Homemade weed killer is a topic we approach with perhaps a bit too much interest, and for good reason. We have a child with a very serious allergy issue. It goes far beyond what most people even realize allergies can do to a person. Therefore, we’re pretty serious about eradicating weeds. (Yes, our desert has weeds – lots and lots of weeds.)
We don’t like using chemical weed killers. They’re expensive and controversial.
(It’s not my mission to debate the controversy. Other people can do that. I just offer simple alternatives for those who want or need them.)
We have found it nearly impossible to physically remove every weed from our little ranchette by hand. Can you say, “Losing battle”? But we need to get rid of the future tumbleweeds for the health of our child.
So we improvise.
Here is the simple, affordable solution my resourceful husband concocts for homemade weed killer.
Homemade Weed Killer
Mix the following ingredients:
1 gallon distilled vinegar
2 squirts dish detergent (not dishwasher detergent)
1 cup salt
Apply it to the weeds. Repeat. Repeat. Aaaaannnd done…or maybe repeat.
As with all things pale green (not truly green), homemade weed killer will require repeated applications. It seems to work best on grasses and broad-leaf plants, but you can experiment as you wish.
It also works to use only the vinegar to kill weeds, such as in the cracks of a driveway. Little critters love to eat the vinegary plants. They’d love it even more if you doused them with a little olive oil and added pine nuts and croutons, maybe some freshly cracked pepper.
Of course, nothing is completely without controversy, and that includes this homemade weed killer. It is, however, better than Round-Up, and it is far better than having a seriously sick child throughout the nine-month desert allergy season.
Maybe someday we’ll discover a completely green and equally simple concoction, but until then we’re doing our best and not sweating the rest!
I haven’t the remotest idea where this homemade weed killer recipe came from. If it is yours, please let me know so I can credit you. Thank you.
Photo of Joshua Trees in the Mojave Desert supplied by Zemanta. No Joshua Trees were harmed in the making of this homemade weed killer.
This DOES work, but you may have to apply it repeatedly before the root dies. The leaves will die right away, but they may grow back until the root dies. Great blog!
What Steve said! Thanks. 🙂
You can also go with a stronger vinegar.
Is this a kill-all solution or can it be used without killing the grass I want to keep?
Hi Larry,
This will kill everything, but not permanently. In other words, the roots will not be damaged initially. The grass will grow back, but so will the weeds. To kill the weeds faster, it needs repeated application or a stronger vinegar.
Christy
“They’d love it even more if you doused them with a little olive oil and added pine nuts and croutons, maybe some freshly cracked pepper.” I have to say I loved that, it made me laugh so much that I had to leave you a “Thank You”. 🙂
What a nice comment to find this morning! Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to put a smile on my face. 🙂