7 Best Natural & Home Made Weed Killer Recipes That Work

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If you are an avid gardener, or not, have a beautifully manicured garden, or not, there is still something that connects us all – the frustration and pain of weeds!

We absolutely get it, weeds can be one almighty nuisance, especially when Spring means that everything literally springs up! You spend time carefully selecting and sowing your seeds and seedlings, planting bulbs and tending to your lawn, then suddenly out of nowhere and almost somehow appearing magically overnight, you find no end of unwelcome weeds all over your garden. Argh! You find them in your flower beds, all over the grass and even between the cracks of your fence, patio and driveway. What do you do?

Before we find out, it’s important to see what we shouldn’t use and why as our first and go to option.

 

Roundup, Glyphosate and Cancer. Oh my!

Garden centres, hardware stores, gardening magazines and websites tell us all how ‘simple’ it is to get rid of these nasty intruders and enemies of our green thumb – just use chemical weedkillers such as Roundup and your weedy troubles will be over.

Shops and shelves are full of this stuff in various shapes, sizes and bottles. But did you know that the World Health Organisation classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” back in March 2015 which means it probably causes cancer. And did you know that one of the main ingredients in your ubiquitous bottle of Roundup (and many other weedkillers) is glyphosate?

Whilst I’m no scientist, when I add these two pieces of information together, I get a big no thank you.  And even if the risk is ever so slight, is it really worth taking this risk when you consider your kids and pets running around outside and playing in the garden and dirt? Let alone your own health and wellbeing?

It also means any harmful sprays you use with glyphosate in it, will also run off into waterways where it can damage delicate aquatic ecosystems, kill soil-dwelling creatures such as earthworms, and our beautiful busy bees and butterflies. Remember, everything is interconnected. And is it just me, that calls your children and dog back when you’re out walking and you see your friendly council worker spraying something down your street and in the park?

These are more than enough reasons to ditch chemical weedkilling nasties and use something much more natural instead and as for Roundup and glyphosate, your days I believe are numbered.

 

The World and Australian Councils Starts Banning Glyphosate

A landmark US court verdict recently awarded a couple a record US $2 billion dollars (AUD $2.89 billion) after a jury found Roundup caused their non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This payout has since been reduced to US $86.7 million (AUD $123.9 billion) however the point still stands, sparking thousands of other class actions against Bayer AG, the maker of Roundup. In fact there are over 10,000 class actions against Bayer in the US alone with one lawsuit currently filed in Australia by a Melbourne gardener.

Over the last several months, the number of cities and even countries starting to impose bans on glyphosate is growing including Bayer AG’s own home country of Germany. Last month Angela Merkel suggested the use of Roundup will be a thing of the past stating “Things are developing, and we will eventually come to a point where glyphosate isn’t deployed any more”.

Closer to home, following an internal review, in June the Victorian council of Moyne Shire banned the use of Roundup (along with nine other herbicides) whilst Sydney’s Fairfield Council has also followed suit. There are a number of other councils all over Australia currently reviewing their use of Roundup, glyphosate and herbicides including Sydney’s Blacktown Council where 500 council workers, rightly so in my opinion, went on strike due to health concerns.

So, with countries and councils banning this weed killer, we think it’s time that we made our homes Roundup and glyphosate free zones too. Here’s my best selection of all natural weed killers that work. Plus they are all safe for your kids and pets too. Disclaimer, some of these may take a little time but hey, what’s the rush. 

 

All-Natural, Homemade Weed Killer Recipes That Really Work & Safe for Your Pets

 

# 1 - Vinegar Spray

Recipe:

Acetic acid is the scientific name given to vinegar. The vinegar we drown our chips in is usually 5% acetic acid. You may need to source stronger 20% acetic acid vinegar you’re your garden centres if your weeds are particularly stubborn. Simply pour your vinegar into a spray bottle and you’re ready to go.

How to apply:

Spray directly onto weeds every week or so. You’ll notice they start to die after the first spraying but continuing to spray them will help kill them from the root. Always spray on a day when no rain is forecast to prevent diluting all your hard work! Also, the sun’s rays will help the vinegar to do its job.

Things to watch out for:

Vinegar will kill almost anything green, so be careful you don’t spray your flowers too. For this reason, it’s best not used to kill weeds on the lawn. It's great on patios and driveways though! Also, since vinegar is acidic, it could reduce the pH of your soil, making it more acidic. Avoid using vinegar if the pH of your soil is important to you.

 

# 2 - Salt, Vinegar and Soap

Recipe:

If finding a stronger acetic acid vinegar is proving difficult, combine 1 litre of organic white wine vinegar, ¼ cup of salt and ½ teaspoon of natural liquid dish soap into a spray bottle. Salt and vinegar are great natural weedkillers. The liquid soap acts as a ‘surfactant’ which helps the mixture stick to the leaves of the weeds for longer so it’s better able to do its job.

How to apply:

Add everything to a spray bottle, and spray liberally onto weeds. For best results, spray over your weeds during the sunniest time of the day.

What to watch out for:

Test a small area of grass before using on your lawn, in case this mix also kills grass. If it does, try watering it down with plain water.

 

# 3 - Boiling Water

Recipe:

Boil the kettle and away you go. You could add a tablespoon of salt for extra effectiveness. Just don't add salt directly to the kettle, use another heatproof container instead.

How to apply:

Pour the boiling water over the offending areas. This will kill everything in its path, so its best used on paved areas. After a day or two, you'll be able to scrape or sweep up the now crispy weeds.

Things to watch out for:

Be careful when using boiling water - watch out for splashing your feet, especially.

 

# 4 - Baking Soda

Recipe:

Neat baking soda is an effective natural weedkiller. It acts as a ‘desiccant’, which means it sucks the water out of weeds and their roots. This one is a slow burn, but used early in the season it could mean you have less work to do as the weather hots up.

How to apply:

Sprinkle over pathways and patios, where weeds are springing up between the cracks. This method is best used after rain, when weeds are wet and able to absorb more of the baking soda

Things to watch out for:

Avoid getting baking soda on your lawn or flowers, as it will kill those too.

 

# 5 - Mulch, landscape fabric or both

Recipe:

Mulch, made from straw or newspaper, blocks out sunlight and effectively starves any weeds of the light they need to grow. It also helps to keep your soil cool and damp. It can be used on its own, or on top of landscape fabric (from the garden centre) which acts as a physical barrier to weed growth.

How to apply:

Lay mulch and landscape fabric down early in the Spring to stop weeds in their tracks right from the start. It's best used in the spaces between plants in flower beds and pots.

Things to watch out for:

Avoid using mulch or fabric on your lawn, as it’ll cause areas of grass to go yellow and die.

 

# 6 - Hard work and determination

Recipe:

Pull ‘em out! Elbow grease + a decent kneeling pad + time = a weed-free garden!

How to apply:

If you enjoy pottering around in the garden, then good old-fashioned weeding is for you. It’ll allow you to enjoy time outside, and then you'll be able to sit back, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Things to watch out for:

Make sure you have good gardening gloves - thorny or spiky weeds are sharp for a reason - they don't want to be disturbed! Not to mention spiders. Did someone say spiders?

 

# 7 - Learn to Love Them

Recipe:

Appreciating weeds as just another naturally occurring green gift from Mother Nature could help you make peace with them. After all, dandelions, a common weed in so many green spaces, are usually the first food of the season for bees, and they’re edible too.

How to apply:

Nothing to do here…

Things to watch out for:

… or here!

 

With so many natural ways to manage the weeds in your garden available at your fingertips, why turn to chemical herbicides that could potentially harm you, your family, children, pets, and our wildlife? You can look after your garden the natural way and be an eco-friendly gardener.  

Do you have a favourite natural weed killer recipe? Or found something that works particularly well on a certain type of weed? We’d love to hear your thoughts so please share with our Wholesome Hub community.

 

Looking for Organic Heirloom Seeds and Seed Kits

If you're ready to get your gardening gloves out and head out to the garden, explore the gorgeous The Little Veggie Patch Co heirloom seeds and seed kits. From your favourite herbs like basil and chives to our must have veggies like tomatoes, beans and peas, you'll find the full range of seeds and seed kits available online at Wholesome Hub.