It’s officially spring and my yard has been taken over by weeds.  In the past I’ve always applied a commercial weed killer to make picking weeds easier but I’ve seen far too many commercials claiming that they are toxic so from now on I’m making my own.  This was my first time making homemade weed killer and it was super easy.  With just a few household items you can make your own and never have to worry about the environmental and health impacts of killing your weeds again.

Jump to Recipe

Does Homemade Weed Killer Work?

I did a bunch of research on DIY weed killer recipes before I mixed up my batch.  While there are a number of different recipes out there I chose to go with one that allowed me to use the ingredients that I already had in my house.  I’m happy to report that my homemade weed killer did work!  That said, it took longer than I was expecting.

*Be careful not to spray your DIY weed killer near any of your plants or anywhere that you may want something to grow at a later date.  The salt can destroy the soil so that nothing grows there again. If you want to kill the weeds but want to grow something in that spot later eliminate the salt from the mixture!

Let’s look at some before and after photos!  This spot is at the front of my home.  The weed killer worked great on the weeds that were close to the ground but wasn’t as effective on the taller weeds.  It didn’t seem to have much of an impact on the grass that has crept into my mulched areas.

Here is a view of the walkway up to my front door.  I was careful not to spray anywhere near my bushes but as you can see the weed killer did a pretty good job of tackling the weeds that were along the sidewalk.

Here are a few more pictures showing the areas where the homemade weed killer worked well.

How to Make Homemade Weed Killer

Ingredients/Materials

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Vinegar

Lemon Juice

Salt

Dish Soap

2 Gallon Lawn Sprayer

Will Regular White Distilled Vinegar Work?

I read a few article where people recommend using 10-20 percent concentration vinegar.  I chose not to use the higher concentration for a few reasons.

1. It can actually burn your skin and I’m super clumsy.
2. It’s quite a bit more expensive and I didn’t have any on hand.  I’m trying to do this quarantine and social distancing thing right and that means I can’t be going out for anything that is non-essential.
3. It can be harmful to pets and wildlife so I wasn’t willing to take that risk.  The day after I sprayed my weeds I was looking out my window to see how they were doing and I saw a squirrel munching on some grass right in an area that I had sprayed.

Directions

You’ll want to get a lawn sprayer with a pump and wand on it.  Trust me, it’ll make your life so much easier.  I used one like this 2 Gallon Lawn Sprayer.  Pour all of the ingredients into the sprayer and then shake it well to mix it up.  Be sure that the lid is on tight before you go to town shaking it.  The sprayers are great since you can pump it to pressurize the canister and then spray for several minutes before having to pump again.

I applied it on a Tuesday evening. The next day I checked to see how the weeds were doing and they didn’t look phased at all.  It wasn’t until at least 48 hours later that I noticed a change and it really took about 72 hours to see a significant difference.  The homemade weed killer doesn’t work as fast as the commercial stuff but if you have patience it’s a good alternative and the benefits totally outweigh the hassle of waiting a few extra days.  It was a cool overcast day when I applied it.  From what I’ve read it works faster and possibly better if you apply it on a hot sunny day.  I’ll definitely give that a try next time.

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Have you ever tried making your own weed killer?  If so, what is your go to recipe?