Spring is in the air, and we all know what that means: weeds are in full flourish.
Normally, I would just take a couple hours once every weekend and proceed to stoop down and yank these weeds out while tending to my housekeeping duties. This year, though, I’ve decided to try something different: a natural weed killer.
Why did it take me this long to abandon the back-grinding ritual of pulling weeds by hand?
Honestly, I don’t know! But what I do know is that I didn’t care to spray weed killing chemicals all over my backyard. I simply didn’t want to poison the ground — or myself in the process — with synthetics that could cause cancer or other health maladies down the road.
So, I started searching for natural weed killers and was pleasantly surprised to learn that there are a few effective recipes for killing weeds naturally.
Being that I neither have a degree in organic chemistry nor a pantry full of expensive natural lotions and potions, I started looking for the simplest, most frugal, highly effective natural weed killer I could find.
Sure enough, I stumbled upon a really great recipe that kills weeds naturally and doesn’t cost a fortune to make!
Natural Weed Killer Recipe
This natural weed killer recipe requires very few ingredients. In fact, you probably already have everything you need to make it.
Here’s what you will need:
- Spray bottle
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Dish soap
In my case, I used a 16-ounce spray bottle and nearly filled it with white vinegar.
I then added 1/4 cup of salt and 2 teaspoons of dish soap and shook the bottle really well.
After letting all the contents settle for a moment, I excitedly marched outdoors — my bottle of environmentally friendly weed killer in hand — and headed toward a patch of weeds that I was just dying to try this brew on.
How Well Did This Natural Weed Killer Work?
I proceeded to spray a liberal amount of this sudsy (don’t forget the dish soap!) weed killer on about a square foot of weeds that I swore were visibly growing right before my very eyes.
After ensuring every last square inch of the miniature thicket of weeds was laden with the natural weed killer, I went back indoors, waiting for time to pass so I could see the results.
An hour passed before I trekked back outside to see if any of the weeds had begun to surrender to the vinegar-based herbicide.
Sure enough, much to my delight, the weeds not only were showing signs of death, some already clearly had fully succumbed to the highly acidic weed killer.
The weeds that were not laying limp on the ground were starting to curl at the leaves and they were looking quite weak in color.
Tips, Tricks & Cautions When Using Natural Weed Killer
Just as you would take caution when spraying herbicide that you buy at the big box stores, you need to be careful not to apply this natural weed killer on the plants you want to keep.
So, be careful when you’re spraying this natural weed killer, and don’t let any of it splash on any of the green areas that you want to keep green!
Also, you want to spray your natural weed killer when the sun is high in the sky. While the high acidity of the weed killer will still spell the end for any plant that it touches no matter how direct the sunlight, spraying in full sun around noon can expedite the chemical reactions necessary to kill the weeds.
Early afternoon is when I sprayed the weeds in my backyard, and the incredible results came pretty quickly.
There are other ways to exercise your “green” thumb in the yard, too. For example, you could try making a compost bin. Or reuse plastic pots from the nursery. You could even use cisterns to collect rain water for irrigation. And don’t forget to clean your gardening tools using natural cleaning products like baking soda and vinegar.
More Vinegar Natural Weed Killer Recipes
- Vinegar Weed Killer: Grandma’s Recipe For Fast Weed Control
- Got Weeds? Use Vinegar, Not Round Up
- White Vinegar As An Organic Weed Killer
- Make Your Own Weed Killer With Vinegar & Soap
- Comparing Vinegar Weed Killer Recipes
As an advocate for good health, I usually try to choose the ‘greener’ option over other more dangerous and/or wasteful options. Generally speaking, if it’s bad for your health or the planet, I try to avoid it. In my effort to live green, I like to find new (healthier) budget-friendly ways to do things — from cleaning to recycling to home decorating. My goal is to help you take the chore out of living green by sharing fun new ecofriendly ideas that you can try today… or any day! My all-time favorite way to live green is to repurpose items and give them a new use — and I’ve written a lot of DIY articles showing how I’ve done it.
