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Effective Natural Weed Killer

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A cheap, natural weed killer that you probably already have in your house.... #earthday #banroundup #weeds #gardening @godschicki
Being a country girl at heart, going barefoot in my yard is something I love to do. “Earthing” as it is sometimes called today is something I do not even think about. Walking to the car to grab something, hanging clothes on the line,  and playing with the children, it just does not register in my brain to put on shoes. This has gotten me into trouble. I once had to were a pair of high heels (the only pair of shoes in my car at the time) home after taking my hubby to work because I did not put on shoes, and I couldn’t drive home barefoot (I’m pretty sure it is illegal here). But for the most part it’s not been bad.
I do not really care about weeds much (I love to use dandelion plants for various things), but recently these horrid little weeds began springing up in our yard. They have these very pretty little white flowers. They also have some nasty thorns. They have been everywhere. Not good for bare feet. Not my rather callused ones or my sweet children’s soft ones.
Not wanting to use the chemicals frequently used today for weed control (Monsanto’s Roundup has polluted a good portion-some reports say up to 75%- of rain water, and has even been found in breastmilk as a result, but this is another issue for another day!), I set out to find a natural alternative.
The answer was simple, and cheap. Salt. Yes. Less than $.50 a pound at the grocery. It keeps the roots of the plants from absorbing the nutrients it needs to grow as well as dehydrating the roots.
When applied to the base of the plant I have found it kill very effectively (water the plant when you apply the salt to carry it to the roots). In a few days your plant will be brown and dead. You can also mix it with water and pour on plants. In either case you may want to use a funnel or a piece of paper taped into a funnel to try to keep to the plant in question since salt will kill whatever plant it is put on.
We have had a couple of very small dead spots in out yard, but the weeds are gone (the spots didn’t last long, but the nasty weeds are still gone)! I will not be using this on the weeds in my garden since salt can stay in the soil for a while, preventing growth.
For the garden weeds I will just weed them out a little each day when we garden. One note about weeding-you have to get the roots out or the pesky weed will be right back.
Pouring salt out on weeds brought to mind some spiritual truths.
Spiritual truths from weeds and salt.... #weed #salt #saltandlight #biblestudy #jesus #christian #sin #community @godschicki
If we think of weeds as sin, think of salt as the fellowship with Christ-followers.
In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells his disciples “You are the salt of the earth.”

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16

Being honest and open with each other as Christians is crucial to helping keep sin out of our lives. Will we slip up? Yes. But if there is something we struggle with continually, having an accountability partner (of the same sex) is vital to keeping that sin out of our lives.

Just like the salt keeps the roots of the weed from absorbing nutrients dehydrates them, the ‘salt’ of fellowship keeps the weeds of sin from absorbing nutrients from the soil of our hearts and helps spur us on wards towards the prize, helping us focus not on things of this world, but on Christ, essentially dehydrating sinful desires.

Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 3:12-13

 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Colossians 3:16

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching. If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left…

Hebrews 10:23-26

These are all from the NIV, but I would like to point out that several other translations say “For if we keep sinning…”.  I once heard a preacher say if there’s a ‘therefore’ or a ‘for’ you need to backtrack to see what it’s “there for”. Following a verse on fellowship and encouraging each other I would say that the two things are related, would you not?

I shared a little about this in Lesson From the Garden, but here are some other thoughts on weeding:

If your hand causes you to stumble,cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

Mark 9:43-45

Weeding is something that must been done to keep a garden growing. The roots of weeds will quickly choke our the plants your are trying to grow, tangling them hopelessly with their own. They steal vital nutrients from the soil. When you weed, you must not only get the leaves, or sprout, but the root as well. If you don’t take the root of the weeds, they will grown right back.
We need to pray daily and ask God to reveal the weeds of sin in our lives. To help us discover the roots of those sins. We have to keep on top of it. Weeds grow out of control quickly. If you see a weed and think “It’s just a small one, so I’ll leave it for another day.”, you have messed up big time. They, just like sin, grow exponentially.
Does a TV show or book cause you to dwell on lustful thoughts (as an example)? Stop watching or reading it.
Friends influence you to sin? Stop spending so much time with them. Surround yourself with godly friends who will encourage you to pursue God and hold your accountable. Find a mentor. Feed your soul. Watch what you feed your mind.
I love how everyday life can illustrate Spiritual truths.
 

6 thoughts on “Effective Natural Weed Killer

  1. I love how every day life can be applied to spiritual truths, too. There’s a sermon everywhere you look!
    Great teaching here. Who knew salt could be both a seasoning and a weedkiller? Thanks for sharing!

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