Are you tired of weeds ruining the look of your yard? Are weeds constantly growing on your driveway and bringing down your curb appeal? If there is one thing that really annoys gardeners and homeowners, it is those pesky weeds. Something that people do not realize about weeds is that they are opportunistic. They are able to grow almost anywhere and adapt to their surroundings. That is why they can pop up everywhere on your property. A lot of homeowners end up spending a fortune on weed killer products. If this sounds like you, did you realize you can actually make your own? There are a lot of ingredients you already have in your house that are going to be perfect for a solution. So, let’s dive in and look at do it yourself weed killer solutions.
Reasons to Make Your Own Weed Killer
A lot of people wonder; is there really any point in making your own weed killer? Indeed, you can go to your local gardening center and pick up a product from the shelf. But, there are many advantages to making a homemade weed killer.
You Can Help the Environment
Have ever looked at the chemicals that are contained in a commercial weed killer? There are be a lot of chemicals that you cannot even pronounce. This is always a bad sign and a lot of them contain harsh substances. While they may kill the weeds in your yard, they can actually be bad for the environment.
When you work on do it yourself weed killer, you can be kind to the environment. You can go natural and choose ingredients that are going to get rid of weeds while not contaminating the soil. This is going to help protect the environment.
You Can Protect Wildlife and Insects
Do you have a lot of animals that visit your garden? Again, commercial weed killers contain dangerous substances that can be toxic to wildlife, as well as insects. Of course, the last thing you want to do is harm wildlife that is coming to your yard, whether this is birds, squirrels or foxes. When you use homemade weed killer, you are going to know what it contains and choose substances that are not going to be harmful to animals and insects.
You Can Make It Safe for Children and Pets
If you are a family that loves to be out in the yard, you really want to think about what chemicals are in weed killers. A lot of these products have warnings on the label that they can be harmful to children and pets. This makes you question what is really contained in this product and whether you want to have it in your yard at all.
While we all want to get rid of weeds in our backyard, we also want to ensure that this outdoor space is safe for our family. Thus, when you choose a homemade alternative, you can have peace of mind and know you are not using anything toxic or harmful.
You Can Save Money
Ultimately, one of the main reasons people choose to make their own weed killer is to save money. It can be very cheap to make a solution and often you will have these ingredients in your kitchen already. Commercial weed killer products do not last long. But, when you make your own, you can adapt the amount you need and spend less money in the process.
Do It Yourself Weed Killer – Common Ingredients to Consider
Before we take a look at some do it yourself weed killer ideas, we want to introduce some common ingredients you will see. This way, you can understand what they are capable of doing to weeds and whether you want to use them in your yard. It also gives you the option to create your own weed killer combination.
Vinegar
Vinegar, which contains acetic acid, is a good ingredient for a do it yourself weed killer. This is because it is known as a desiccant. In other words, it is a substance that is going to draw out moisture from a weed, which is going to stop its top growth. This is going to work well on new and young weeds. For older and more robust weeds, you may have to complete more than one application.
Something to realize is that the acetic acid in vinegar can affect your soil. In particular, it can change the pH balance. This is not necessarily something that is bad. It will depend on what plants you have in your yard and near to the weeds. For example, plays like hydrangeas and evergreens are going to enjoy acidic soil. The good thing is, acetic acid will break down within a few months when exposed to water. So, it will not be a long-lasting effect.
Salt
Salt, which is also going to be referred to as sodium chloride, can be another ingredient you see in homemade weed killers. It works in a similar way to vinegar. Namely, it is a desiccant, which draws out moisture from plants and it can prevent further growth.
On its own, you are going to have to use a lot of salt to get rid of weeds. It will be good for getting rid of small ones, but to kill larger weeds, you may need a combination of ingredients.
Dish Soap
One ingredient that might surprise you, but is found in a lot of homemade weed killers, is dish soap. We are talking about a variety of liquid dish detergents that you can find in your local store.
The great thing about this ingredient is that it is known as a surfactant. This means that it can spread other substances within the homemade weed killer. For example, if you combine it with vinegar, it is going to allow the vinegar to spread over more of the weeds. Dish soap can also be good at penetrating waxy outer layers that can protect some weed leaves. Thus, it allows acetic vinegar to do its job more effectively.
Do It Yourself Weed Killer Ideas
Now, it is time to look at some of the ingredients you can combine to make do it yourself weed killer. Let’s take a closer look so that you can get started with your gardening.
Solution Number One
Ideally, you want to have all of the ingredients already in your home. This is going to save you money and mean that you do not have to make a special trip to the store. So, let’s start with an easy one.
First, you are going to take a spray bottle. This is going to be where you combine all your ingredients and you can simply use the sprayer function to target weeds in your yard. You are going to need around 400 ml of vinegar. This will be your main ingredient that is used to break down the weeds.
Next, you are going to take some lemon juice. You can add around two or three tablespoons of lemon juice to your spray bottle. Alternatively, you can squeeze fresh lemon for this step. Since lemons have critic acid, this is going to burn the weeds when it is combined with vinegar.
Another ingredient that will be useful is dish soap. You only have to use around one or two teaspoons of this. It will allow the other ingredients to spread further and penetrate the outer waxy coatings on dandelions and big weeds.
All that is left to do is dilute the do it yourself weed killer with water. With this combination of ingredients, watch that you do not spray any other plants and keep it away from your lawn. Indeed, this do it yourself weed killer will cause damage to other plants and grass.
Do It Yourself Weed Killer – Solution Number Two
Another popular and easy do it yourself weed killer you can make at home consists of white vinegar, dish soap and salt. Combining these three ingredients and kill any weeds that you have in your yard and keep them away for a number of months.
To begin, you will need about one gallon of white vinegar. Since this is a lot, you might want to combine the ingredients in a watering can. Again, the acetic acid in this ingredient is going to work well on small weeds and stop the top growth. Then you are going to add around one tablespoon of dish soap. As a surfactant, this is going to allow your whole solution to work more effectively. The last ingredient you are going to need is salt. You can use around one cup of table salt that you have in your kitchen.
This solution does not contain any water. This means that it is going to be a very strong solution to use in the yard. Be careful around other plants and your lawn. Otherwise, you will damage them.
Solution Number Three
Do you have a concrete driveway or patio with weeds popping up in between the pavers? We have another solution you can try to kill those pesky weeds. This one is pretty simple and while it is not a long-term solution, it is one that can be effective when it is done on a regular basis. All you need is two ingredients to get started.
You can start off by getting two quarts of boiling tap water. The key is that the water has to be boiling hot, so you will need to act fast. Into this water, you are going to pour one tablespoon of table salt. Together, they are going to burn the weeds and they will wilt and die.
One of the best ways to target the spaces between the pavers with this solution is to use a kettle. The spout is going to make it easy to pour onto weeds and avoid most of your paving. The ingredients should not cause damage to your existing paving. But, it will kill any other plants that are nearby and are splashed in the process.
Solution Number Four
Another do it yourself weed killer that a lot of people report to be successful is combining borax with water. Borax is a white mineral that a lot of people use for cleaning their homes. In particular, it can be used for stains and getting rid of mold.
This solution involves combining one cup of powdered borax with two gallons of water. It will be best to mix this in a watering can for easy application. It is going to be a good solution for getting rid of ground ivy or creeping Charlie. In particular, it can be used on lawns. Just be careful not to use too much and over-saturate the soil.
If you are looking for an insect-friendly solution for your yard, this is not going to be the best one for you. Borax can be used to kill ants and this is something to remember with this solution. If you are having a problem with pests, check out our article on do it yourself pest control.
Do It Yourself Weed Killer – Solution Number Five
A lot of people want to get rid of dandelions from their yard. If you are looking for a cheap and effective way to do this, we have another solution you can try. This involves using rubbing alcohol that you might have in your bathroom cabinet. You are going to be mixing this with water.
To begin, use a spray bottle for this do it yourself weed killer. This will make the application simple and you can target certain weeds without touching other plants. You can pour in two tablespoons of rubbing alcohol. This is going to be combined with one-quart water. Together, this solution will remove the moisture from the dandelion. As a result, it is going to wilt and die.
