Homemade Weed Killer Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Homemade Weed Killer Recipes? ›

One of the most powerful homemade weed killers is by mixing vinegar, salt, and washing up liquid. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which acts as a desiccant, drawing moisture out of plant leaves, while salt dehydrates the plant further and washing up liquid helps the solution adhere to the weeds.

Recipe 1: Household Vinegar and Dish Soap Spray

Mix one gallon of white vinegar with one cup of dish soap. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Shake well before use. Spray the solution directly onto the weeds, making sure to cover the leaves thoroughly.

4 cups of vinegar to half a cup of salt and two teaspoons of washing up liquid or multiples thereof. Be aware it will kill treasured plants nearby if not used with care, either spray on on a sunny day or paint on leaves with a paintbrush or wipe on with a cloth.

How to make homemade weed killer. To make homemade weed killer, stir together 1 gallon of vinegar, 1 cup of salt, and 1 tablespoon of dish soap. Pour it into a spray bottle and thoroughly spray the weeds. This solution is most effective when it's applied while weeds are actively growing, says Elworthy.

One of the most powerful homemade weed killers is by mixing vinegar, salt, and washing up liquid. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which acts as a desiccant, drawing moisture out of plant leaves, while salt dehydrates the plant further and washing up liquid helps the solution adhere to the weeds.

A vinegar solution is one of the most common homemade weed killers. All you need are: Distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or cleaning vinegar. To be the most effective, the acetic acid concentration in the vinegar should be above 11% to burn and kill the plant.

Substances that Kill Weeds Permanently

Bleach is highly effective in killing mature weeds, and unlike vinegar, will prevent new weeds from coming back because it remains in the soil.

Vinegar is acidic and will eventually kill most broadleaf weeds, but the acid will kill the leaves before reaching the root system, and the weeds may grow back quickly. For longer-lasting removal, mix 1 cup of table salt with 1 gallon of vinegar. Salt dries out the weed's root system.

The Takeaway. To eradicate weeds effectively, the roots need to be killed, not just the top growth, which synthetic weed killers do successfully. The bottom line is that mixing vinegar with Epsom salts or table salt and liquid dish soap does not make a safe, effective weed killer.

When looking for a natural alternative to herbicides, a co*cktail of vinegar, salt and liquid dish soap has all of the ingredients needed to quickly kill weeds.

Is vinegar as good as Roundup? ›

The acetic acid in even household vinegar was MORE toxic than Roundup! Going one step further, in this case a comparison of rate of application is a moot point. A 1% solution of glyphosate will kill most any annual weed listed on the label, and also the majority of perennial weeds.

Vinegar kills most young weeds within 24 hours, so check the area you sprayed during the next 2–3 days to see if they wither away. If the weeds are still standing tall or developing new growth, coat them with more of the vinegar solution. Keep checking and spraying the weeds until they completely die out.

In short, salt is an effective non-toxic herbicide. However, not all salt is created equal when it comes to weed control. Regular iodized or non-iodized table salt must be used. Check the package to ensure you are using sodium chloride, not magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts), rock salt, or sea salt.

Combine four parts vinegar to one part water. Add about an ounce of dish soap to a gallon of the mixture. Mix well in a spray bottle or other container (if you are not spraying the mix).

The vinegar and salt mix is a contact weed killer, meaning that it only kills the part of the plants that it touches. Contrary to some myths that I've read, a foliar spray absolutely does not kill roots. Most weeds sprout back from the roots within a few short weeks of being sprayed with vinegar.

To make an affordable, non-toxic weed killer, use a funnel to add 1/2 cup of Epsom salt, a quart of white vinegar, and a few squirts of dish detergent to a spray bottle. Shake it up and spray directly on weeds. The detergent will help it stick to the leaves. Within two or three days, the weed will dry up and die.