DIY Weed Killers- TESTED!

Getting rid of pesky and persistent weeds is easier than you may think. Skip the chemical weed killers... your yard will thank you!
We all struggle to keep our paths, patios, and flower beds free from weeds. They're relentless, but who wants to constantly spray harmful chemicals? I tested two DIY weed killers and here's how they measured up!
I tested two areas in our garden paths, and as you can see, the weeds are vibrant and green. The two DIY weed killers I opted to use were a vinegar/soap/epsom salt mix and boiling water. I applied the weed killer/boiling water to two separate areas and I was shocked at the results.
weeds killed with boiling water
The area above is where I used the boiling water. Within two days the weeds were completely dead. I was surprised that simply boiling water would be so effective.
vinegar/salt/soap weed killer
The vinegar/salt/soap mix also did an excellent job of killing weeds within just two days. Near the garden, I will probably opt to use the boiling water since I'm unsure how the salt and vinegar may affect the soil so close to my growing veggies. For the full post and recipe for the DIY weed killer check out my post: http://thekitchengarten.com/diy-weed-killers-tested/
Courtney |The Kitchen Garten
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Teri Sweeney Teri Sweeney on Feb 03, 2019

    Is that equal parts of vinegar, soap, and epsom salts?

  • Dorothy Vandruff Dorothy Vandruff on Sep 25, 2019

    Will this work on poison oak? Bad in our yard and we have two dogs so weed killer is out if the question

  • Evelyn Evelyn on Feb 20, 2022

    How did you apply the boiling water?

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  • Itkahs Emih Itkahs Emih on Sep 04, 2017

    I did this last year except I used table salt, I boiled all ingredients except the soap I added that last! The vinegar took over the whole house "Wow"! I let it cool put into a spray bottle so I could only spray the weed, the soap helps the weed killer stick to the weeds. I must say it worked well, I also did just boiled water it worked too! Thank you, I love DIY! So much cheaper/safer.

  • Kaz28861886 Kaz28861886 on Sep 06, 2017

    Please don't use salt on plants, it contaminates the entire area around them, dehydrates the soil and with it all the nutrients and completely destabilizes the grounds microorganism-system. If you want to kill weeds, the best and most environmentally friendly way to do it, is by making a "bokashi" compost. You can buy it online, and then you can use the fermented liquid from the decomposed organic waste to spray directly on weeds. They'll be gone for a while like that, and you don't damage the ecosystem. (If you can't do a bokashi, try making a compost heap anyways, press the liquid out of the organic matter and use it this way.


    Trust me, the best way to go and your weeds will be gone!

    • See 1 previous
    • Sandy Rolon Sandy Rolon on Sep 25, 2019

      Salt is best used for small-scale gardening where it will be easily diluted by rain or watering, however. If salt is used on a large scale, it can create soil conditions that are not suitable for growing plants for quite some time.


      Read more at Gardening Know How: Salt Recipe For Weeds – How To Use Salt To Kill Weeds https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic/using-salt-to-kill-weeds.htm

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