Here is an easy all natural weed and grass killer that works fast, doesn't harm the environment and is a lot cheaper than the toxic weed killers available at the home improvement store.
I was tired of using harmful chemicals to keep weeds and grass under control in my yard. So I decided to try something new. I know that salt will kill off just about any vegetation in large quantities, so I figured it would be good for killing weeds and grasses in smaller amounts. Vinegar affects the PH of the soil also and makes it difficult for plants to grow.
So I mixed the 2 together and put them in my trusty weed sprayer to see what happened. I used a whole gallon of white vinegar and about a half cup of salt, here are the results.
I chose a test area that had some grass growing up in seams of the driveway. Here you can see the test area I used to apply the mixture.
This is what it looked like after 24 hours.
This is what it looked like after 48 hours.
As you can see it is a very effective weed and grass killer. I also tried it on dandelions and some other weeds around the yard. It worked equally well with them, but it will also kill the grass surrounding the weed if you are not very careful with the application. This year, I am going to give my kids little paint brushes with cups of vinegar and salt and let them apply the mixture to the dandelions in the grass. I think this will be an effective method of applying the weed killer without killing the surrounding vegetation. Plus, it will be kind of fun for them.
It rained the next day and I thought the grass might perk up, but the weeds and grass continued to die off. It was very effective on the broad leaf weeds. Some of the grass in the driveway and sidewalk needed a second dose after about a week, but the areas I doused really well the first time died off completely. I believe the reason for needing to reapply was because I did not put enough on those areas the first time around.
Happy gardening!
By Jess from Hillsboro, OR
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I am considering making a weed killer using vinegar and salt. What are the benefits and the amounts used?
By Donb
I just used this 3 days ago and my weeds are dead. Works faster then round-up !
The recipe is ...
One gallon white vinegar.
One cup of salt. And,
2 TBS blue Dawn.
Mix well and spray on.
Notice: it does kill everything, so don't spray around flowers etc.
I've heard that if you're adding salt to the ground that it will prevent anything regrowing in that area for up to 4-5 years. I've heard vinegar works fine without the salt. Although the mixture will work well on blackberry bushes
I am going to try this formula I am 78 and really do not have anyone to help me. I also am a widow. In my back yord my dog has her potty area and I need to get rid of weeds there.
Just curious, i read another persons blog with this same recipe. They said to boil the vinegar and salt until dissolved. Let it cool and put the the dawn in your sprayer and add your salt/vinegar slowly to not make many suds. is this what you did?
The Romans salted Carthage for a reason. Just white vinegar works well too
As I live in the UK, what is blue dawn? Is this mixture safe around Hedgehogs?
I think Fairy dish detergent is similar to Dawn.
I am not understanding the significance of Dawn dish soap?
The Dawn dishwashing liquid helps the mixture adhere/stick to the weed or w/e your spraying the mixture on.
Dish soap allows the vinegar and salt mixture to adhere to the leaf for a longer time. Thus being more effective and not having to use so much.
I have read about using a mixture of vinegar, salt, and Dawn dish soap to kill weeds. Is this mixture safe to use around trees or raspberry canes?
The Dawn is diluted, so I think it is safe.
Vinegar and salt are weed killers but that does not mean they will not damage your trees or other plants. I would not use this mixture near anything that I did not to kill.
Are these solutions safe to use if you have dogs ?
