Demonstration given on killing weeds organically
Several different techniques were administrated at the new Bay Oaks entrance last week to eliminate weeds organically.
Shannon Mapes, a member of the Marine Resources Task Force, an advisory committee for the Town of Fort Myers Beach, conducted a non glyphosate weed killer demonstration at the new entrance to Bay Oaks Tuesday morning.
The demonstration included five squares that used different ways to kill weeds, which was documented through the rest of the week.
One of the squares used salt, vinegar and cinnamon oil, another used salt, vinegar and blue Dawn (the Dawn soap sticks to the weeds), spray on Avenger (organic weed killer) and a loop hoe that mechanically removed the weeds. The final was a controlled square.
“The control had the least amount of green weeds. I wanted there to be more green on the patches where we sprayed. Vinegar, salt and blue Dawn takes a few days more than Roundup, but it does work. I have had a lot of friends that have tried it and they said it works great,” she said.
As of Friday, March 15, Mapes said square A, which used salt, vinegar and cinnamon oil she believes is the winner. The recipe includes 30 percent vinegar.
The cinnamon oil and blue Dawn act like a surfactant to make the liquid stick to the weed leaves, she explained.
“Avenger organic is a close second place,” she said of the 70 percent citrus oil, which she said is safe for people and pets.
Mapes homemade recipe of salt, vinegar and blue Dawn came in third with some hard to kill weeds only partly brown after three and a half days.
“I’m still going to monitor the site for two to three weeks to check for regrowth rates,” she said Friday.
The demonstration was conducted because Mapes was looking at how glyphosate affects the aquatic marine perspective.
“It should not be used anywhere around water,” she said.
Mapes said glyphosate is a broad spectrum herbicide, which is toxic to any plant cell. She said although it may have detrimental effects on animals, fish and reptilian cells, she is also concerned about the effects it has on the Estero Bay ecosytem.
Such weed killer products as Roundup, consists of glyphosate, as well as a surfactant. The surfactant aids the liquid to adhere to the plant and not immediately run into the soil. The surfactants, which are toxic on their own, magnify when added to the glyphosate.
Mapes research began after the area was struck with red tide last summer.
“I had been reading article after article that glyphosate breaks down into particles that feed the red tide,” she said. “Glyphosate can last up to 300 days in the water. Glyphosate sticks to organic material and dirt. Glyphosate doesn’t stay on the ground. It goes to the sand to the water table and can connect to the bay. Anything we can keep out of the water to stop red tide from being worse, I am all for.”
Since Fort Myers Beach does not have actual dirt, but rather sand and crushed shells, the herbicide leeches into the groundwater and subsequently Estero Bay.
The Marine Resource Task Force gave a proposal to the Town Council to enact legislation to eliminate all fertilizer use on Estero Island, as well as recommending cessation of herbicide use – specifically herbicide with glyphosate plus surfactant formulation.
“It’s kind of an uphill battle, but we are still trying,” she said. “There is a lot of education that still needs to be done.”
Mapes said the proposal was given to the council five months ago. She said she did an oral presentation at a meeting and then went to each town council member individually to show them her research and its source..