Homemade Weed Killers That Work
Weed killers that you can so easily pick up at the shops are convenient, but not always the best thing for the environment. We’ve put together some alternatives to help tidy up your garden that are easy to make, cheap and non-toxic.
2 minute read
Vinegar
Vinegar is an acidic liquid with an active ingredient of acetic acid. When this acid comes into contact with leaves and other surfaces of the weed, it draws out moisture, making the plant wither. Full strength vinegar with a high concentration of acetic will kill weeds in the sun in a few hours.
The problem with using vinegar as a weed killer is that it is non-selective, meaning you might end up killing off more of your garden than you originally wanted to. To limit this damage, we suggest using a spray bottle to target the offending areas to save your other plants and precious vegetables from the same fate.
Salt
Common salt, also known as sodium chloride, is an efficient weed killer when applied in the right quantities. Plants, including weeds, get their nutrition through osmosis. This is a process whereby nutrients move from an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration. When salt is applied to the mix, the process is reversed, meaning the soil is more concentrated than inside the plant. This leads to reverse osmosis, where water and nutrients are drawn out of and away from the weeds, killing them through dehydration.
Hot Water
All living organisms have an optimum temperatures at which they are meant to live. Plants are no different. They are made of cells that must operate at their set temperatures. No plant can survive temperatures above 60°C, so pouring hot water on weeds kills them by destroying their cellular structure.
All-Encompassing Mixture
A homemade weed killer that attacks them from all these angles would work best and in a shorter time. This mixture will contain vinegar, salt, soap and hot water. A sample recipe is as follows:
28ml vinegar
170g salt
28ml washing-up liquid
4.5l hot water
Remember that this homemade weed killer can be very dangerous to people too. Take care when applying this mixture and avoid contact with exposed skin, eyes and nose. Remember that it is a non-selective weed killer, so use a spray bottle if you would like to discriminate.
