DIY Weed Killer

by Andrea Fabry

With the increasing controversy surrounding the health effects of glyphosate, why not skip the Roundup and try this 100% natural weed killer?

diy weed killer, gardening, go green, pest control

Many DIY weed killers use white vinegar. I have found our weeds to be too hardy for white vinegar. I have had better success with horticultural vinegar!

White vinegar is a 5% acetic acid compound while horticultural is a 20% acetic acid product. White vinegar is obviously much cheaper, but I have found a little goes a long way with the 20% solution.

You can also dilute the 20% with an equal amount of water to create a 10% solution. (10% may be enough for your weeds.)

Recipe:

-2 cups horticultural vinegar

-splash of citrus oil

The citrus oil contains d-limonene, which naturally strips away the waxy plant cuticle, adding to the dehydration of the plant. (I don't use my expensive orange or lemon essential oils for this. I like this affordable natural orange oil.)

Blend the two in a spray bottle and apply directly to weeds. Be sure to spray only the plants you are seeking to eliminate as this will kill any living plant in its path.

(See my blog post for a second recipe using liquid castile soap!)

Enjoyed the project?

You can do it! Saved to your projects

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this project?

Ask a Question

3 of 54 questions

Tom on May 22, 2020

Again...where do I get the orange weed killer?

1
Claudia Stein on May 22, 2020

Where can i get Horticultural vinegar?

3
Marty on Jun 04, 2020

Will this kill youpon?

0

Comments

Join the conversation

3 of 85 comments

Ken Simpson TN on May 20, 2021

I may try but I’ve not heard of horticultural vinegar. 5% with salt didn’t work for me last year!

Like Reply
- DB on Oct 04, 2021
  
  Thank you for not salting the earth.
  
  Like
Rensart on May 20, 2021

Be careful with the salt! Using salt may keep ANYTHING from growing there for a very long time. Hence the thing that soldiers used to do to their enemies: Salt their fields as they went through, leaving them with no crops for ages.

4 Reply