey of hardships followed by joys if we trust and allow things to unfold while living in gratitude, even during tough times.
Related Stories & Helpful Links:
Safe Alternatives to Harmful Weed Killers – Blog Post
Holy Moly Rose Remedies – Blog Post
Ep 163. Holy Moly Rose Remedies
Glyphosate Report by Bayer Jul 1, 2024
New York Times article about Monsanto / Bayer Roundup Lawsuit Settlements by Maureen Farrell (Dec. 6, 2023)
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I'd love to hear your garden and nature stories and your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com.
You can Follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.
Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast Page
Thank you for sharing the Garden of Life,
Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer
AskMaryStone.com
More about the Podcast and Column:
Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.
It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from mother nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about.
Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com
Direct Link to Podcast Page
Ep 169 Safe Alternatives to Harmful Weed Killers
Sun, Jul 14, 2024 6:40AM • 10:24
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
garden, roundup, weed killer, andrew, chemical, vinegar, plants, weeds, added, glyphosate, life, dilemmas, salt, porch, pollinator, remedies, earth, share, horticultural, mary stone, garden, nature, inspiration
SPEAKERS
Mary Stone
Mary Stone 00:00
Mary, Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I'm Mary Stone, and welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries. It's not only about gardens. It's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learn from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in, in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about.
Mary Stone 00:26
Hello there. It's Mary Stone on the screen porch, and thankfully, it's a cooler day than yesterday. I placed plants in the high heat and humidity, and it was interesting because my client was very concerned that it was too hot to plant, but in actuality, the humidity is going to lessen evaporation, so she'll not have as many days to water as she would normally. And, of course, I told her to be careful not to water the leaves because that adds to foliar diseases such as fungus and other things. So anyway, I want to thank those that reached back after last week's chat about how Pollinators Love No-mow Clover Lawns, I visited a garden tune up underway, dropping off a few new plants, and my client Pat told her husband, you should listen to Mary's podcast about no-mow lawns. I added that English daisies amongst the white clover would be a perfect backdrop for your lovely garden. We spoke about Pat and Eric's glorious garden in episode 163, Holy Moly Rose Remedies and their roses are now glorious.
Mary Stone 01:30
And, of course, I shared the podcast with Linda and Jim, whose lovely garden we featured last week. They wrote, “I loved your podcast and article about our no-mow Clover situation. I forgot about the pictures you took while you were here during the visit. Yes, that's me loving my garden. I'll be visiting the building department tomorrow with the pictures I sent you to get their agreement that we are entirely within code. I'll let you know how it goes.” Thank you for your kind words, Jim, and for graciously allowing me to share your story. You and your garden make for a great topic to encourage others to be kinder to our dear Earth. I have a feeling that the town will agree that their beautiful, energy-saving, pollinator-friendly, chemical-free lawn falls within code, and hopefully, they're starting a trend in the neighborhood.
Mary Stone 02:19
In last week's blog post, I added a link to a story about safe alternatives to harmful weed killers, featuring another client whose garden dates back 15-plus years. I look forward to revisiting the story and adding an inspiring update, and it starts like this.
Mary Stone 02:35
Hello, fellow listeners and readers. A few weeks back, I dug in with Andrew of Sparta New Jersey, who wished to enhance his gardens and time for hosting pre-prom photos for his daughter. He was expecting 60 with friends and parents. I recall how Jessica came home from school when I first worked with Andrew and grabbed her play trowel to join me in planting perennials. She got a special kick out of tickling the roots, loosening them with her fingertips to encourage them to spread widely in their new home. This time, while planting with Andrew, we chatted about life experiences, both having gone through a heartbreaking divorce. We shared lessons learned and the healing and growth that occurred since gardening has a way of bringing people together. I asked if he knew the parents that were coming for the pre-prom photos. Not really. Maybe I met them on a soccer field, but I don't socialize much with work and taking care of things around the house. Anytime that I have. I'd rather be with my kids. I admire Andrew's commitment to his children. All three have grown solid roots.
Mary Stone 03:41
As we ended our day, he mentioned buying Roundup to spray the joints in his paver walk. Roundup has already been banned or restricted in many countries. Have you heard about the lawsuits going on? I asked. I think they may be exaggerated, he said. Instead of rattling what I've read, I suggested my go-to pet and people safe, Burnout Weed Killer, a mixture of citric acid and clove oil. There are also homemade recipes like one gallon of household white vinegar and one cup of table salt mixed with one tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Or a one-gallon vinegar, two cups Epson salt, and a quarter cup dish soap potion, a few North Warren Garden Club members swear by that one.
Mary Stone 04:25
With or without salt, vinegar is non-selective in what it kills, including desired plants. Household vinegar will kill only the foliage, though added salt gives it a one-two punch. However, the salt will remain in the soil, which is not good in the garden, as you can tell by plants impacted by road salt. There is a 20% horticultural grade vinegar that will kill roots and foliage but is especially caustic if inhaled or in contact with your skin or eyes. So definitely wear protection. Some say adding one cup of orange or citrus oil to a gallon of horticultural vinegar is far more effective. So, these are really good tips. I'm going to, of course, put a link to the column in the show notes so you can see those recipes. But I'd only consider using salt with vinegar or horticultural vinegar for persistent weeds and gravel driveways and paths or gaps in the walkway rather than around your plants.
Mary Stone 05:21
To be effective, they should be applied on a sunny day when it's above 70 degrees and, of course, dry, so there'd be no rain following your application. Then, keep your pets away for a few hours until the application dissipates. There was an article in the Wall Street Journal in June of 2019, Bayer AG, Plans to Invest $5.64 Million in Developing New Ways to Combat Weeds Over the Next Decade, as the German chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant seeks to win back trust in the business in the wake of 1000s of lawsuits alleging Its Roundup herbicide causes cancer, a promising shift. Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com.
Mary Stone 06:06
I met with Andrew again this spring, and he told me about his plans to remarry. In the spirit of combining his life with his soon-to-be bride, he wished to spruce up his landscape with some rejuvenation, pruning of his overgrown shrubs and also make some hardscape repairs. You may know hardscape refers to the hard things in the landscape, such as walkways, patios, and decks. We are amid the facelift, and I met with Andrew for a project check-in on the day before he was leaving for his wedding. His youngest daughter, Jessica, is now 22 and she was there. She will be joining her other two siblings to witness the commitment of her father to his new bride. It warms my heart knowing all that he did to raise his kids in their family home. Life is a journey of hardships followed by joys if we trust and allow things to unfold while living in gratitude, even during difficult times. I love this saying that there's no way to happiness; instead, happiness is the way, and that is just so true. Living in gratitude makes a difference because you attract happiness, and things come into your life naturally that can help you in life. Try it. It really does work.
Mary Stone 07:19
I couldn't help but dig into the progress of Bayer's investment to develop new ways to combat weeds. And I found a recent article in The New York Times from December 6, 2023 written by Maureen Farrell. She writes that three years after Bayer agreed to pay 10 billion to settle claims that its weed killer Roundup caused cancer, juries continue to award plaintiffs in additional cases billions of dollars in damages, even as the German drug and chemicals giant insists it will continue to fight it in court.
Mary Stone 07:51
So I'm going to just briefly remind you of the history of Roundup, and that is that Monsanto started using the chemical in Roundup in the 1970s to kill weeds. It was only after the company developed genetically modified seeds in the late 1990s that Roundup became the dominant weed killer. The GMO seeds were immune to Roundup, so farmers could spray it on the fields, killing weeds but not the crops. Monsanto then built a giant global business by controlling their so-called glyphosate platform for both the weed killer and the seeds resistant to it. So, isn't that troubling?
Mary Stone 08:30
And I did come upon another report that Bayer had just released this month, on July 1. Actually, the executive summary in the full report will cover the role of glyphosate in the food production system, the controversies of the chemical, as well as the contributions to sustainability. And I just find that so remarkable because the whole part of it is they're saying, because of the use of the chemical, we don't have to till the Earth, which is helping the erosion issue that's ongoing. So, I don't know. Obviously, Bayer is working hard to defend and preserve the ongoing use of glyphosate and Roundup, so it's up to food producers and consumers to choose differently. I'll pick the safer remedies we reviewed. How about you?
Mary Stone 09:16
So, thanks for coming by. I always appreciate our time together, and I hope you have as well. And if so, I would love it if you could share their podcast with a friend or two so more can join us in learning and growing in the garden of life. And more can do things that are less troubling, less controversial, and kinder to our dear Earth because it really does start at home. We all deserve to have a safe place to live, and big business can change that in ways that have demonstrated the demise of our Earth, and we can turn it around. We still have time. I really believe that is true, so thanks again. I look forward to the next time on the screen porch.
Mary Stone 09:54
You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook or online at Garden Dilemmas com and on Instagram at hashtag Mary Elaine Stone. Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries is produced by Alex Bartling. Thanks for coming by. I look forward to chatting again from my screen porch and always remember to embrace the unexpected in this garden of life. Have a great day. You.
