Home made weedkiller for the garden

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I want to be able to kill the weeds in the garden and on pathways, but I do not want to use a commercial chemical herbicide.

The safety of using these commercially available weed killers is not entirely known.

While the manufacturers and even government agencies say they are safe the long term affects of the continued use of toxins and their affects on people and other living creatures is not entirely known.

Also, I dont want to support the corporations that make stuff like roundup??

For those of us who do not want kids and pets exposed to toxic chemicals while trying to find a way to kill the weeds overgrowing our drives and gardens is tough.

But you can make up an effective solution yourself.

While there are many different recipes out there for a homemade weed killer most of them are based off of the following:

? 1 litre of white vinegar.
? 60 grammes of table salt.
? 1 squirt of washing up liquid.

Mix everything together making sure the salt is completely dissolved. You can then pour this into a spray bottle or one of those weed sprayers you can get at any garden center.

You spray this solution directly on the weeds you want to get rid of preferably on a hot day in full sun for best results.

One thing to remember with this solution is to not get it on anything you don?t want to kill.

It is non-selective in what it kills meaning it will kill any plant life it comes in contact with and it will sterilize the soil for up to two years depending on how much you get on the soil.

Please pay particular attention to this, the salt in the solution is what makes the soil uninhabitable for weed seedlings which are still to come.

If you wish to effectively poison your soil to new sowings and plantings for approx two years, then add the the salt element, if not omit it.

So with salt is best for patios, gravel drive etc, basically all areas designed to be free of growth, whereas without salt is better for beds, borders, lawns and veg areas, where you intend to plant again.

Also be aware that this solution cannot be sprayed wholesale over lawns to kill just weeds, as it is indiscriminate in its damage to both weed and grass.
On a lawn it is better suited to spot treatment

If you are concerned about getting the vinegar solution on your desirable plants you can use a cloth to wipe the solution on the leafy parts of the weeds.

This will keep any of the solution from coming in contact with the plants you want to keep. If you use this method it is advisable to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the acidic affects of the vinegar.

The nice thing about using a bio-degradable homemade weed killer is that you are not harming your family and pets which can happen with the commercially available weed killers on the market today.

DISCLAIMER: The control methods are suggested here as a matter of general information. Under Irish and EU law it is illegal to use any preparation as a pesticide/fugicide/herbicide that is not approved for such use. The author and the website accepts no responsibility for how a user may mix, use, store, or any effects the mixture or its elements may have on people, plants or the environment. The information here is for reference only and does not imply a recommendation for use. If you disregard this warning and make any of the preparations, you do so entirely at your own risk.