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GLT's Grow: Homemade Help For Fighting Insects, Weeds

Tree stump
Tree Stump Baumstrunk
/
Flickr/Creative Commons
Did you know salt could be used to kill a stump? Learn more this week on GLT's Grow.

The word “homemade” usually denotes wholesome or delicious, like homemade pie. But when it comes to homemade herbicide, pesticides, or other remedies, just as much caution is needed as with the commercially produced chemicals.

In this edition of our gardening show Grow, Illinois State University’s Patrick Murphy shares his opinion about homemade solutions with GLT’s Mike McCurdy.

  • To fight off pesky insects, mix liquid dish soap with water. That will cover the insect’s body, getting rid of them, and give your lawn or garden a little extra water and nitrogen. It’ll require repeated applications to work.
  • For weeds, a salt-vinegar-dish soap combo can work. Don’t overdo it on the vinegar, which can change the chemistry of the soil and hurt your plants’ ability to get nutrients. Certain weeds (like water grass) may be able to fight off the salt-vinegar-dish soap mix, so grab some gloves and get the roots out once it burns off.
  • To kill a stump, drill eight (or more) holes the size of a pencil on its outer edge. Fill the holes with table or rock salt. Salt is poisonous to plants and will interrupt the tree’s ability to grow from its roots.

Listen to this week’s episode of GLT’s Grow:

GLT's Grow is your source for gardening advice and down-to-earth tips. Host Patrick Murphy and co-host Mike McCurdy are ready to take on all your gardening questions, so submit yours today

Next week on GLT’s Grow: It's not unusual for gardeners to move or transplant a shrub, tree, or plant from one location to another. But seeing that plant thrive after it's moved is another matter.

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Ryan Denham is the digital content director for WGLT.