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Old 25-04-2019, 07:58 PM   #1
Horacio
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Default Tortoise friendly weed killer

Hi, anyone got some good advice on what to use on my lawn to try and get rid of the weeds? I don't want poor Horacio to be gobbling up anything that's going to harm him.
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Old 26-04-2019, 07:44 AM   #2
ClareandCo
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Removing them individually with a small hand trowel is probably the only 100% safe method.

Get them out with their roots and set up a weed patch for him!
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Old 26-04-2019, 09:54 AM   #3
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Personally I would live with the weeds and if Horatio goes on the lawn he will probably enjoy them! I wouldn't trust any weedkiller.
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Old 26-04-2019, 09:56 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tortydat View Post
Personally I would live with the weeds and if Horatio goes on the lawn he will probably enjoy them! I wouldn't trust any weedkiller.
I agree with Mary, I have never used any chemicals in my back garden. To dangerous for the torts. Mine eat most and leave others, and I dig them up:0)
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Old 26-04-2019, 12:34 PM   #5
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Leave well alone he will know what's good and what's not.
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Old 26-04-2019, 02:47 PM   #6
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I dig up any ragwort or groundsel but leave the rest.
Like Clare suggests, I have a dedicated weed patch so when an edible weed pops up somewhere like in a hanging basket I just transfer to the weed patch.
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Old 26-04-2019, 05:02 PM   #7
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Like others have already said, my tortoises eat the weeds. But in some areas where I don't want vegetation to grow I use this recipe:

1 gallon white vinegar
1 cup salt
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and treat weeds at the sunniest time of day for best results.

It may have to be repeated a couple times to really get rid of persistent weeds, but it does work (eventually).
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Old 26-04-2019, 05:35 PM   #8
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That’s interesting Yvonne. Sounds like it works well for you. I tried salt on some nettles I was fed up of stinging myself on but they kept returning. I think I’ll try your recipe.
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Old 27-04-2019, 10:03 AM   #9
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A kettle of hot water directly onto the weeds would be safe to try. I wouldn't be leaving the weeds on my lawn, before long you will have no lawn and an area of weeds where your lawn used to be
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Old 27-04-2019, 01:33 PM   #10
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Quote:
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A kettle of hot water directly onto the weeds would be safe to try. I wouldn't be leaving the weeds on my lawn, before long you will have no lawn and an area of weeds where your lawn used to be
Tried that and had a lovely brown patch all summer where the hot water burnt the grass!
I stick to digging them out now.
Hubby usually does a feed and weed type thing in the winter that’s dog-friendly and then in the spring up come the Cat’s Ear and Dandies without fail. The main issue we have is with too much moss.
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