Weeds are the proverbial thorn in a gardener’s side. They sprout overnight and try to choke the life out of the planted crops. Stop those pesky weeds without chemicals or back-breaking weeding sessions with these DIY organic weed killers that you can mix up right in the comfort of your own kitchen/home.
Boiling Water
Cheap, easy, and non-toxic; just boil a pot of water, then pour it on the weeds you want to kill. Boiling water is a great method for killing weeds in the sidewalk or cracks/crevices in the driveway, underneath a patio, or over a larger area that you’d like to replant with vegetation after all the weeds have been killed off.
Borax
Add 10 ounces of powdered borax to two and a half gallons of water, mixing them well. Pour in a spray bottle and spray them over the leaves of the unwanted weeds. Don’t spray soil and protect nearby plants from the overspray. Borax has the added benefit of being a natural pesticide that works to eliminate ants, mites, spiders, and cockroaches. But take note that it doesn’t work on aphids and other sap sucking critters.
Vinegar
White vinegar is an effective organic weed killer because of its high acid content. Spray it at full strength onto the weeds, but be careful to minimize any overspray onto your other plants and the surrounding soil, lest they end up as collateral damage. Repeat applications may be needed to totally eradicate the weeds. Add 5 drops of liquid dish soap to improve the effectiveness of this DIY organic weed killer.
Dish Soap Mix
Mix 1 gallon white vinegar, 1 cup salt and 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap in a large container. Pout into spray bottle, with remaining dish soap mix in a recycled plastic jug for later use.
Spray on weeds in the mid-afternoon on a hot, sunny day.
Epsom Salt
Mix 2 cups of Epsom salt, 1 gallon of white vinegar and one cup of liquid dish soap in a large container. Pour into spray bottle and spray on unwanted weeds in mid-afternoon on a hot, sunny day. Store leftover mixture in a recycled plastic jug for later use.
Organic Mulch
Stop weeds before they can germinate by placing a 4 inch layer of an organic mulch, like straw, pine needles, leaves or nut hulls, on top of garden soil. As an added bonus, as the organic mulch breaks down, it will improve the fertility and structure of the garden soil. Learn here why mulching is a must for every gardener.
Landscape Fabric
Landscape fabric works to prevent weed growth, however, it doesn’t decompose to improve soil structure. Recycled carpet works well too, but it doesn’t decompose either.
Weed Torch
Very effective for removing weeds from a large area. A weed torch will burn the weeds from the tops to the roots so they will never return.