If, like me, you are beginning to panic at the sight of all those baby unwanted plants - aka weeds - sprouting in your garden and on your drive and patio, and you refuse to use highly toxic commercial herbicides, then here is an alternative solution. The answer to all your prayers!
A natural, easy to make at home, safe to use, weedkiller.
Reasonably cheap to make, especially compared to commercial weedkillers.
And no need to worry about harming your pets!
Here are 2 recipes for your homemade weedkiller. Mix No 1 is for where you want to kill current weeds, and also to keep the ground free from weeds for as long as you can. Mix No 2 is for where you want to kill selected weeds, and want to plant in the soil immediately, and to leave surrounding plants safe and healthy.
Note: If you want this to be 100% organic, you will need to use totally organic vinegar, salt and washing up liquid.
MIX No 1 - Total Weedkiller for Drives & Patios - (nothing will grow in soil for up to 2 years)
- White distilled vinegar - 1 litre (1.8 UK pints/2.1 US pints)
- Table salt - 60 grams (2.25 ounces)
- Washing up liquid - 1 squirt
- Spray bottle
- Saucepan
Place the vinegar and salt into the saucepan and warm up. Do not bring it to the boil as there is no need. Just enough to dissolve the salt properly.
Add the washing up liquid and stir in well.
Allow to cool, then fill your spray bottle and go kill those pesky blighters !
Remember, if you are storing this mixture, to label your spray bottle clearly, or you are going to be rather upset at all your dead prize geraniums and be wondering why nothing will grow!
MIX No 2 - Weedkiller for Growing Plants Only - (doesn't affect soil, just the plants it touches)
- White distilled vinegar - 1 litre (1.8 UK pints/2.1 US pints)
- Washing up liquid - 1 squirt
- Spray bottle
Mix the vinegar and washing up liquid together well.
Put into your spray bottle and if storing, label it clearly.
- Both mixtures need to be used on a dry, sunny day.
- Both will kill almost all plants on contact (provided enough leaf coverage is obtained).
- Use MIX No 2 (the no salt one) where you want to kill plants in borders, or spot weeds in lawns (be careful as it will also kill the grass), where you still want to be able to grow things in the soil.
- MIX No 1 (with the salt in it) not only kills the plants that it contacts, but due to the salt content will also stop almost all plants growing in the soil for at least a year - so be careful to use the correct mixture in the appropriate place. Inland plants won't grow in soil with a salt content!
- You can multiply up the mixtures for larger quantities for extensive area coverage and/or storage. But remember to label it clearly!
- The washing up liquid helps the vinegar to adhere to the leaves, allowing it more time to work at killing the plant.
- It is the vinegar that does the weed-killing.
- It is the salt that stops anything growing in the soil.
Now go save yourself some money !!!
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