ORGANIC WEED REMOVER
Aqueous liquid herbicide products include liquid fractions of water, acetic acid, fulvic acid, and a surfactant, and optionally citric acid. Salt is also dispersed in the liquid fractions to provide complete products which may be in the form of ready-to-use or dilutable concentrate herbicides. The herbicides may be directly applied to growing plants in order to quickly and effectively kill the plants.
1 . A ready-to-use liquid herbicide, comprising a liquid fraction including water, acetic acid, fulvic acid, and a surfactant.
2 . The ready-to-use herbicide of claim 1 , said liquid fraction further including citric acid.
3 . The ready-to-use herbicide of claim 1 , said liquid fraction surfactant being a nonionic surfactant.
4 . The ready-to-use herbicide of claim 1 , said water being present at a level of from about 60-90% by volume in said liquid fraction.
5 . The ready-to-use herbicide of claim 1 , said acetic acid being present at a level of from about 10-25% by volume in said liquid fraction.
6 . The ready-to-use herbicide of claim 1 , said fulvic acid being present at a level of from about 0.2-1.5% by volume in said liquid fraction.
7 . The ready-to-use herbicide of claim 1 , including citric acid present at a level of from about 0.1-0.7% by volume in said liquid fraction.
8 . The ready-to-use herbicide of claim 1 , including an amount of sodium chloride dissolved in said liquid fraction.
9 . The ready-to-use herbicide of claim 8 , said sodium chloride being present at a level of from about 0.005-5% by weight salt, based upon the total weight of the ready-to-use liquid fraction taken as 100% by weight.
10 . The ready-to-use herbicide of claim 1 , said acetic acid derived from vinegar.
11 . The ready-to-use herbicide of claim 1 , said herbicide having a pH of from about 1-5.
12 . A dilutable liquid herbicide concentrate, said concentrate comprising a liquid fraction including water, acetic acid, fulvic acid, and a surfactant.
13 . The herbicide concentrate of claim 12 , said concentrate liquid fraction further including citric acid.
14 . The herbicide concentrate of claim 12 , said concentrate liquid fraction surfactant being a nonionic surfactant.
15 . The herbicide concentrate of claim 12 , said water being present at a level of from about 28-45% by volume in said concentrate liquid fraction.
16 . The herbicide concentrate of claim 12 , said acetic acid being present at a level of from about 35-60% by volume in said concentrate liquid fraction.
17 . The herbicide concentrate of claim 12 , said fulvic acid being present at a level of from about 1-4% by volume in said concentrate liquid fraction.
18 . The herbicide concentrate of claim 12 , including citric acid present at a level of from about 0.3-3% by volume in said concentrate liquid fraction.
19 . The herbicide concentrate of claim 12 , including an amount of sodium chloride dissolved in said concentrate liquid fraction.
20 . The herbicide concentrate of claim 19 , said sodium chloride being present at a level of from about 0.02-7.5% by weight salt, based upon the total weight of the concentrate liquid fraction taken as 100% by weight.
21 . The herbicide concentrate of claim 1 , said acetic acid derived from vinegar.
22 . A method of preparing a liquid herbicide composition, comprising the steps of:
mixing humic raw material powder with an excess of hot water at a temperature of from about 150-250° F., and respective quantities of vinegar and acetic acid powder to create a mixture;
mechanically blending said mixture for a period of from about 8-24 hours to yield an intermediate product having an acidic pH;
screening said intermediate product to remove humic acid, humin, ash, clay, and silt solids;
placing said screened intermediate product in a settling tank for a period of from about 5-30 days, and causing lower molecular weight species to rise to the top of said tank, with heavier molecular weight fulvic acid species descending towards the bottom of the tank;
subjecting the heavier molecular weight fulvic acid species to an osmosis process to give a fulvic acid concentrate containing from about 3-9% fulvic acid by volume;
mixing together said fulvic acid concentrate and said lower molecular weight species from said tank to give a product;
adding surfactant to said product; and
adding an amount of sodium chloride to said surfactant-added product.
23 . The method of claim 22 , said surfactant being a nonionic surfactant.
24 . The method of claim 22 , said acidic pH being from about 1.5-6.
25 . The method of claim 22 , said liquid herbicide being a ready-to-use product.
26 . The method of claim 22 , said liquid herbicide being a dilutable concentrate product.
27 . A method of killing plants comprising the step of applying the herbicide of claim 1 to the plants, or to the earth adjacent the plants.
28 . The method of claim 27 , including the step of applying the herbicide to the leaves and/or stems of plants.