Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have any questions? Please have a look at the list below or contact us for further information.
The Contact Organics Weed Terminators kill weeds in a similar way to a heavy frost or extreme heat wave. Acetic Acid, the active ingredient, quickly breaks down the cells of the plant by degrading the protective film of sprayed plant areas to cause complete dehydration.
The formulation is a highly effective desiccant, not a systemic poison, so plants are unable to build resistance.
Our Weed Terminators are natural herbicides designed for agriculture, government, municipalities, the education sector, revegetation programs, national parks as well as small and large homes.
When spraying a weed with our Weed Terminator spray mixture, acetic acid, our active ingredient, penetrates the plant by breaking down the waxy layer that protects the weed’s leaf. Contact Organics proprietary delivery technology strongly aides this process. The acetic acid enters the plant’s cells and destroys its membranes. This causes the weed’s moisture to escape. As this process continues, the Weed Terminator dehydrates the weed to termination. With no residues remaining in the soil, weeds are unable to build resistance.
Made from natural ingredients means there are no toxins or poisons that can pass into the food chain or the human body.
Contact Organics Soil Conditioner has been designed to be applied in conjunction with the Weed Terminator. It conditions the soil while enhancing water uptake and distribution. In addition, it feeds micro-nutrients and iodine to your soil to promote healthy growth and microbial activity.
Yes, we have an online store. You can order the full HomeSafe and LocalSafe ranges online. FarmSafe is a bulk product and requires a quote which we are happy to provide, you can contact us by email or phone.
We also have a number of resellers and national distributors throughout Australia that can help you with sourcing our LocalSafe Weed Terminator (available in 10L and 20L modules).
Our website will be able to guide you to your local reseller. Please call before heading to the store to ensure floor stock is available and if it is not, your local store can get it from their main warehouse at no extra cost to you.
If you would like to purchase some of our Weed Terminators but are struggling to find a reseller close-by, please let us know and we will work with you to get our product to your door.
Yes, our product is very effective against false dandelion and capeweed. Matter of fact it is very effective against most common broadleaf weeds and grasses.
Contact Organics Weed Terminator is a high performance, broad spectrum, contact bio-herbicide made from natural ingredients. Our proprietary delivery system significantly enhances the effectiveness of acetic acid, the active ingredient. Weed Terminator kills weeds by desiccation.
When you spray weeds with the Weed Terminator, you will see results typically in a couple of hours. Depending on type of weed, climate and dilution the desiccation process can take up to one week.
As our Weed Terminator is a contact herbicide, it is recommended to spray the weeds to run off. The green parts of the weeds should be covered with the spray mixture. Weed Terminator will kill and control your normal pathway weeds including fleabane, fire weed, milk thistle, thistle, small oxalis, clover, richardia, bindii, flat weed, various creeping weeds, winter grass, summer grass, calthrop, paspalum grass, couch grass and general everyday weeds.
Some woody or perennial weeds and those with deeper roots will require a re-spray. For example, couch grass with its large root system and runners will require a couple of resprays to get fully under control. It is recommended to respray after 2-3 weeks when the plant is in the process of recovering and putting all its energy into this process.
As a broad spectrum, non-selective bio-herbicide the Weed Terminator does affect all plants it comes into contact with. The target weeds only should be sprayed. However, it does not impact larger plants, trees and bushes when spray drifts on them. For example, a limited spray drift on grape vines will barely be noticeable – most likely just resulting in only a couple of brown spots on the leaves.
Take care when spraying near seeds and flower heads of actively growing plants so that the desiccation nature of our Weed Terminator does not harm the plant.
Control of tougher weeds is possible by increasing concentration of the Weed Terminator in the spray mixture and increasing application rates. Please refer to label for instructions.
Large bushes, such as pampas grass may require a higher concentrated spray mixture once you have desiccated the seeds. Cut it down low and spray the remaining clump. This is a tough gnarly root to kill. Check and re-spray until dead. Targeting various wild grasses such as lomandra’s, love grass, serrated tussock, and kikuyu will require spraying the centre until soaked.
Use a stronger mix on tougher weeds like crofton, varieties of calthrop, patterson’s curse, farmers friend, african burs, stink weed, nettle, penny wart and giant parramatta grass, and Round-up resistant weeds. Nut grass is best to spray in flower.
Weed runners like turkey rhubarb and fleshy madeira vine with tubers, require spray to defoliate. The re-growth will tell you where the tuber is. Spike down the centre of its base and add some mix down the hole. For onion weed in lawns and gardens rip off the head and spray down the centre of its base. For oxalis, spray the foliage and soak the base. Re-spray any regrowth, the mix will get deeper as the ground will be more permeable due to the action of the soil conditioner. For wandering jew, rake it, bin it, then spray with a stronger mix to kill off the runners. You will need to pick out all the bits that hide under roots and rocks, then re-spray and make sure you re-check or it may come back.
Healthy buffalo grass - mow low first and spray it twice.
Targeting woody weeds like bitou bush, blackberry,juvenile privet, lantana and camphor laurel
Spray plants to kill seeds and buds. Cut it down, scrape some bark off the root or stem to the cambion layer and spray that. Come back and spray and soak any re-growth.
If you can’t cut it down, spray when it is flowering. Knock out all the flowers and buds. The weed will go into shock and will become dormant. Spike around the root base and scrape to the Cambion layer and spray.
Follow up with Weed Terminator spray to knock out the re-growth and kill the seeds. The spray mixture will re-condition the soil of most toxins. You may need to repeat a few times, until you gain full control of these really tough weeds.
Once weeds are controlled, dilute the mix to the lower maintenance levels.
Yes, the Weed Terminators are non-toxic in spray form and residue free. Domestic animals need to be away while spraying but can re-enter as soon as the product dries off.
To find the relevent Toxicological information look into the SDS documents on the products pages. Referring to the Contact Organics LocalSafe Weed Terminator Concentrate SDS, page 5 has the relevant Toxicological Information.
Under Toxicity Data it states that consuming greater than 20,000 mg/kg it would kill 50% of rats. Translated - a rat would have to consume 20L of the spray mixture per kg or part thereof, of its own weight to kill it. Therefore a farm animal would have to consume hundreds of litres of spray mixture to reach and exceed this toxicity limit. In a normal spot spraying operation one sprays approximately 10ml per 1 sqm of treated area which is way below the toxicity limit of the product. However, Contact Organics recommend to keep people, pets and farm animals out of the area being sprayed, at least until the product has been absorbed in the plants and dried off.
Contact Organics Weed Terminator Spray Mixture is not detrimental to bees if bees come in touch with the product in the case of spray drift or wet plants after spraying. Acetic acid, the active ingredient, is used in higher concentrations by bee keepers to fumigate beehives to treat Nosema infections or to disinfect equipment used by bee keepers.
No! The Weed Terminators are non-toxic in spray form and residue free.
The Contact Organics Weed Terminator Spray Mixture is not detrimental to bees if bees come in touch with the product in the case of spray drift or wet plants after spraying. Acetic acid, the active ingredient, is used in higher concentrations by bee keepers to fumigate beehives to treat Nosema infections or to disinfect equipment used by bee keepers.
Despite its overall low eco-toxicity and low absolute volume, you should not overspray waterways with Weed Terminator spray mixture. Spot spraying weeds in the vicinity of a creek is fine as the spray mixture will enter the weeds and will be used up during the desiccation process. Spray mixture oversprayed onto the ground is typically absorbed in the soil and neutralized. As the residual product is biodegradable and also naturally occurring it will biodegrade within a couple of weeks resulting in a spray site with no Weed Terminator residues left.
Best way we have found to beat lantana is to use a mulcher slasher like the INO mulcher then when any young shoots sprout you can spray them with LocalSafe Weed Terminator.
You must saturate all leaves with this product for it to be effective. Reducing the volume of leaf also makes the process more economical for you.
Mother-of-millions - Bryophyllum delagoense is a hardy succulent that would need to be sprayed with a strong mix rate of LocalSafe Weed Termiantor : Water of 1:10. We would also cut the plant down and spray new growth for a better economic outcome for you. Ochna has over 80 species, but the most common in your area has a solid firm bark. Once again, repeat the process above and also scrape back the bark on the trunk to expose around 100 to 200mm, what is called the cambium layer. This is a thin green layer under the bark, spray that exposed area at the same time. We have had also success with this method on plants such as black berry and other bramble types.
11. What kind of uses is your non-glyphosate weedkiller approved for, and in which countries?
ExpandContact Organics has developed non-toxic Weed Terminator products from natural ingredients for three key market segments.
HomeSafe Weed Terminator for use around homes and gardens
LocalSafe Weed Terminator for use in public amenities, Councils, schools, parks, playgrounds and verges
FarmSafe Weed Terminator for horticultural, orchard and vineyard applications
Our products have been approved for use in Australia, the USA, New Zealand and Japan. Regulatory submissions for Europe are currently underway.
12. Your weedkiller is based on acetic acid. Isn’t that vinegar? Why don’t people just go out and spray vinegar instead?
ExpandOver many years, environmentally aware gardeners have used vinegar as a basic herbicide. There are many recipes published on the internet that are based on a combination of vinegar, salt and dish washing liquid. If you prepare such a product and spray weeds with it, the initial result looks promising, but it is not really convincing as weeds regrow quickly and hardier weeds are not touched at all.
This is where our product development started and our technology comes into play. Contact Organics’ history is in health science and dietary supplement development. We are specialists in making active ingredients bio-available through cutting edge technology and delivery systems.
We have applied our delivery technology to acetic acid and created our safe range of Weed Terminators that are non-toxic, fast acting and high performing bio-herbicides.
Much of the concern over the health and environmental effects of glyphosate based weedkillers focuses not on the effects of glyphosate alone but on the effects of the adjuvants, both alone and in combination with glyphosate.
How do you know that your adjuvants are safe, both individually and in combination with the active ingredient?
Contact Organics products are based on acetic acid and adjuvants that are all well-known and occur in nature and are on the USA EPA Inerts Products List.
Europe’s TSG Consulting and Chemwatch have conducted independent reviews of Contact Organics raw materials and product compositions and issued their toxicity and eco-toxicity reports, and Safety Data Sheets. These reviews confirm that our products are non-toxic and non-hazardous to the environment at the dilution levels used.
USA EPA also conducted a thorough review of Contact Organics Weed Terminator product and composition. They confirmed our product as a bio-herbicide and is currently progressing with its regulatory approval process.
Has your product had to go through the usual animal toxicity testing that the usual pesticide active ingredients have to go through?
Contact Organics Weed Terminator contains Acetic Acid as active constituent. The main health hazards of the product arise from the acidity of the product. The product is of low acute toxicity.
Acetic Acid is very well understood as an active constituent and there is an abundance of data documenting its toxicity and eco-toxicity. Refer to the 2015 report by European Food Safety Authority
fisportal.mps.hr/download/191-Vinegar.pdf
Based on this large amount of information available, Contact Organics Weed Terminator has not been required to conduct animal studies.
All our other ingredients are on the USA EPA Inerts Product List and are naturally occurring materials. They are well understood and judged as non-toxic or as materials of low toxicity.
13. Spraying acetic acid on plants is likely not only to kill weeds but also to harm various sorts of wildlife, such as beneficial soil organisms, toads, and insects. So, in what way is it safer than glyphosate based weedkiller?
ExpandThe main benefit of the use of Contact Organics Weed Terminator is the low environmental impact of this product. The active ingredient, Acetic Acid, is generally regarded as safe, readily biodegradable and leaves no toxic residue. This product provides a safer alternative to toxic synthetic pesticide-based herbicides.
A leading research university in the USA is conducted a 2-year comparative study of the impact of Contact Organics Weed Terminator and Glyphosate on soil microbiology. Click here to read that report. Please note the product names in the report are the USA product names.
The research to date confirmed that Contact Organics Weed Terminator does not damage soil microbiology.
One of the most damaging organisms to soil health is a fungus known as fusarium. The research laboratory evaluations confirmed that in comparison to glyphosate which caused a dramatic increase of the fusarium Weed Terminator had a dramatic effect on fusarium to the point of almost elimination. Fusarium can contribute significantly to the loss of propagation material.
A most important bacteria known as the Pseudomonas Fluorescens had multiplied dramatically. This particular organism is responsible for the creation of root nodules. Root nodules in turn are responsible for collecting nitrogen from the soil and atmosphere and making it bio-available to the plant.
We are looking forward to the finalization of this important study as it will provide an independent assessment of Weed Terminator and its benefits to the soil microbiology and agriculture.
14. Can I get rid of grassy weeds (Buffalo or Kikuyu) along a pathway, and in an area I want to eventually plant as garden. What is your best product for this and where do I purchase?
ExpandBuffalo and Kikuyu are difficult to control because of their extensive root system. The LocalSafe Weed Terminator can control their growth on garden paths, driveways etc. The advantage to using LocalSafe Weed Terminator is that when you spray along the pathway it will only control what you have sprayed, and you will not get runners that die off in the lawn itself. Spraying in a garden bed will likely require a few resprays in order to kill these perennial grasses.
The HomeSafe Weed Terminator is ready-to-use spray mixture.
The LocalSafe Modules: LocalSafe Weed Terminator & LocalSafe Soil Conditioner, are concentrate packs.
The FarmSafe Modules: FarmSafe Weed Terminator & FarmSafe Soil Conditioner, are concentrate packs.
The LocalSafe Modules: LocalSafe Weed Terminator & LocalSafe Soil Conditioner:
LocalSafe is available in 2L, 10L or 20L Modules
2L Module
1 x 1 litre LocalSafe Weed Terminator
1 x 1 litre LocalSafe Soil Conditioner
Mixed at a ratio of 1:1:20 for mature weeds or 1:1:30 for juvenile weeds
One LocalSafe 2L module can produce between 20-30 litres of spray mixture depending on the dilution level.
10L Module
1 x 5 litre LocalSafe Weed Terminator
1 x 5 litre LocalSafe Soil Conditioner
One LocalSafe 10 litre module can produce between 100-150 litres of spray mixture depending on the dilution level.
&
20L Module
2 x 5 litre LocalSafe Weed Terminator
2 x 5 litre LocalSafe Soil Conditioner
Mixed at a ratio of 1:1:20 for mature weeds or 1:1:30 for juvenile weeds
One LocalSafe 20 litre module can produce between 200-300 litres of spray mixture depending on the dilution level.
Strong, fast impact, limited regrowth
Weed Terminator - Active Ingredient Acetic Acid desiccates weed. Further adjuvants enhancing Acetic Acid’s performance. Better delivery into weed.
Soil Conditioner - enhances soil condition through the delivery of wetting agent, de-clogging agent, micronutrients at ppm level that feeds microbiome in soil. Healthier soil microbiology reduces weed growth.
FarmSafe Weed Terminator plus FarmSafe Soil Conditioner
FarmSafe is available in 400L and 2000L modules
200L Module
1 x 200 litre FarmSafe Weed Terminator
1 x 200 litre FarmSafe Soil Conditioner
1000 Litre Module
1 x 1000 litre FarmSafe Weed Terminator
1 x 1000 litre FarmSafe Soil Conditioner
Mixed at a ratio of 1:1:20 for mature weeds or 1:1:30 for juvenile weeds
One module produces between 20,000-30,000 litres of spray mixture
Strong, fast impact, limited regrowth
Weed Terminator - Active Ingredient Acetic Acid desiccates weed. Further adjuvants enhancing AA performance. Better delivery into weed.
Soil Conditioner - enhances soil condition of soil through the delivery of wetting agent and de-clogging agent. Healthier soil reduces weed growth.
The FarmSafe Soil Conditioner formulation is slightly different it has a lower level of nutrients in it. We proceeded this way in the interest of making it more affordable for large scale agriculture.
LocalSafe Weed Terminator plus LocalSafe Soil Conditioner
LocalSafe is available in 2L, 10L or 20L Modules
2L Module
1 x 1 litre LocalSafe Weed Terminator
1 x 1 litre LocalSafe Soil Conditioner
10L Module
1 x 5 litre LocalSafe Weed Terminator
1 x 5 litre LocalSafe Soil Conditioner
&
20L Module
2 x 5lt LocalSafe Weed Terminator
2 x 5lt LocalSafe Soil Conditioner
Mixed at a ratio of 1:1:20 for mature weeds or 1:1:30 for juvenile weeds
One 2 litre module can produce between 20-30 litres of spray mixture depending on the level of dilution.
One 10 litre module can produce between 100-150 litres of spray mixture depending on the level of dilution.
One 20 litre module can produce between 200-300 litres of spray mixture depending on the level of dilution.
Strong, fast impact, limited regrowth
Weed Terminator - Active Ingredient Acetic Acid desiccates weed. Further adjuvants enhancing Acetic Acid’s performance. Better delivery into weed.
Soil Conditioner - enhances soil condition through the delivery of wetting agent, de-clogging agent, micronutrients at ppm level that feeds microbiome in soil. Healthier soil microbiology reduces weed growth.
FarmSafe Weed Terminator plus FarmSafe Soil Conditioner
FarmSafe is available in 400L and 2000L Modules
400 Litre Module
1 x 200 litre FarmSafe Weed Terminator
1 x 200 litre FarmSafe Soil Conditioner
2000 Litre Module
1 x 1000lt FarmSafe Weed Terminator
1 x 1000lt FarmSafe Soil Conditioner
Mixed at a ratio of 1:1:20 for mature weeds or 1:1:30 for juvenile weeds
One module produces between 20,000-30,000 litres of spray mixture
Strong, fast impact, limited regrowth
Weed Terminator - Active Ingredient Acetic Acid desiccates weed. Further adjuvants enhancing AA performance. Better delivery into weed.
Soil Conditioner - enhances soil condition through the delivery of wetting agent and de-clogging agent. Healthier soil reduces weed growth.
The FarmSafe Soil Conditioner formulation is slightly different it has a lower level of nutrients in it. We proceeded this way in the interest of making it more affordable for large scale agriculture.
17. Whilst spraying weeds at tree bases, can the odor affect plant health and if there is drift onto the trunk/bark of the young tree, will that affect plant health?
ExpandWeed Terminator is a contact herbicide with Acetic Acid as active ingredient. Acetic Acid is in the form of vinegar a naturally occurring product. The vinegar smell is detectable when freshly sprayed but will dissipate over a short period of time.
Weed Terminator spray mixture at a 1:1:20 dilution rate will kill weeds and grasses that have been directly sprayed. Trunk/bark of young trees will not be affected as it is much hardier. If tree leaves are sprayed on, there might be a small level of browning noticeable, but the tree health will not be affected by Weed Terminator spray mixture. Acetic Acid will biodegrade over a 2-4 weeks period and will not leave any residue in the area.
The potency of Weed Terminator product depends on its dilution level. Weed Terminator in fully concentrated form would burn surface roots of young plants. However, at a 1:1:20 dilution level, it will not harm surface roots of young plants when sprayed on weeds in the surrounding area.
Weed Terminator product is based on Acetic Acid and therefore has a low pH. Contact Organics advises not to spray the product directly on waterways. However, as it is being used for weed control through spot spraying and its active ingredient, Acetic Acid, will biodegrade over a shorter period of time, there will not be a large enough inventory of the product in the system to have any impact on aquatic life.
20. If mixed at 50ml/50ml/1000ml and contact/drift is made with human skin what is the consequence?
ExpandPlease consult Weed Terminator spray mixture SDS before spraying. Weed Terminator spray mixture is a non-hazardous product. It contains acetic acid as active ingredient at 50% level of a normal pickling vinegar. However, as it has a lower pH it can cause irritations of the eyes and skin if directly sprayed on or through spray drift. Please wear recommended personal protective equipment and wash your hands after use. Details are included in SDS.
Our products are non-toxic, biodegradable within a couple of weeks, and leave no residue. The product will be absorbed very fast into the plants sprayed.
Children/Pets can enter the area safely when spray has dried off or after a day or so if rainy.
The Weed Terminator products are rain proof after 1 hour but we advise not to conduct a weed spray if rain is expected within 2 hours. The product works by penetrating the weed through its green parts, which need to be covered in the spray mixture. If rain washes the mixture off soon after application you may not see the full potential of our product and need to re-apply. However, depending on the time of day, weather conditions prior to rain, rain amount and weeds targeted, you may still see optimal results even if rain occurs soon after application.
At this stage, our Weed Terminator product has not been certified as input for organic production. The key reason is that our Weed Terminator includes chemically made vinegar of higher concentration to meet our high-performance requirements. The current organic certification scheme does not certify products that include chemically made vinegar.
While we hold patents on organically certifiable herbicides, we focus our business on offering the market a non-toxic, non-residue, high performance and cost effective herbicide. Our Weed Terminator has been formulated from natural ingredients and is non-toxic when it is being applied in a weed spray application.
The HomeSafe Weed Terminator range is available through our online store, it is shipped from our head office in Melbourne, Victoria.
The LocalSafe Weed Terminator and FarmSafe Weed Terminator are available through our resellers and distributors, freight is organized through our networks and it depends the location.
If you have any other question we haven’t answered here, give us a call on 1300 856 540 and we’ll help you out.