HOMEMADE HERBICIDE: HOW TO MAKE YOURS SAFE?

HOMEMADE HERBICIDE, None of us like weeds in our garden. We want what we plant to be what we plant! And weeds will drown the plants in your garden that you really want there, stealing nutrients, water, and sun. On the other hand, these days, we have been enlightened to the positives in cutting as many chemicals out of our lives as possible. While we know the debate between “Rounding Up” and “Homemade Weed Killer” is a real one for both parties, we choose to err on the side of caution whenever possible. And using natural herbicides when we can make sense. After all, it’s not just you, your pets, and your children that are exposed to the chemicals you spray around the yard. It’s the bumblebees and songbirds too! (And microorganisms and other living things, but that’s another post.)

Well, do you want to know how to make a safe homemade herbicide? Well, you should. We also. So let’s take a look at these homemade herbicide tutorials and recipes and kick off the weed season!

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Vinegar-based homemade weed remover

We found this basic homemade herbicide recipe at Saving Cent by Cent. Your tutorial is great, and we’ve done a bit of research on the formula. It’s a well-regarded recipe for killing weeds without chemicals, but with a couple of precautions. Using vinegar and dish soap is a great basic herbicide on its own. When salt is added, it can affect the soil and make it difficult to grow in the future. So if you are killing weeds where you don’t want anything to grow, use the salt. But if you want to replant in that spot, salt it out or use it sparingly. This homemade weed spray is best used in the sun on a warm day and is most effective on young weeds. Read her recipe tutorial and lots of great tips. On the contrary,

• 1-gallon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap or vegetable oil
• 1 cup salt (only if you don’t want to re-plant there)

If you want to try a natural herbicide for unsalted vinegar, check out the Moms 4 Real recipe!

Concrete and herbicide for driveways

The use of salt has long been known as an effective way to kill weeds on sidewalks. But did you know that using salt and boiling water makes it a good one-time deal? Remember the above precautions on using salt. The salt and boiling water would kill any plant, so it is a good driveway or sidewalk solution. Another tip: Using a kettle instead of a round pot will pour the boiling water over weeds much easier and safer, thanks to the kettle spout. Courtenay from `The Creek Line House used the only salt on her trails, and this is her after! To see all their tips for killing weeds with salt.

• 2 quarts of boiling tap water
• Tablespoon- Tablespoon- Salt

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Recipe for eliminating borax weeds

Herbicidal borax can be used on lawns, but with caution. Anything that is used in excess can cause damage to other plants. The US Department of Agriculture recommends this recipe to kill “Creeping Charlie” or “Ground Ivy,” which covers 1000 square feet of grass. A borax solution also kills ants! Check out The Gardening Cook and his spray shot of herbicidal borax.

• 1 cup borax powder
• 2 gallons of water

Pre-emergent herbicide

So if you want to stop weed growth before it happens, you can buy a pre-emergent herbicide like ‘Preen’ or sprinkle cornmeal on the area to stop weed seed germination. Note that pre-emergents do not kill weeds once they have started, so it is best to use this in early spring. (Note: If you decide to use the store-bought from “Preen,” be sure to buy the garden store only if you want pure cornmeal. Their other varieties include chemical herbicides.) The photo below by Blair County Lawn.

• Cornmeal
• That’s it!

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Rubbing Weed Killer Alcohol

• 2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol
• 1 quart of water

Mix in a spray bottle and spray directly onto the leaves. Photo of Meijer.

Other safe herbicides

• Burn – Use a torch to kill weeds on roads or areas where you don’t want plants to grow. Be careful, right, friends?
• Pull – The much hated but outdated method of weed control. Just pull them! Don’t forget to put down roots, especially on perennial weeds that come back every year.
• Grow Your Lawn Taller – For lawn weeds, one of the best ways to control them is to let your lawn grow as tall as your lawnmower will allow. This allows the lawn plants to shade the ground and help drive out weed seeds. The grass will also have longer roots and, therefore, a thicker top, allowing it to displace new weeds.
• Use Ground Covers – If you have a bit of a large space, use ground cover plants to cover an area to displace weeds. Remember, if you are trying to displace weeds, you have to give your plants a helping hand first. The only way that groundcover can win the war is to toss by hand for a while, giving them time to get the upper hand over weeds.
• Decapitate to avoid going to seed – This can be a perfect control measure, especially with dandelions. So if you don’t have time to remove them by hand from the lawn, at least remove those flower heads as soon as they appear to prevent them from spreading!

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To learn how to make your homemade herbicide safe, and have another tool in your gardening knowledge arsenal. You are on your way to a safe garden for children and pets! Remember, if a spray kills weeds, it can also kill other plants, so be careful, even with a safe herbicide!