Do you hate the weeds? We do! We have many parts of our yard covered in weed barrier, a project that we have been slowly working on over the years. It works great for some areas, but some simply cannot be covered, or we get these weeds that seep through the barrier, especially on the sides. Not to mention the pesky weeds that grow between the concrete divides or cracks.
Well, we personally are not a fan of either Weed-B-Gone or Round Up or other similar formulas for a very harsh way to kill weeds. We have concerns with it in regards to our foods growing in our gardens – we have 6 sq. foot boxes growing hundreds of plants, potato tower, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, strawberries, goji berries, container blueberries, container asparagus, 2 plum trees, 2 apple trees, 1 pear tree, 2 lemon trees and 1 peach tree. And our lot is only 1/4 acre and that 1/4 acre includes the space our house takes up.
So why am I telling you this? It’s because we have a lot in a small space. If we start spraying chemicals all over our yard, or even in specific spots, it will most likely drift to our food somewhere. In addition, not only do we want our gardens protected, but our kids! We have a playhouse, sandbox, swingset and trampoline that take up the other spaces in our yard = kids everywhere else where food is not growing. Not to mention the dangers to pets as well.
My aunt is a professor at MIT. She has become a leading published expert on the dangers of RoundUp and interviewed by many leading health professionals on the topic. One of her goals is to inform as many as she can about RoundUp. So just for her sake, she would be very disappointed if we exposed our kids or foods to it. 🙂
Well, we do pull, sweat, tug, fight, sweat some more, wrestle and get down right dirty with the weeds in our yard as a non-harsh chemical way of dealing with them. But…..we were getting tired of the physical fights with them. So I hopped online and checked out garden forums that I follow to see what others were doing.
Vinegar in and of itself has been a decent natural response, but not as effective as I was hoping for some weeds.
I needed a concoction that will work a bit hard than just vinegar by itself.
So in the course of my research, I discovered “key” ingredients to get a better job done.
1. Vinegar – This is the main ingredient and the core and base of any natural weed killing recipe. What you actually add to your vinegar will determine the amount of increase of performance. The reason why this works is that white distilled vinegar that you can buy at nearly any store for household use contains 3-5% acetic acid. What is acetic acid? Well, it is a desiccant and this means it removes moisture. So, when you spray it on weeds and plants, the water in the leaves is drawn and the “above ground” foliage dies off. In some plants, it may reach the root, but not as often as we would hope. Also, vinegar may not really work for some weeds and plants that have a waxy coating or other natural barrier on them. However, it is still your primary and main ingredient – that’s a good thing because it is cheap too!
So now the other ingredients that you add to this base is what is going to take this to the next level.
2. Salt – Salt is another very effective component and complement to a natural weed killing recipe. Regular ol’ salt of any kind is based on sodium chloride (most every salt except epsom) is easy to find and cheap. Salt, like vinegar, is also a desiccant, so it too will dry out the leaves, stems and potentially get to the roots of the weed/plant. Basically by combining it with vinegar, you make the solution “extra strength.”
3. Oil – Oil is the secret ingredient. Oil can be used directly or found within soaps containing a high concentration of oil; soap is the most popular oil form used in homemade weed killers. Oils break down the waxy coatings or other natural barriers that many weeds and plants produce to protect their leaves. By breaking this down, you give a straight shot for the vinegar and salt to do it’s job. In addition, oils and soaps break the tension water on surfaces, which allows for the mixture to stay on the plant and not “run off” like just vinegar or vinegar/salt will do, again giving more ability for the vinegar and salt to penetrate and kill the weeds before slipping off the surface.
As mentioned, you can use oil directly or you can use certain soaps as most are oil based. From my research, the best soap to use is the classic blue Dawn dish soap – the “grease” cutting power in this dish soap is most effective. Using dish soaps that contain extra ingredients or that are moisturizing will not be very effective as they provide a coating. So it really needs to be the classic blue dawn. You can also use vegetable/canola oils and even coconut oil. If you choose the coconut oil however, you will need to heat to liquify it and use it immediately.
4. Citrus Based Essential Oils (optional) – If you want to make a super formula that will be even more effective – add several drops of citrus based essential oil – lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit. Essential oils are the highly concentrated drops of oil from a particular plant or food – in this case the oil is extracted from the peel of these fruits. There are many beneficial therapeautic uses for citrus essential oils at home and for personal use – in fact you can see 17 Helpful Household Uses for Lemon Essential Oil HERE. One precaution for personal use of essential oils is that you should not be exposed to sunlight for 24 hours; well, that same rule is good for plants and weeds as this will cause the weeds to be exposed to the burning factor or sunlight and burn and die.
So now that I have given you the basis for the ingredients that you can use to make a super effective weed killer, let me share the recipe with you that I created based on these facts.
What you need:
- 2 cups vinegar
- 1 TBSP salt
- 2 TBSP dawn or oils
- Several drops of citrus based essential oil (optional)
- Spray bottle (you will need 20 oz. minimum)
- Funnel
To make:
- Pour about 1 cup of vinegar in your spray bottle
- Then add the salt
- Add the oil or blue Dawn
- Finally, use the remaining vinegar to also wash out the funnel from the oil/soap to collect it all
- Put the lid back on and shake it well!
- Then use it on the weeds/plants you want to kill. You can really spray it on any part of the weed and the ingredients will do it’s job!
- Depending on the weed, it make take another application or two over a few day period.
- Be careful to not spray near plants that you want to live as this will kill wanted plants too!
That’s it! And this works well! You will want to spray the leaves and even the roots. This is an example of a weed next to our house that I sprayed and came back 18 hours later to snap this picture. It usually takes a couple of days. Now some weeds may need a second treatment as well after 2 days.
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Patricia
I’ve read that using salt in a homemade weed killer will damage the soil so that nothing will grow there. Do you know if this is true?
Cassie
I didn’t see that in my research, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. However it will kill anything that it is sprayed on, including things that you want living. Vinegar is more harsh than salt, so I would assume that this would be more problematic for future growing. However, I have used Vinegar a lot in the past and didn’t have problems with things growing in the future in those areas. It could be just on the surface for a time. I don’t think salt alone would do much. Many do use salt for a positive natural gardening solution anyway (soil conditioner and more). That’s my extent of knowledge. I wouldn’t use this just anywhere, but where you would want to use weed-b-gone or RoundUp, which is good for future growing conditions either.
Michelle
I’ve read that as well. I might try the recipe without the salt and see how it works.
Tommy
Well. I made a mix of water and…well let’s just call it a ton of salt. I sprayed it on a patch of unwanted grass and some weeds. The grass is a bit yellow, now some weeks later, but it’s still there and starting to green up again. I made another mix as in the above directions, vinegar, salt, dawn and sprayed another area needing weeding. I used extra! Three quarts over a couple of week period of multiple applications. My last mix I made heavy with extra salt. It took awhile but it finally killed everything. “BUT” in a couple of weeks it is all now growing back. The areas I sprayed with Roundup (which I don’t want to use anymore) is dead right down to pure dirt. And it has been dead for a long while. I guess your millage may vary with this stuff.
Steven
Probably remaining seed growth. Repeat the process over the up coming weeks as you see the “new” growth appear. Then all will be gone…naturally
!
Mac
Large amounts of Salt is harmful to the soil but in small amounts at a time that is not a problem.
Bob Cooper
Small amounts of salt used over time? You know SALT doesn’t go away, like the vinegar will. It will connect in the soil, and that spot will never grow anything again. At least not for a few years!! Be careful when applying salt to your yard!!
Shannon Bartlett
Try SEA SALT, I’ve never had problems with soil.
James Lewicki
Continued application of salt will indeed damage soil fertility long term and eventually prevent the growth of most non-salt tolerant plants once the salt levels have increased sufficiently. Once in the soil, salt is also difficult to get rid of. So be mindful that if you use this extensively and repeatedly you may be damaging your soil.
Norman Blackmore
do not add salt if you ever want to grow anything in that soil again!!!
John
Hence “salting the earth” or “sowing the earth with salt” to prevent conquered cities from re-establishment.
Just a gardening tip from 4000 years ago…
Rebecca Tamietti
Love the gardening tip John, made my day.
Shirley Coleman
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have problems walking, especially in my garden beds which are on a hilly terrain. Carrying a small spray bottle of this is so much easier than carrying a large bottle of poison. I’ve tried it and it actually kills weeds faster than the poisons. And I feel much better using this outside where there are animals.
bridget
Just did this yesterday….. and last week….. the poison ivy is started to wilt!
Need to do more than once but it is working. ALso used epson salts instead of regular salt.. Good to use.
Ejis Anton
using epsom salts is couter productive as it lowers pH of soil and helps some plants absorb nutrients.. depending on the plant/soil
Mark Harris
Using epsom salts actually is a trick used by old time bell pepper growers to spur the size of those green beauties – just a pinch into the hole as you put the seedling in and you will get 5 to 6 inch peppers to stuff for dinner. I know this works because I did it in my raised bed.
Joan
used a recipe of: 1 gallon Vinegar; 2 Cups Epson Salts; & 1/4 cup blue Dawn soap. It killed the weeds and grass. Hopefully, the grass will come back over time.
Dodi
Do you have to wait till its dry out to use this, or so many hours before it rains???
Linda Mcginnis
Yes this is the mix I use to kill thistle in the pasture and not harm animals.
Michael
Why use blue Dawn? Can I just use cheap dish soap?
Dan Andrs
Dawn has a petroleum based solvent as a grease cutter. It should be the most effective. I don’t know if any other dish soap or generic is the same. I have heard of using a dilution of Zep as a herbicide and that it does not have petroleum solvent since it is a commercial cleaner — commercial cleaners are supposed to be safer than home products. My comments on Zep should be checked — not taken as fact.
Vanessa @ Green Global Travel
Thanks for sharing this really simple non-toxic homemade weed killer! I’ve heard so many awful things about Roundup as well that just keep getting worse, and it seems going back to have a variety of plants and using some natural methods make it work out just fine.
james Hatcher
FYI:
You are simply mistaken as are many uninformed gardeners. Roundup is a very safe weed/grass killer. It kills only on contact with leaf surfaces. Cover any desirable flowers, shrubs or vegetables with either cardboard or plastic. Once Roundup contacts the soil, it immediately becomes inactive, It is chemically impossible for any plant to absorb Roundup thru the soil. You really should check your facts before you spout off your ‘so called home made weed killer remedies’. Vinegar will kill the tops of many weeds. However, it will not kill the roots..From a Dallas County Master gardener for 20 years.
Sigrid
So I’m assuming you went to Harvard and did your own research? http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/05/15/new-harvard-study-proves-why-the-bees-are-all-disappearing/
Ray
Monsanto, has a profit motive for telling everyone glyphosate is safe, but it is well documented to be detrimental to human health. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945755/
Willy B
You are so wrong. Studies since 2009 show that Roundup stays with the plant and has been banned in many countries.
Kit
I am saddened and shocked to see intelligent people like yourself who still are not aware of the plethora of information and research that shows how very detrimental glyphosate is. The only companies defending its use and professing it to be “safe” are those who are producing and supplying it, or paying for studies to defend their financial interests. I say always use the most benign options you can find.
Lynette Artin
Round-up is NOT safe. Anything that Monsanto creates has proven NOT to be safe, it also proves that money can buy your way through anything as the government has already proven with their non-regulatory requirements of all GMO foods directly from none other than Monsanto!
Russell
James, there is plenty of data out there that would disagree with you. Here is one example of many:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/09/monsanto-roundup-herbicide.aspx
Don’t choke on that Monsanto koolaid.
andrea
autism connection, just like vaccination. A study or 2, by a professor whose son has autism….biased reporting.
Sheryl
The one they don’t want you to know about, is the global epidemic of kidney disease, directly linked to Roundup in our food. This is just one of many articles: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/dramatic-increase-kidney-disease-us-and-abroad-linked-roundup-glyphosate.
bobby
so true. not all studies are correct.
marcy Scrot
And roundup is toxic to bees bird and butterflies without which you could not be a gardener, master or not. Your view is short sighted.
Russeltheplantguy
I have to chime in here… of course these are ‘alternative’ to killing things. Remember from your history books when they would salt fields to destroy populations before invading? Things don’t grow in salt; when the ionic compound dissolves it creates a saline solution around the roots, making osmosis impossible. Vinegar acidifies and releases huge amount of hydrogen ions into the soil, driving the pH down to the point where absorption of positive ions is impossible. These aren’t selective ‘weed killers’ at all, and will change the composition and pH of your soil over time.
There is no SAFE way to kill weeds other than pull them. Try using a per-emergent like corn gluten if you don’t want to keep pulling.
C
I wish I could like your comment! You are exactly right, there is absolutely no safe way to kill weeds other than pull them up root and all.
Dish soap is NOT natural.
Vinegar while natural changes the pH of not only your soil but everyone else’s around you.
Salt will weaken all plants grown in that spot until the salt is completely washed away. If you are using table salt this is even worse because as it washes away from your garden the iodized particles are now invading your neighbours. Sea salt is at least a natural salt. Epsom salt is not a salt at all but rather magnesium sulphate which changes the pH of your soil yet again.
If you are going to garden be prepared to pull some weeds, if not go support a local farm that does.
Mary
Weeding does not always work, either. In my case, I have a neighbor’s 20 year established English Ivy killing my lilac and my fence. Even if I spent 6 or 7 days of sweat and every imaginable garden tool, the ivy would just laugh at me and grow right back. I could go ask (or even demand) that my neighbor remove the ivy at the base plant, but he is about 75 years old….he would die of a heart attack before he could accomplish the task. At least this vinegar, salt, oil combo is working as a natural curb to the ivy creeping to my side of the fence, thereby saving said fence from crumbling. As for “killing” the soil…I will concede to that price, as my alternative is to kill a lilac and a fence.
Toni
Thank you for posting this recipe! It worked very well. I forgot to use the essential oil in the first batch I made but was still pleased with the results. I’m getting ready to make a second batch using the EO and see how big of a difference it makes.
Andy
I have a large greenhouse operation and require to kill the weeds outside the houses to prevent airborne seeds and rhizomes from invading the inside of the houses. I see the recipes suggested but I am talking acres of weed control. What concentrations would I have to use to kill the weeds for this size of operation.? Not that I want to use round up but I know that the alternative to control this size of operation would keep me spraying vinegar and soap and salt over and over and over again all summer long.
Any suggestions on what I would have to do to do a control this size??
$portsFan
Buy expensive pellets for weed (not grass) control product at local Hardware….. Or a concentrated solution to mix with water from high end store and spray. Use a spreader connected to a tractor if area is big, No way out of that! These recipes are too kill everything on the ground…..I’m sure you don’t want a dirt pile eroding away in lieu of a green lawn…..
Carrie
Spread crusher run rock and/or rock dust. It will significantly reduce the number of weeds.
Sherry
How do I get creeping charlie killed in my asparagus patch? Tried salt with minimal results
Donna McFadden
i feel like this works mostly on broadleaf weeds
Bubba Jones
FYI #2 Salt, it should read “complement”, not “compliment”. Both words have completely different meanings.
Cassie
LOL! Thank you for that. I know the difference, but didn’t catch that one. 🙂
Judy young
Going to try it next week.
karen keane
Hi! is this solution systemic or topical? I need systemic, and want to avoid roundup
Jane Jerdan
The best completely safe weed killer for small spaces (patios, paving, and individual weeds in difficult to weed places, and in my case a gravel path and patio) was given by Bob Flowerdew on gardeners question time. A kettle of boiling water! Every time you boil the kettle for a cup of tea etc. take the remaining water straight outside and pour it on.
For myself I cleared a completely overgrown patio by just boiling the kettle over and over again but now, a year later, it is just the left over water from a cup of tea once a week. Brilliant!
Christine
Perfect! Simple formula (LOL), inexpensive, non-toxic, and oh-so-easy to use! Thanks!
Russell
I (a retired orchardist) also am keen on finding a Roundup alternative but one that is systemic, rather than some concoction that just burns off the tops for a week or three.
I don’t wish to harm the soil or worm life, man, insect, bird or beast.
I am trying to establish a Forest Garden on an acre of good soil, which is covered with a weed that in New Zealand, call “Twitch”. It has just as much root, as it has growth on the sunny side.
I can find no way, other than digging it by hand (& using a sieve) than to cover the ground with a heavy black plastic, such as one that goes under a new house’s concrete pad. I find it has to be there for almost a year to kill everything beneath.
I’ve tried newspaper coverings. (doesn’t last long enough unless with deep layer of bark chips on top.
Old carpet (upside down) is ok but the roots of some weeds like the moisture it can hold and it doesn’t seem to be a system that kills off the group of weed species which have masses or roots. (like Twitch, Cooch, Kikuyu)
Us humans have been so CONDITIONED to “MUST HAVE” the tidy, false, expensive un-natural environment that is weed free, have clean sharp edges and straight lines. I’m the same,…. but the question has to be asked…. WHY DO WE HAVE THESE RIDICULOUS STANDARDS?
I’m fighting that same ‘conditioning’ that are prevalent in so many ways within our Western way of life. And its just so amazing when one gets to the point, where we question everything that we think is normal, or the right way to live.
We have got to the point where we have ‘ditched’ the city life for a life where we grow as much of our own tucker (food) as we can and now, live Off Grid.
Major changes & its exciting. Its scary. Its awakening to ones lack of knowledge about basic things but amazingly satisfying to achieve a solution.
The Net’s search engines & Youtube are brilliant teachers! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
There is SO MANY people out there, with sharing & love in the hearts.
BUT WE STILL HAVE THOSE DAMB WEED PROBLEMS!
Nostalrius
Awesome post. I read your posts all the time and you always do a good job articulating the
whatever topic you’re writing about. Btw, I shared this on Twitter
and my followers loved it. Keep up the great work!
Barbie
I’ve been using chemicals to kill my weeds, but a friend just sent me this recipe. My question: If I get overspray from weed to my precious plants and succulents, will my plants die too?
Steven
salt neutralizes acid. so adding salt to vinegar diminishes the effectiveness of your main ingredient.
Patric Hamilton
I apologize for being disagreeable, but I have tried all the combinations of ingredients with vinegar, and got less than spectacular results. The vinegar won’t even touch many weeds, as a matter of fact they seem to enjoy a drink of liquid.
I’ve spent well over $50 on vinegar this year, and the weeds are still there. Some will disappear for a couple of weeks, but they’re right back. Some don’t change at all.
I also don’t want to use roundup, but none of the natural solutions actually work.
Salt on the ground is a poor idea. So is oil. Really no better than pouring diesel on weeds like people used to do.
You have to either pull the weeds by hand, or use roundup. That’s just the way it is right now.
Hope I didn’t step on any toes.
Bubby
Let me tell you a story. I made a beautiful hard pan gravel walkway about 7 years ago. I lined the edges with bricks set into the ground. Each year more and more weeds popped up through the hard pan. I use to just use roundup and no problem. But I’ve let it go over the years and you can hardly see it anymore. Now let’s talk about salt in the soil. Every winter I still treat the sidewalk with,,,, wait for it, Rock Salt. Maybe I have alien soil. But every year the weeds come back bigger and better.
Go figure.
Thomas Falater
This does work but it takes two or three applications. I used it on unwanted cacti here in New Mexico. Thomas Falater
Ejis Anton
The safest way to kill weeds is to buy a goat and chain it near the location of the plants that you wish to eradicate.
Be warned, however, this method will also kill non-weeds as well. This method will keep that area free of weeds for up to 15-18 years, depending on how well you maintain/pet said goat
Kim
Thank you so much for this healthy solution. Amazing that you have shared with everybody. Greetings to your aunt from MIT. I’m going to save it and use it.
Dee | Grammy's Grid
We haven’t found anything that works, homemade or store bought. An employee of our electricity company gave us a small sample of the formula they use to keep the power lines free of trees and brush, trying it this weekend, hope it works.
Judie Rebele
I’ve had a problem about the salt not dissolving and clogging up the sprayer. Any ideas?
Curtis Culwell
I’ve been pondering the use of a concoction like this, applied to individual leaves with a cotton ball. I’ve used a surgical clamp to hold it. I’ve got these nasty little round-leaved weeds that are cotton-ball sized. I did this thinking I’d spare the grass but still wound up with patches of collateral damage (death) around the offending weeds. Fortunately the grass I planted grew but now I am wondering if this approach with the above mix might have better results. Would love to hear any thoughts about this.
Curtis Culwell
Note– I did this with Roundup. And again, surrounding patches of grass died along with the carefully poisoned weeds.
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Carol
How long does this solution work? When could you plant in the treated dirt?