Homemade Weed Killer – 5 Reasons You Should Be Using It
Have you tried this 3 ingredient weed killer? If you are skeptical, maybe I can change your mind.
First things first, the mixture is:
- Mostly white vinegar
- About a 1/4 cup of salt
- A couple of tablespoons (2-3) of Dawn dish soap
If you like precise measurements, I will apologize ahead of time and recommend a quick google search. The important thing to know is that the vinegar and the salt kill the weeds, and the dish soap helps the solution stick to the vegetation. I have heard some folks leave out the salt, but I have not tried this version, so I can’t speak to its effectiveness.
But I can tell you that we have lived in our house for over 20 years, and this is the first year that I feel like I finally have the weeds under control, and it is all thanks to these three ingredients and the tips I am going to share with you.
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Can you relate to this scenario? First, you spend several days watching your yard fill up with more and more weeds. Then, you finally get up the gumption (does anyone use that word anymore?). Anyway, you get the motivation to jump through all the hoops to spray your weeds, and you get it done, but the next day, you find more weeds. It is never-ending, right? Plus, maybe you are like me, and you really don’t like using many unfamiliar chemicals.
But you may be thinking: “Yeah, but the commercial stuff is stronger and last longer” (which in my experience is actually true.) “So it will take me less time and give me better results.” (which I would argue is not true at least in my experience)
But let’s get into the 5 reasons that I use this product and why it works for me.
Number 1 – It kills weeds and grasses
To get right to the point, it does work. Like any weed killer, it works best on smaller weeds, but it will kill the larger weeds as well.
Number 2 – It is non-toxic
This is the key for me. I don’t like working with the commercial weed sprays, and with all of our dogs, I really don’t want to use chemicals in areas where they will be running and lounging.
Number 3 – It is simple and convienent
This is why I don’t have exact measurements. Instead, I use a 48oz bottle, and I pour all the ingredients together and then tip the bottle a couple of times once the lid is secure and it is ready to go. Since these are all grocery items, it is easy to keep stocked up on them so I can mix up a batch whenever I need it.
Number 4 – It is cost effective
You might need to use more of the homemade solution, but even when you ad the cost of a little bit of salt and Dawn dish soap, it is still less expensive than commercial products as you can see from this cost comparison below.
Number 5 – My Trick to Win the War on Weeds – (spray them when you see them)
This is the magic for me, folks! I know it is not that earth-shattering, but it has changed the game for me. Now that I am using a non-toxic weed killer, I don’t have to make such a production of spraying the weeds, and it gets done a lot more often. As a result, you can enjoy a weed-free yard every day with just a couple of minutes every few days.
You can find out more about what changed my mind in the video above.
If you are looking for some fun upcycled yard projects check out these posts you might have missed.
20 Minute Tea Cup Bird Feeder
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The 'weed' you show is Purslane which is an edible plant...boiled & sautéed with onions, tomatoes & chile...no calories...
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Thanks for the info. Interesting.
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This works great! I have a volunteer Siberian Elm (many people call them Chinese Elms.) It is growing on my parking strip close to the city street. The Compliance Officer for the City came by and told me I'd have to get rid of it before. It breaks up the street. I have sprayed it two times. It is looking sad. Yea! Thank you.
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Do you have any ideas how to get rid of major slug infestation? We have tried s lot of suggestions but nothing seems to fully get rid of them. We've tried directly pouring salt on to each slug (works but time consuming and our yard is now mostly dead grass ..egg shells nor coffee grounds did anything.. nor did the beer trap. We can kill easily 50+ every single night they have ruined our fruit bushes and trees. Any help would be appreciated
Our neighbors weeds have grown into our yard through the fence and it's getting very large above the fence does this method work to kill them without cutting them down.?