13 homemade weed killers that work
Don’t want to use chemicals on your garden? You don't have to! Mix up these handy helpers in the kitchen.
1. Boiling water
Homemade treatments don’t come much cheaper than this. Put the kettle on, boil a pot of water and then pour it straight over the weeds – just make sure to avoid any surrounding plants. This works especially for small weed coming up through the cracks in pavement or in brickwork.
2. White vinegar
Is there anything white vinegar can’t do? You can use regular old kitchen vinegar or get the heavy duty stuff from gardening stores. Spray directly onto the leaves of the weeds and watch them fade away.
3. Salt
Another kitchen staple that can do double duty in the garden. You can either sprinkle rock salt or basic table salt directly around garden beds where weeds usually appear or create a 3:1 solution of water and salt to spray onto the leaves.
4. Salt & vinegar
Combine the two and you’ll get even better results! Mix a cup of table salt with a litre of vinegar, then brush directly onto the leaves of the weeds. It’ll kill anything it touches, so avoid other plants.
5. Vegetable oil
For bulbous weeds, like onion weed and oxalis, you can inject vegetable oil into the ground surrounding the bulbs. The oil will coat the bulbs so they suffocate and will then rot into the soil.
6. Cornmeal
This won't kill existing weeds but is great for preventing them from sprouting in the first place. Cornmeal is a pre-emergent, meaning it stops seeds from growing, so it’s best for using around established plants.
7. Clove or citrus oil
Mix 15 to 20 drops of clove or citrus oil with a litre of water and spray or brush directly onto the leaves. This works best on small, actively growing seedlings rather than more established weeds.
8. Rubbing alcohol
Grab that bottle of rubbing alcohol out of the bathroom cabinet and mix two tablespoons with a litre of water. Pour it into a spray bottle and spray directly onto the weeds. The alcohol removes moisture so the weeds will quickly dry out and die.
9. Baking soda
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (essentially a salt), so increases the salinity of the ground to a point where the weeds cannot survive. Use around a teaspoon per weed to cover the entire plant, especially the stem. It’s also great for weeds in cracks.
10. Bleach
This one couldn’t be simpler. Pour undiluted bleach straight over the top of mature weeds at the hottest part of the day, then let the sun do its work. You should be able to pull the dead weeds out the next day. Plus the bleach stays in the soil and prevents new growth.
11. Newspaper
Rather than killing the weeds, you can smother them with leftover newspaper. Lay down at least four sheets (though the thicker the better) and the lack of sun means the weeds won’t be able to sprout.
12. Mulch
Another one from the smothering camp, a good layer of mulch will keep your soil moist, healthy and weed-free. It also blocks out the sunshine weeds need to grow while leaving the surrounding plants untouched.
Elbow grease
Ok, so this isn’t actually something you put on the weeds, but it’s all you really need to get rid of most of them. Roll up your sleeves, put on some gloves and get pulling. Make sure you get the roots so they don’t grow straight back.
Image: Unsplash / Josue Michel