Nitrogen as weed killer?

[Vanisle_BC]

Years ago a garden store owner sold me a large bag of a chemical, with the assurance that a teaspoonful dropped in the centre of a dandelion plant would kill it. That stuff did exactly what he said, and not just on dandelions - buttercups, Yay!. Now I have none left and don't know what it was. I suspect it was a high-nitrogen fertilizer that burned or "Grew the plants to death" - if that's possible.

The stuff was white, in little round granules. It was hygroscopic(?) and tended to meld into a lumpy mass which I'd break up with a hammer every so often.

Ideas, comments?

[rainbowgardener]

Don't know, but it seems a shame to get rid of all the dandelions. They are good for the soil-- the deep tap root brings up minerals from way down, that are then added to the surface soil when the dandelions break down or are composted. And they are edible-- roasted dandelion root tea is reputed to have a lot of medicinal properties. Dandelion scientific name is Taraxacum officinale. The officinale means it was part of the recognized pharmacopiea back in the days of traditional medicine. Dandelion greens are good in salads and are very nutritious https://foodfacts.mercola.com/dandelion-greens.html Other critters also eat the nutritious plant and bees use it for nectar and pollen early in the season, when there are few other sources.

[Gary350]

Years ago a garden store owner sold me a large bag of a chemical, with the assurance that a teaspoonful dropped in the centre of a dandelion plant would kill it. That stuff did exactly what he said, and not just on dandelions - buttercups, Yay!. Now I have none left and don't know what it was. I suspect it was a high-nitrogen fertilizer that burned or "Grew the plants to death" - if that's possible.

The stuff was white, in little round granules. It was hygroscopic(?) and tended to meld into a lumpy mass which I'd break up with a hammer every so often.

Ideas, comments?

It was Sodium Chlorate that you had. Lots of weed kill companies used sodium chlorate in their products. It is an old chemical made from table salt that has been around for 100 years. Thanks to Monsanto sodium chlorate has been outlawed, has anyone noticed Monsanto weed kill produces went form $10 to $20 then $30 a gallon.

[applestar]

Sounds a little scary Gary350. Does this process generate chlorine gas?


...this sounds pretty serious...

Sodium chlorate - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_chlorate

Toxicity in humans

Due to its oxidative nature, sodium chlorate can be very toxic if ingested. The oxidative effect on hemoglobin leads to methaemoglobin formation, which is followed by denaturation of the globin protein and a cross-linking of erythrocyte membrane proteins with resultant damage to the membrane enzymes. This leads to increased permeability of the membrane, and severe hemolysis. The denaturation of hemoglobin overwhelms the capacity of the G6PD metabolic pathway. In addition, this enzyme is directly denatured by chlorate reducing its activity.

Therapy with ascorbic acid and methylene blue are frequently used in the treatment of methemoglobinemia. However, since methylene blue requires the presence of NADPH that requires normal functioning of G6PD system, it is less effective than in other conditions characterized by hemoglobin oxidation.

Acute severe hemolysis results, with multi-organ failure, including DIC and renal failure. In addition there is a direct toxicity to the proximal renal tubule.[11] The treatment will consist of exchange transfusion, peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis.[12]

...if that’s what it was... and your description of “white little round granules” sounded so innocuous @Vanisle_BC (in and of itself, not the “super weed killer” property)

The stuff was white, in little round granules. It was hygroscopic(?) and tended to meld into a lumpy mass which I'd break up with a hammer every so often.

[Vanisle_BC]

Yes Applestar, sodium chlorate sounds scary. Besides which I'm a bit short on 10x12" tunsten plates as well as the time & inclination to spend 7 days circulating 5 gallons of conc. salt solution while maintaining a 3v supply and constant temperature of 25C. Not going to happen here, haha .

Meantime browsing around I wondered if what I had could have been ammonium nitrate; but that may be even scarier to keep around the place, even if you can get it nowadays. Or maybe ammonium sulphate, but I think all of these may now be controlled substances.

I still wonder about some more benign very-high-nitrogen fertlizer. Isn't that the basis of the weed'n feed types of lawn "conditioner"? I've tried the things like vinegar etc but those only knock the weeds back and they regrow. The ones I'm really bothered by are those - buttercup, dock, thistle - that grow below the outer edge of my raised beds, with deep roots going right underneath. They're near impossible to remove physically.

Weeds in the 'lawn' are of less concern: We don't have lawn. We have buttercup & dandelion infested grass - as well as areas of moss which I heartily encourage.

[webmaster]

Hi,
Please no science experiments or home lab recipes.

Thanks.

Roger

[Vanisle_BC]

Hi,
Please no science experiments or home lab recipes.

Thanks.

Roger

Agreed.
Thanks, Roger.

[Gary350]

Meantime browsing around I wondered if what I had could have been ammonium nitrate; .

Yes it could have been ammonium nitrate it was very easy to over dose plants with that stuff it made an excellent weed killer I used it on poison ivy once.

1977 I bought a quart bottle of weed killer few days later I learned it was agent orange so I never used it. 20 years ago there was a man at farmers co-op trying to buy the strongest weed killer he could get nothing was working in his fence rows on his farm. I told him about ammonium nitrate, sodium chlorate, agent orange. He wanted my bottle of agent orange and I was glad to be rid of it.

You can no longer buy ammonium nitrate.

Buy sulfur in 50 lb bags at farm supply it works good to kill plants.