Weed Killer: Household Products That Can Save Your Garden!
Weeds are nature’s cover crop. They fill in bare spots of soil to ensure the ground stays fertile! But that doesn’t really make them any less annoying when they pop up in places you don’t want them to be… On top of that, whether it’s stricter regulations where you live or a personal choice, many of the pesticides of days gone by are no longer an option. So how do you deal with weeds “naturally”? We’ve compiled some simple ways to make weed killer from common household items that you can implement in your garden!
Before Choosing a Weed Killer, Try Preventative Measures!
Obviously, the most natural way to deal with weeds is to prevent them from taking root in the first place. This means overseeding your lawn and mulching your garden so there isn’t an easy place for them to grow…. BigYellowBag can definitely help with both of those tasks!
Of course, you can do all of the preventative planning and planting possible, and still end up with weeds. So, what then?
The Best Weed Killer Is Elbow Grease
The next step is, again, painfully obvious: pull the weeds early and often. When you weed, be sure to get the roots as well as the top of the plant. Try not to spread any seeds, or you’ll be dealing with new weeds soon enough. There are some fantastic tools on the market specifically designed for weed removal. Head to your local hardware store and see what they have available!
Sometimes, though, there’s just too many weeds to deal with at once. They can also be really stubborn and continue to sprout back up despite your best efforts.
Weed Killer from Your Pantry
In those cases, you might find the best solution to the problem is already in your kitchen cabinets. Salt and vinegar – besides being a tasty flavour for potato chips – can also be an effective way to deal with weeds. Either sprinkle a pinch of salt at the base of the weed or spray a bit of vinegar on it, and that will start to kill the plant.
Alternately, you can combine these to make a stronger weed killer. Mix 1 gallon (3.7 litres) of white vinegar, 1 cup of salt and 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap, put it in a spray bottle, and apply it to weeds at the sunniest time of day.
Be Careful With Salt & Vinegar in The Garden
Keep in mind that none of these options will go to the roots. You might have to do several applications to actually kill the weeds. Also, calling salt, vinegar or the combination of both a weed killer is a bit of a misnomer; it would be more accurate to say plant killer – they can’t tell the difference between the plants you want and the plants you don’t. With that in mind, be very careful when applying any of these in your garden or on your lawn; you don’t want to kill your prized roses along with the dandelions. Also, be careful when applying these around decorative stones, siding, etc., to prevent any damage to those items.
If you’re not really handy in the kitchen and don’t want to mix ingredients to make weed killer, you can just make yourself a cup of tea and relax – but first, pour the boiling water on the weeds. This can be another way to rid yourself of pesky weeds. Again, though, this solution will impact other plants, so be careful when applying it so you don’t accidentally kill plants you want to keep (also, take care not to scald yourself). Like with salt and vinegar, you might have to do multiple applications to get to the roots of the weeds.
Let us know in the comments how you take care of weeds in your garden! There’s so many options and so many different weeds for that matter. We’d love to hear about your battle with weeds, and we sure hope you’re winning!