Tackle your weeds with your own simple homemade weed killer – using simple ingredients you have in your cabinet. This is easy, inexpensive and effective!
Chances are .. if you are in Phoenix, you have weeds in your yard right about this time of the year. Sometimes a gravel yard can be MUCH more work than grass – all of my neighbors right now have some serious weeds popping up and I’m tempted to spray for them if they don’t take care of it this week.
You can tackle those with your own easy homemade weed killer – using a combination of ingredients you have in your cabinet. This is easy, inexpensive and effective!
Homemade Weed Killer
Can be made with a variety of combinations:
- ONLY Vinegar
- Vinegar + Blue Dawn Dish Soap
- Vinegar + Lemon (great if you have a lemon tree)
- Vinegar + Essential Oil
Using Vinegar ALONE is just as effective as using it with Dish Soap; however, if you wish to combine with Dish Soap use 1 Tbsp (1 oz) per Gallon of Vinegar… I prefer blue Dawn, you might feel like the purple strikes a chord with you.
Costco & Fry’s {Kroger} are the best places to buy Vinegar.
You can use any multipurpose spray bottles but some will be better than others, we used a sprayer I got at Sears (this one HERE)
Alternatively, combine Vinegar with Lemon Juice (as lemon increases acidity so it’ll thus increase the effectiveness of the solution).
HOW Does Vinegar Kill Weeds?
Vinegar is a great solution to kill weeds – and actually has the ability to kill ANY plant – it does work best with young plants. But remember that vinegar does not discriminate either… it will kill anything when sprayed. While vinegar will kill the plant itself, it will not kill the roots – if you apply vinegar several times TO the plant itself, eventually the plant will deplete its stored energy and die.
Use Vinegar with a 15-20% acetic level. For a stronger solution, combine a quart of Vinegar with 4 oz. of Lemon Juice (we all either have or know someone in Arizona with a Lemon tree.) Vinegar is high in citric acid and while vinegar itself will struggle to kill the most waxy coated weeds, Lemon Juice will create a burning effect that will eat at the waxy weed coating and eventually kill them.
Vinegar works better on weeds in HOT weather conditions – choose a time that no rain is expected for a few days as it may take a few hours/days to be effective. Cover any plants you wish NOT to spray, and avoid watering any plants you spray with vinegar, likewise, don’t water neighboring plants for a few days either.
How long does the mixture keep? I would suggest making enough to spray your yard – I haven’t ever kept large amounts for a long period of time to be able to tell you how long it lasts.
Does Vinegar Kill Grass? Yes – so try to avoid spraying it on grass, and on places you wish to grow a garden because it will sterilize the soil.
Does Vinegar Affect Pets? – As with anything you spray around your home, keep your pets away.
I am by no means an expert – but sharing something that DOES work for us – your experience may vary, but I do encourage you to give it a try.
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