Weedkiller that won't harm neighbourhood cats - does it exist?

SaintJudy

Inspired by a post on the house buying / selling forum!

I have a gravel path with membrane thats got tons of weeds sprouting through. Can't afford to replace the membrane and they're growing faster than I can dig them out, so I want to try weedkiller but there are a couple of cats in the close vicinity. As a cat owner myself I've been reluctant to use weedkiller because of this but I can't keep on top of it and it's looking a right mess. 

Does anyone have any recommendations of a weedkiller that's safe around animals? Or any suggestions for other methods of getting rid of the weeds?

kippers

There is some good information here on weedkillers …. https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/pet-friendly-weedkillers/ 

SaintJudy

kippers said:

There is some good information here on weedkillers …. https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/pet-friendly-weedkillers/ 

Brilliant, thank you!

Joyful

I use vinegar, salt and washing up liquid to kill weeds in my garden. They die back in a couple of days.

twopenny

I've used Weedol with dogs around.
Apply just before rain is forcast when it has enough time to dry. I used to do it in the evening.
Too be extra sure on a wide area I'd cover with netting just until dried. 

Apodemus

Joyful said:

I use vinegar, salt and washing up liquid to kill weeds in my garden. They die back in a couple of days.

This approach is effective in killing the leaves and green parts of the plant, but they will quickly regrow, so you need to be committed to keeping on top of the spraying in the hope of weakening (and eventually killling) the plants.

twopenny said:

I've used Weedol with dogs around.
Apply just before rain is forcast when it has enough time to dry. I used to do it in the evening.
Too be extra sure on a wide area I'd cover with netting just until dried. 

Weedol or traditional Roundup both claim to be safe for pets as long as the application is done as recommended and has time to dry.  There is a lot of fear and hype about these products which is probably overblown.  There is research (from the US) that suggests that the average pooch or moggy gets more exposure to glyphosate from pet food than they do from their environment...

Woolsery

I love that bottom-covering article from Gardeners' World. It looks like it might have been written by a moonlighting surveyor; a profession noted for their ability to cover every litigious eventuality in a manner which ends up confusing the reader.

Glyphosate is a widely available chemical weed killer and is described as safe for pets to use treated areas once the chemical is completely dry. However, it’s important to note that the World Health Organisation (WHO) considers glyphosate to be ‘probably carcinogenic’ to humans, and that glyphosate is the subject of several international court cases relating to cancer in humans. This could mean that, while glyphosate is considered safe for pets now, the advice may change in future.

 So the WHO (not an organisation I trust, but YMMV) thinks glyphosate is 'probably' carcinogenic. What the article fails to mention is that this is at a level similar to the ingestion of barbecued or highly processed food, so look out if your dog steals your bacon sarnie! 'International court cases' also sounds impressive, but without context, it's meaningless. These are cases brought by people (not cats!) who used glyphosate frequently at a professional level and contracted cancer subsequently, attempting to show there was a causal link in order to claim compensation. It doesn't say if they were successful. Hack journalism.

I'm no fan of large corporations who make chemical products; indeed I'd rather not use their wares if I can help it because they don't come cheap, but glyphosate remains one of the better weedkillers out there because it de-activates rapidly on hitting soil or water. It works by inhibiting photosynthesis,starving plants to death. That's why it takes a long time to see results and why it doesn't work well in winter.

And despite appearances, as they bask in the sun, cats do not photosynthesise, at least not to to our knowledge now, though that 'advice may change in future.'

Woolsery

Apodemus said:

There is a lot of fear and hype about these products which is probably overblown.  There is research (from the US) that suggests that the average pooch or moggy gets more exposure to glyphosate from pet food than they do from their environment...

Not to mention ourselves. Unless one buys certified organic, there's no knowing when the product was used on  crop fields or orchards etc.

531063

Rock salt                                                                                        .

Apodemus

Woolsery said:

Apodemus said:

There is a lot of fear and hype about these products which is probably overblown.  There is research (from the US) that suggests that the average pooch or moggy gets more exposure to glyphosate from pet food than they do from their environment...

Not to mention ourselves. Unless one buys certified organic, there's no knowing when the product was used on  crop fields or orchards etc.

Interestingly, the Cornell study found that levels in dog urine were 32 times that of humans.  Cats showed 15x the human level.  Of course, being a US study there is a possibility that levels in all three species were affected by the presence of GM, Roundup-ready crops in the food chain.

GDB2222

I was going to suggest an electric weed burner, such as this one from Aldi.

https://www.aldi.co.uk/ferrex-electric-weed-burner/p/817421620804200


It’s worth reading the reviews, as they are really quite amusing. Having read them, I can’t recommend the product.