Home Remedy Weed Control

Sometimes the old ways are the best. Some weed-killing recipes have been handed down from generation to generation, making possible to eradicate weeds without ever applying store-bought chemicals. Learn how to kill pesky weeds as safely as possible with homemade weed killers made of natural ingredients you probably already have on hand.

1. Hand Pull the Weeds

The old-fashioned method of pulling weeds by hand is always the most reliable solution, but this is a verey labor-intensive method and does not guarantee a solution. Since perennial weeds can reproduce from rooting, even if part of a taproot lives after a weed is pulled, the plant can regenerate itself. If every single leaf is removed as soon as it shows itself above ground, the plants can't photosynthesise (the process of making their food from energy provided by the sun) so eventually starve to death. Warning: this method takes years! If you do pull weeds, the only way to ensure the plant won't come back is to make certain the entire root system is removed.

2. Vinegar Solution Spray

The most common homebrew using some combination of vinegar (1 gallon), salt (1 cup), and/or soap (1 tablespoon). There are numerous variations on the recipe but the resulting concoction is usually a pretty good non-selective weed killer (kills everything). The acetic acid of the vinegar goes to work disrupting the cells of the plant while the salt desiccates the tissue and the soap aids in allowing the mixture to stick to the plant. Its effectiveness can be improved with stronger vinegar concentrations — most store-bought vinegar is 5 percent acetic acid, but concentrations of up to 20 percent can be found. Plants with hairs or waxy coatings may not be completely eradicated by the vinegar concoction.

This method works best on a sunny day, as the natural acid will burn the plant and the salt will shrivel it up by sundown (the dish soap helps the solution stick to the weeds). For a quick curb appeal fix, this one is also lasting.

Do not spray this homemade weed killer on any plant you wish to keep; vinegar kills any plant it touches.

A smaller amount can be made from 1 cup vinegar, 1 tbsp salt, and 3 - 4 drops dish soap.

3. Block Out Sunlight

Another home remedy is to block out the sunlight by laying newspaper, mulch, black plastic or other simialr material on top of the weeds.

Newspaper - Even professional landscapers are known to use this simple, natural weed killer. If your garden is infested, use a weed whacker to address the culprits, then lay down yesterday’s headlines; plan on putting down a layer 3 to 4 sheets thick.. Newspaper blocks beginning weeds from growing and new seeds from forming by shutting out sun and air. Spray the newspaper with water. Otherwise, a strong wind will blow it around. You could also top it off with mulch. The newspaper will break down eventually, too, so there’s no clean-up.

4. Boiling Water

Talk about a DIY weed killer: This one is inexpensive, simple, effective, and completely free of chemicals. For areas like cracks in sidewalks and driveways, take a pot of boiling water and pour it on the weeds; it will kill them right away. Be sure to get close to the plant and pour slowly, to avoid being splashed. If the weeds re-grow, repeat the process until the area is free and clear.

Note that boiling water won’t kill the weeds at their roots, according to Chris McGeary, chief marketing officer at Lawn Doctor, a lawn care company. This option isn’t a permanent one, as the plants can grow back, so use it only as needed. And, of course, take safety precautions to avoid burns.