Making your own organic weed killer for lawns is pretty easy. It’s as simple as following a 3-4 ingredient organic weed killer recipe, using a pump-up sprayer, and treating your yard where needed. One great option is a vinegar mixture.
Recipe #1 You’ll Need:
- 1 gallon 20%-30% garden vinegar
- 1-1/2 cup of salt
- ¼ cup orange essential oil
- ¼ cup liquid dish soap
Add the ingredients to your pump-up sprayer and shake it long enough to dissolve as much salt as possible.
Another great option is lemon juice mixed with vinegar. The combination of the two creates an acidity level that will kill weeds usually within a day.
Recipe #2 You’ll Need:
- ½ cup vinegar
- 1 quart of 20%-30% vinegar
Put the mixture into your pump-up sprayer, shake it up, and spray it directly onto the weeds. Repeat the process the next day if needed until the weeds have died.
Make sure to check the weather before you spray your lawn and garden. You’ll want to spray in the morning, on a sunny day, as the heat from the sun will assist in killing the weeds. Avoid spraying the area on a rainy day, as the rain will wash the mixture away before it has time to set on the weeds and cause them to wither from top to root. Some areas may need to be re-treated multiple times before the weed dies completely. If you need to spot treat here and there along the way, you can do so by pouring vinegar, saltwater, or boiling water directly onto the random weeds you need to kill. Just make sure not to kill the surrounding plants you want to keep.
Want to try out some other homemade weed killers? Here are a few other ideas:
- Landscape fabric: try laying this down covered with mulch or straw to stop those unwanted plants from popping through
- Mulch: with or without the landscape fabric, mulch is a must for keeping away pesky weeds. It keeps your soil cool, wet, and eliminates the type of light that weeds need to grow
- Salt: use a bit of rock salt or table salt and sprinkle in the garden in the spring to fight weeds
- Boiling water: boiling hot tap water is a great way to kill those young weeds found in the cracks of sidewalk
- Newspaper: Cover low-growing weeds like clover or crabgrass with newspaper and eventually the lack of light will kill them off. Extra tip: as the newspaper decomposes, it will help to feed the soil
These are just a few of the ways you can get creative and use homemade solutions to protect your yard from pesky weeds.
