14 Natural Weed Killers to Kill Weeds Naturally in Your Garden

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Are there lots of unwanted weeds in your garden? Might be you are trying to pull them through hands, but some roots are too deep and pulling them out is seriously a struggle.

Using Chemical Weed Killers

One easy and effective method available to kill those nasty weeds is chemical weed killers. But such weed killers are not safe!

Also known as herbicides, the chemical weeds react with not just weeds but also with plants, thereby killing part or the entire plant. The effect of these chemical weeds depends on its chemical formula.

Harmful Effects of Chemical Weed Killers

Purchasing a strong, chemical weed killer to get rid of those pesky weeds is easy and convenient. But the chemical weed killers available in the stores are directly obtained from the chemicals, which are employed by commercial farmers to safeguard their lump sum quantities of vegetables and fruits.

But using these herbicides can cause hazards to plants and human health. It is because these herbicides contain harmful chemicals and elements that can lead to damage to plants, humans that consume it, and even wildlife. There are even strong weed killers that when applied to near water resources can lead to water pollution. If chemical weed killers are used in a large amount, the chemicals can even cause poisoning with symptoms like nausea, headaches, dizziness, rashes, and more.

Using Natural Organic Weed Killers

There are numerous natural elements that offer effective weed killing properties. Most of these weed killers are prepared using natural ingredients and work by boosting the acidity of the soil supporting the roots of the wheels. But the natural herbicides are organic and hence their acidity level instantly dissipates into the soil. This converts the nutrients once the roots of weeds are destroyed.

The best thing about natural weed killers is that it is possible to create them at home. All you need to do is collect together some natural ingredients that are proven to be effective in diminishing the life of the common weeds.

Hence, if you want to combat all the risks of chemical weed killers then using natural weed killers is the best solution available. Even you don’t have to look out to search for the best organic weed killers in the market as here we tell you the ways to prepare the best organic weeds at home.

List of Best Natural Weed Killers

1. Boiling Water

Boiling Water

Hot water is an amazing way to kill those unwanted weeds and get a clean and ‘weed-free’ garden.

You can prepare the boiled water by placing water on flame for a few minutes till a boil appears. Now pour this hot water into a kettle and take this to your garden. Make sure that you aim to hit the crown of the undesired weed plant. There are a few types of weeds that are rigid and hence would require multiple efforts. So, using boiling water will ensure that your soil is not damaged and you are able to get rid of those nasty weeds.

2. Salt

Salt

Salt is another way to dehydrate the leaves of plants. Even it sabotages an adequate moisture level in the root system of weed.

You need to take some pure salt and mix it well with water so that there is a potent solution and entire salt is dissolved in the water. But make sure that you mix proper portions of water and salt solutions as if the salt content is high then this can be deadly for the plants. Use the salt and water solution in small amounts so that the weeds get damage slowly and soon you will be able to remove them with ease.

3. Vinegar

Vinegar

Just like salt, pure vinegar – cider or white leads to dehydration to weeds and unwanted plants.

One best thing about vinegar is that it evaporates instantly after use. But it is essential for you to use pure vinegar carefully as it can also kill the plant. The best way is to dilute the vinegar by mixing water or to use white vinegar. The vinegar can be diluted mixing 1 part of vinegar to 1 part of water. Once you will start availing the results, you can then use the weed and accordingly increase or decrease the concentration.

If the weed is too established then you need to spray the mixture several times to damage it. Also, you can even add a little quantity of dish soap to the mixture as is more effective to damage the weed.

4. Mulch

Mulch

If you don’t wish to use any acidic or harmful substance that comes with the risk of damaging your plants too then using mulch is the best solution for this.

This is, in fact, one of the easiest ways to treat weeds completely. You just have to prepare the mulch using wood chips, grass clippings, shredded bark, sawdust, and other natural materials and cover the weeds with this mixture. This way the weeds will not receive the sunlight, which only the plants would be able to receive. Mulch not just damage the uninviting weeds, but also prevents the new weed from growing.

5. Paper or Newspaper Pieces

Newspapers

Newspapers get old date by date, but the fortunate thing is they can be still used to serve the garden well.

Using old newspapers is the best way to get rid of weeds and at the same time get the best protection for your plants. Newspapers can be used to cover those low-growing plants completely. You can either crush the newspaper or can tear it into big pieces and then create thick layers of newspapers to cover the weeds. When the weeds would not be able to receive sunlight then there will be the demise of the weeds and will combat their development.

6. Vodka

Vodka

Vodka is strong alcohol and a mixture of vodka and water is ideal to put the weeds in check and protect your plants.

You can prepare an organic herbicide with vodka by mixing vodka with water in the desired ratio. You can take either equal parts of both the ingredients or can take two parts of vodka with one part of water to create a more effective mixture. Take this mixture in a spray bottle and spray it all over those deadly weeds and watch them as they dry out. This method is great for sun-kissed invasive plants.

7. Fire

Fire

Another way to get rid of weeds is to light them up with fire. You can apply direct heat to the weeds as this can even damage the plants. So, make sure you use it carefully.

Repeated applications of fire can kill the leaves and may even damage the roots. For this reason, it would be wise to use a flame-weeder tool that is available at numerous home and garden outlets. With this tool, it is easy to apply flame and heat conveniently to the weeds without grabbing the whole plant and other stuff on fire. So, while weeding with flames is an effective method to get rid of these nasty elements, it is essential to stay precautious so that the plants do not catch fire.

8. Borax

Borax

A powerful cleansing agent used in laundries and other areas such as grocery stores, Borax is effective in damaging the weeds.

You can prepare an organic herbicide with Borax by mixing 2.5 gallons of water and 10 ounces of Borax in powder form. Just mix the two ingredients well and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray it on the weeds to coat the unwanted weeds in the yard. Keep spraying it on the plants but at timely intervals in order to avoid saturation of soil with this mixture. Also, avoid any direct contact with this mixture to the skin so that you do not experience any skin problem.

9. Bleach

Bleach

You must be aware of various uses of bleach, but do you know that bleach is an excellent agent to kill weeds.

It is a natural and organic method to get rid of pesky weeds growing between walkways and cracks. You just have to take the bleaching powder and spread it on the weeds. Over time, the weeds will get damaged. A great aspect of bleach is that it even prevents weeds from coming back for a long time. Hence, if you are searching for a long-term solution to get rid of weeds then this is an excellent method available.

10. Cornmeal

Cornmeal

While this is not an effective weed killing method, but it is surely an excellent way to prevent weeds from developing and growing.

You can use cornmeal and spread it all over the areas where you expect the weed may grow. You just have to sprinkle the powder. This way will ensure that the weeds will never grow in that area.

11. Scraps of Carpet

Do you have any old carpet at your home? If yes, then you would be amazed to know that it can be used to get rid of unwanted weeds from your garden.

Take an old carpet and cut into scraps to create an effective weed barrier. With the old piece of carpets, you can obstruct the supply of light to the specified areas. With old carpet pieces, it would be possible to stop invasive plants from developing and still ensure that the water is drained to other areas where it is needed the most. Make sure that the scraps do not remain on soil for more than one year.

12. Ground Cover Plants

A great way to cure weeds is ground cover plants that can be used to cover the bare areas of soil.

The best thing is that these cover plants offer a great competition to the weeds and even will ensure that they derive all the nutrients, water and sunlight of them. As a result, all you will end up having is clean, beautiful ground cover plants and no weeds at all.

13. Consuming Weeds

Though not good for the plant growth, weeds are actually unwanted plants that are absolutely edible. There are some types of weeds that can be prepared for a meal.

Wild amaranth, curly dock, red clover, chickweed, and dandelion are some such weeds that are perfect for human consumption. Hence, you can plan to consume these weeds in order to cook some tasty delicacies as well as keep your garden clean in an organic way.

14. Dishwasher

The dishwasher available in your house is a great option to prepare homemade herbicide.

It is an effective solution free from all sorts of chemicals and harmful risks. You need to take a bucket and add equal parts of table salt, vinegar, and dish soap. Make sure you wear gloves and mix the solution well with a weed killing remedy. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spread it all over on the weed-prone areas.

Conclusion

You can use these organic herbicides to kill the existing weeds and even prevent the weeds from developing. No matter you use one remedy or a couple of them, just make sure that you use them wisely. Ensure that you use them in a way that just kills the weed and do not damage your plants.

So, try these amazing homemade organic weed killers to get a garden free from weeds and showcased with beautiful, lovely plants!

By James Edwards

James Edwards is a writer & editor with almost 15 years of experience from Murphys, California. He earned his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University.

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