Middleburg's Go Green Committee is fortunate to comprise a group of dedicated locals who are truly passionate about their natural surroundings.

Today, more than ever, it is crucial that we all consider what we allow to leach into the soil around us, and as a direct consequence, into our groundwater, streams and ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. Middleburg operates an advanced, commercial water treatment plant, however its four wells, similar to wells used by rural homes but with more powerful well pumps which are used to fill the town's water towers, draw water which has been filtered through the soil into the aquifer. While this miraculous natural filtration system produces wonderful, clean water, there is a concern that toxic, harmful chemical pollutants may still remain.

Consider for example weed killer. Lately, news reports have highlighted a growing concern regarding a herbicide called glyphosate, more commonly referred to by its most popular trade name, Roundup, manufactured by the conglomerate, Monsanto. This chemical was recently declared a 'probable carcinogen' by the World Health Organization, yet only described as 'unlikely to cause cancer in humans' by our very own Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The words probable and unlikely are unnerving, so what can we do locally to help minimize the occurrence of these harsh chemicals?

Go Green Middleburg has, for the past few years, been concocting its own organic weed killer for use during the town cleanup campaigns. It takes a bit more work than simply adding water to concentrated glyphosate, and in fairness, it needs to be applied more liberally and more often to be really effective, but it is comforting to know that what is seeping into our soil is harmless.

The mixture we use consists of plain old white vinegar, available at all grocery stores but sold in bulk at well-known wholesalers, table salt and a dash of household dish detergent. The trick is to use enough salt - two cups per gallon of white vinegar is our recommendation - and, ideally, a stronger acidity white vinegar, although the most common 5% acidity version available everywhere is fine and least costly.

If you are planning to replant in the area which needs weeding, skip the salt as that is the component which leaches into the ground to eliminate future weed (and other plants) growth.

We perfected our own mixing technique after some 'trial and error'. Take a large five-gallon clean bucket, pour in a gallon or two of white vinegar, add the appropriate proportions of salt and dish detergent and stir it well, to allow the salt to fully dissolve. That's an important step to ensure that the liquid mixes well enough to allow the dish detergent to break the surface tension of the white vinegar so that it absorbs into the weed's leaves, and that the salt seeps into the ground around the weeds themselves.

You can then use anything from a small household spray bottle to a handheld two-gallon garden sprayer to my preferred five-gallon backpack sprayer. It's also an absolute must to perform this non-toxic weed killing operation when the ground is dry and no rain is forecast for at least a few hours, and preferably in warm sunlight.

Feel free to join us at the next Middleburg Cleanup and put it to the test!