The 5 Best Ways To Kill Weeds With Vinegar And Other Common Household Items

Unlike some sketchy homemade concoctions you'll find on the Internet, the vinegar-based herbicides you can create are remarkably effective. Add to that fact that they are environmentally kind, and it is easy to see why they are gaining popularity. Even so, as with any herbicide you apply to your lawn or garden, take the time to check with your doctor and veterinarian to be sure they are okay for children and pets. This is especially true if you upgrade to a vinegar with higher acetic acid content. Ordinary table vinegar has about 5 percent acetic acid. There are vinegars available up to 30 percent, significantly increasing plant-killing power, but also posing risk to skin, lungs, and eyes if not used properly.

As indicated, it is the acetic acid in vinegar that kills plants (not just weeds). The acid breaks down the cell structure of the plant, allowing water to seep out of the cells and killing the plant. Put normal white table vinegar in a spray bottle, and target individual plants. Vinegar kills very young plants more effectively than mature ones, so use it early in the spring or when new sprouts are starting. Vinegar isn't the only household ingredient you can use to kill weeds, though. Your pantry is surprisingly full of natural herbicides.

One way that commercial herbicides increase their effectiveness is by adding something called a surfactant. Surfactants help another chemical stick to the plant more effectively. You can add a surfactant to your vinegar herbicide easily: it's liquid dish soap. Mix a tablespoon of soap, like Dawn dish liquid. This will up the effectiveness of your herbicidal spray. Apply the mixture directly on the plant you wish to kill. Do your best to avoid overspray, as vinegar cares not what it kills. As mentioned before, there is also the option to use a vinegar that has a significantly higher acetic acid content. If you are considering taking that step, you should know that unlike standard vinegar, these stronger versions called high-performance or agricultural vinegars, are potentially dangerous. They can burn your skin or respiratory tract. So, use protective gloves and clothing, a sufficient mask, and eye protection — and only use them in a well-ventilated area.

Another kitchen chemical that is an effective weed killer is a good dose of sodium bicarbonate. What in the world is sodium bicarbonate? It's just plain old baking soda. Baking soda could not be more different from vinegar, one is an acid (high pH), the other a base (low pH). It is the alkaline or base characteristic of the baking soda that kills plants by altering the soil pH, making it harder for plants to survive — or by damaging the leaves if applied directly to the plant. There are a couple of ways to use baking soda to kill plants. First, water the targeted weed, then sprinkle the powder right onto the plant. Check it after a day or so to see if it has worked. The second way to apply it is directly on the soil beneath the plant. Do not dilute it in water, as this can reduce the efficacy.

We've already established that vinegar, in its kitchen-safe form or the more powerful agricultural formulation, is an effective herbicide. And increasing its effectiveness by adding liquid dish soap as a surfactant is an effective strategy. You will read some homemade vinegar-based plant-killing mixtures that recommend adding baking soda to the mix to further ramp up the plant-killing power — but these are not effective. Together (an acid and a base) cancel each other out, making for an ineffective mixture.

But there is an additional kitchen chemical you can add to make the mix more powerful: sodium chloride. Yep, table salt. Add a cup of table salt to your vinegar and soap mix, and the weeds won't stand a chance. Spray the weeds, keeping the mixture away from the plants you wish to keep around.

When it comes to killing weeds with household products, don't overlook rock salt. You may use rock salt to dehumidify your home or melt ice in your driveway, but it can also kill weeds in the summer. As we learned in our history class when the Roman's salted Carthage's fields to punish them after the Punic Wars (the Roman salt thing is apparently a myth, but still resonates), rock salt is an indiscriminate plant killer. As such it can be very useful

One of the benefits of rock salt is that it is persistent. ' The crystals do not dissolve quickly, so they will continue to kill plants over a good period of time. The danger with rock salt is that it can be blown around or carried by water to areas where you don't wish it to be, killing plants that are desirable. It's best used on gravel and on patios where you can control its distribution.