Many of our clients are looking for alternatives to industrial herbicides that will allow them to preserve and maintain a clean environment after investing in native plants for their ecological advantages. 

We are frequently asked about the safest and most effective technique to eliminate weeds. Hand-pulling weeds are always the safest approach, and it is the greatest solution for small-scale problems. 

Herbicides, on the other hand, may be more practical at times. However, there is an alternative: a DIY weed killer prepared from natural pantry goods that will do the trick.

How to Make Homemade Weed Killer? The Recipe

Fill a bucket with 1 gallon of white vinegar. It’s safe to use 5% white vinegar from the grocery store. The lesser dose may take two or three days longer to kill the weeds, but it does work.

Mix in 1 cup of salt. Mix the mixture with a long-handled spatula until the salt is completely dissolved.

1 tablespoon basic dishwashing soap, stirred in The soap aids in the coating and adhesion of the vinegar and salt mixture to the weeds.

Blend everything completely, then pour the herbicide into a plastic spray container.

How to Make Homemade Weed Killer? How does it work?

Vinegar

Acetic acid is the active component in vinegar. The acetic acid content in household vinegar is around 5%. Acetic acid is a drainer, which means that when sprayed on a plant’s base, it pulls water out of the leaves, destroying the top growth. It is most effective on little or young weeds, and it readily destroys the top.

Taproot plants, like dandelions, can typically withstand a vinegar application. Acetic acid degrades quickly in soil, and vinegar’s harmful influence on soil lasts for a short time. An accidental drop of vinegar on a nice nearby plant will produce browning but will most likely not kill it.

Salt

Sodium chloride, often known as table salt, is a desiccant. Salt is used to make the best weed killer solutions because it is more potent and kills plants than vinegar does not. It has a longer-lasting harmful influence on the soil than vinegar, and it may also injure the roots of other surrounding plants.

Soap

Soap is a “surfactant,” which means it enhances the dispersion of vinegar or salt onto the stems of weeds. It can also boost desiccant absorption by breaking down the protective waxy coatings of certain plants.

Application and Use

This DIY weed killer formula is “nonselective,” which means it will destroy any plant it comes into contact with. 

On a dry, clear day, gently spray all surfaces of the weed with the solution. Plants that have been drenched in this solution will perish within a week. 

It is critical to recognize that any chemical or compound plant killer, at high enough concentrations, will be hazardous to organisms other than the plant itself. Small animals are poisoned by a solution of salt and vinegar. 

It can also harm the soil microbiota, so take care not to drop the liquid directly onto the ground.

Conclusion

Hands-on work is the only way to be completely ecologically safe. For some growers, pulling plants by hand is as normal as a cup of morning coffee. Under the correct conditions, hand pulling becomes infinitely easy. 

To begin with, it is easier to pick weeds as soon as they appear. Young weeds have little roots and are easier to uproot, increasing your chances of removing the entire plant. 

Secondly, it is simpler to pick weeds just after heavy rain. A thorough weed-pulling can be followed with a smothering layer for complete eradication. 

Hand or shovel weeding is the most productive, and it also produces better soil.