4 Best Homemade Natural Weed Killers to maintain your garden
Homemade natural weed killers are eco-friendly options that can be used in place of harmful chemicals for garden maintenance. Non-toxic DIY weed killer ingredients such as vinegar, salt, and even boiling water can kill annoying weeds. By using homemade methods of weed control, you can avoid using products that contain potentially harmful glyphosate. In addition to DIY weed killers, the use of mulch, newspaper, and biodegradable landscaping can help prevent weeds in the first place to keep your backyard tidy, organized, and clean.
And if you require help with the garden waste removal after you have completed your maintenance work, the London Rubbish Removal team can certainly help out.
In this article, you’ll learn how to make effective, organic weed killers to keep your garden beautiful. Many of these natural weed killers are animal-friendly alternatives to chemicals and they are safe to use and effective.
WHY USE HOMEMADE WEED KILLERS?
Natural weed killers are an alternative to using chemicals on lawns, flower beds, or vegetable beds. Many gardeners prefer to use natural ingredients in homemade products to reduce the environmental impact of pesticides and herbicides. Aside from the environmental damage that commercial weed killers can cause, homemade weed killers do not endanger the health of children or pets. In addition, they do not pollute the food chain.
Organic DIY herbicides are an alternative to products that contain chemicals such as the controversial glyphosate used in Roundup. Natural weed killers could also replace selective herbicides such as 2,4-dichlorphenoxyescetic acid (2,4-D), which are used for weed control before and after the run-up. Although these chemicals are classified as “safe for use,” many people prefer the natural way to get rid of weeds.
4 cheap NATURAL DIY WEED KILLERS
Let’s take a look at how you can make natural weed control sprays for lawns, vegetable gardens, backyards, and flower beds.
1. VINEGAR AS A NATURAL HOMEMADE WEED KILLER
Vinegar contains acetic acid and can be used in DIY organic weed killer recipes. Vinegar must be mixed with a detergent such as Dawn so that it adheres to surfaces and kills plant compounds. Adding salt increases the effectiveness of this natural weed killer, but it must be used properly.
When using vinegar, especially at higher strengths, it is important to note that it is strongly acidic. Although vinegar is a natural and environmentally friendly weed killer, you still need to be careful with it.
NATURAL WEED KILLER WITH VINEGAR, SALT AND DETERGENT Recipe
It’s easy to make a homemade weed killer that kills everything. You only need three ingredients: vinegar, dish soap, and salt. Spray this mixture on unwanted plants to kill weeds naturally.
How do the ingredients work together?
Vinegar – Acetic acid in vinegar kills plants on contact. Using 5, 10, or 20 percent acetic acid concentrations can help zap weeds for good. Some weeds may require repeated applications, but you can use this natural product for weed control.
Dish soap – Dish soap acts as a surfactant that helps spread vinegar on the leaves of the weeds. A few drops of detergent in this homemade weed spray also make the vinegar penetrate more easily and work more effectively.
Salt – Cheap table salt or sodium chloride (NaCl) is toxic to plants when sprayed on leaves and kills plants by root absorption. The disadvantage of using salt is that it can make the soil infertile, so nothing grows. So only add salt to the recipe if you are treating driveways, paths, or areas where plants or grass should never grow.
For this homemade herbicide spray you need the following ingredients:
- Half a gallon (2 l) of vinegar (preferably with high acetic acid content).
- One tablespoon of liquid dish soap.
- Half a cup of salt (Only if you never want plants or grass to grow there).
To make the natural herbicide, mix all the ingredients in a large container until they are all incorporated. Fill a spray bottle with the liquid and spray directly on weeds until it is saturated.
2. BOILING WATER OR STEAM AS AN ECO-FRIENDLY WEED KILLER FOR DRIVEWAYS
Boiling water is ideal for removing weeds without causing environmental damage. Water with a temperature of 100 ° C destroys plants that grow through paving, edges, or driveways. All you must do is boil water in a kettle and pour it on unwanted weeds.
Another type of thermal weed control is to use a steam cleaner to kill weeds. The hot steam quickly kills any weeds that affect the appearance of your yard, path, or driveway. Of course, if you use boiling water or hot steam, take the right precautions to protect yourself from burns.
You can make weed control even more effective by adding a tablespoon of table salt to two liters (2 l) of boiling water.
3. NATURAL WEED CONTROL WITH BORAX
A natural weed control spray that contains borax and water can destroy some types of weeds in your garden. The weed-fighting property of borax is sodium borate – a naturally occurring compound. Before using borax for targeted weed control after the run-up, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Although borax is natural, it can be toxic to animals, including cats and dogs. Borax can therefore not be classified as a pet-safe weed killer.
- Borax is only effective as a homemade weed killer on a limited number of plants.
- A borax weed killer spray also kills useful plants and lawn grass.
HOW TO MAKE A NATURAL WEED KILLER SPRAY (HERBICIDE) WITH BORAX
If you want to get rid of ground ivy with borax, here is the recipe for making the spray:
- Mix 3 ounces. (85 g) Borax in 2 fl. Oz. (60 ml) warm water and mix until dissolved.
- Add the borax mixture to 4 l of water and mix thoroughly.
- Transfer the natural weed killer to a spray bottle.
- Spray directly on the weeds you want to get rid of.
4. SALT TO GET RID OF WEEDS
Salt is a naturally occurring product that can also kill weeds. One of the benefits of using salt to kill weeds is also the biggest problem. Salt kills all plants – not just weeds – permanently. If there is too much salt in the soil, nothing will ever grow in this area again.
So salt can have an impact on the environment if you don’t use it carefully. Rainwater can cause the salt to affect the roots of neighboring plants if there is too much in the soil. However, salt is only of limited use to remove weeds as a non-toxic, pet-safe method.
For example, if you mix salt with boiling water, you can treat problematic areas of your garden where you don’t want anything to grow. Pour a saline solution into cracks on your driveway, between decorative bricks in paths or other areas where you want to kill plants for good.
Now you are familiar with the most cost-effective, natural homemade weed killers that can help you improve and upcycle your outdoor space while keeping everything eco-friendly at home. Follow more home improvement news to get the best results in sustainable ways.
