Homemade Weed Killer

Almost everywhere you look in your yard and garden you are going to find weeds. We like to use a Homemade Weed Killer whenever possible. Here are 5 homemade weed killers you can make to use on your weeds.

Weeds are part of nature, some of them can be beneficial to bees and other animals. But that doesn’t mean we need to let them choke out the plants in our yard that we actually want there.

As we get older we become wiser to the healthier and less toxic alternatives to killing weeds in the garden. I’ve used Round-Up for years but recently I’ve felt the desire to go a more natural route to control the weeds in our property.

We want to have it all, the green lush weed-free grass and a garden with not a weed in sight. But we also want to protect the environment and all the pollinators that make it possible to grow the food we eat. Using a homemade weed killer lets’ you do both.

Vinegar Weed Killer

This basic mixture of vinegar and liquid dish soap is effective on many small weeds. It works best when you apply it to small weeds when there is full sun and temperatures are 65 degrees or higher.

The dish soap helps the vinegar penetrate the leaf surface so it can do its’ job.

The addition of salt to the mixture makes it more effective but can cause injury to desirable plants and limit your ability to plant in the treated area.

Large Batch Formula for Vinegar Weed Killer

• 1 gallon White Vinegar
• ¼ cup Liquid Dish Soap
• 1 cup Epsom salt (use with caution)

Using Salt to Kill Weeds

As mentioned above the addition of salt to any mixture can increase the ability to kill those hard to kill weeds. You can even sprinkle Epsom salt directly on weeds to control them.

Using a mixture of salt and water should be used with caution if you are applying it to any areas other than concrete, driveways, patios, and sidewalks.

The key to using salt effectively is to start your use early in the season when weeds are under 1-2 inches in height. Spray the areas with the salt mixture every 4 weeks to maintain control throughout the season.

The longer you use this method the more effective it will become since you are basically raising the salt concentration in the soil to a level that plants will not grow.

Driveway and Patio Weed Killer

• 1-gallon hot water
• 4 tablespoons Epson salt

Creeping Charlie Weed Killer with Borax

Creeping Charlie is a common invasive plant in most lawns. As a low-growing perennial with very aggressive growth, it can quickly choke out desirable grass species in your lawn.

Using Borax in this weed killer formula works well to kill the Creeping Charlie and not kill your grass. But you still need to exercise caution when you use it and not over apply the spray mixture. Excessive use of Borax can damage or even kill your lawn making it necessary to reseed.

Natural Creeping Charlie Weed Killer Formula (400 sq.ft. coverage)

• 1-gallon warm water
• 4 ounces Twenty Mule Team Borax

Natural Weed Killer

Get an early start with your weed control by stopping the weeds before they emerge by using an item you can find at most greenhouses or garden centers.

Corn Gluten Meal which is the main ingredient in Preen can be used to prevent the seeds of weeds from growing. It is not effective on weeds after they have emerged so it is important to apply this early.

It is safe to use on your lawn and in the garden and flower beds. If you are using this in your garden around vegetables you are starting from seeds you need to let the vegetable plants emerge before you spread the corn gluten meal.

There is some misinformation out there that you can use the cornmeal in your pantry to kill weeds. This is wrong, the corneal in your pantry is just ground corn and has little to no effect on weeds. You will want to use Corn Gluten Meal which is a by-product of certain grain processing.

Places to find Corn Gluten Meal

• Greenhouses
• Garden Centers
• Livestock Feed Mills

How to use Cornmeal to control weeds

Apply at the rate of 20 pounds per 1000 sq ft. prior to weed emergence.

Rubbing Alcohol Spot Treatment to Kill Weeds

Using rubbing alcohol to kill weeds is easy but does require a daily application for full control of your weeds. Which is why I recommend this formula only for spot treatments.

Spot Treatment Formula for a quart spray bottle

• 4 tablespoons Rubbing Alcohol
• 1-quart water

Do you use a homemade weed killer? Let’s chat below in the comments.

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