Home Remedies for Weed Control

Our garden is planted and seedlings have started sprouting up and so have the weeds. No matter how much we try to keep those weeds away, they pop up everywhere. They are in the garden, among the flowers, also along sidewalks and in our strawberry patch. There are a wide variety of weed killers that can be bought at the store but we like to keep our killing spray as natural as we can. Having small children, pets and a concern for the environment we are taking a natural approach to weed killing.

Long before sprays were available at stores people were using homemade remedies for weed control. Here are some household items my grandmother and other family members used with great success to get rid of weeds. A bonus is all of these ingredients are supplies you probably have on hand at home and don’t cost much to buy.

1. Boiling water. Boil a kettle of water and pour the hot water over the weeds you want killed. I like this idea for sidewalks. Not only does the water kill the weeds, it also cleans an area of the sidewalk.
2. Vinegar. Choose a jug of vinegar with a 5 or higher % of acetic acid in the vinegar. Don’t dilute the vinegar for best results. Spray the vinegar on the weeds on a hot day and watch those pesky weeds shrivel up and die.
3. Salt. A warning – using a significant amount of salt will cause damage to the soil. Ideally using a salt spray where you don’t want any plant growth like sidewalks, patio block areas, driveways etc. Use a ratio of 1 part salt to 2 parts water. Try not to use salt in the garden near vegetables.
4. Vinegar & Salt. Combine 1 ¼ cups table salt with 1 gallon vinegar. Spray on weeds.
5. Liquid Dish Detergent. Mix 1 part liquid dish detergent with 10 parts water. Saturate the weed with this solution.
6. Vinegar & Liquid Dish Detergent. Using a large spray bottle. Fill with vinegar. Add 2 squirts of liquid dish detergent.

A favorite weed spray of my Grandmother is:

• 1 gallon vinegar
• 1 cup Epson salt
• 1 tablespoon Dawn liquid dish detergent

Mix together and spray on weeds during the hottest time of day.

Typically one application of any of these should work to kill the weeds, if not apply another application. Using these less toxic weed killers are environmentally friendly and less toxic if you happen to inhale some while spraying the weeds.

Hope home remedies help to control the weeds in your yard and save you money. Happy weed killing!

Amazing Uses for Vinegar