‘Excellent’ 14p solution to ‘burn’ stubborn weeds – ‘they should shrivel away and die’

Envirobond: How to remove weeds from your Paving stone joints

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Weeds are every gardener’s worst enemy, weaving their way through perfectly planted gardens and reeking all kinds of havoc en route. So, with summer just around the corner, it’s no wonder gardeners are now trying to work out how to make homemade weed killers that eliminate these persistent pests once and for all. Sure, gardeners could head out to the store and stock up on some chemical-laden weed killer to kill them, but it’s not the safest option. Gardening experts at Happy DIY Home have shared a few ways gardeners can make their own natural weed killers.

The first method suggested was to use lemons to rid pesky weeds from gardens and patios.

The experts explained: “Lemons contain high amounts of citric acid which is excellent for burning off unwanted weeds.

“Simply squeeze as much fresh lemon juice into a spray bottle and spray the homemade weed killer onto the offending plants. 

“They should shrivel away and die within one or two days.

“For the best results, wait until a hot, dry day to douse your weeds in lemon juice.”

Lemons can be purchased from Asda for 54p for a pack of four, which works out as less than 14p per lemon.

If gardeners don’t have fresh lemons to hand, or if they just don’t have time to squeeze them, store-bought lemon juice will work just as well.

Lemon juice should work well on its own, but if gardeners are not getting the results they desire, try mixing it with white vinegar, according to the gardening pros.

They suggested: “Four ounces (113 ml) of lemon juice mixed with a quart (roughly 1 litre) of white vinegar can prove to be a potent homemade weed killer.”

Be warned, however, that even though it’s non-toxic, this highly acidic homemade weed killer solution can still sting if it gets in contact with eyes, so wearing safety goggles is advised.

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Another solution is to mixing salt and vinegar together as it creates a powerful, long-lasting natural herbicide, according to the experts.

Individually, both salt and vinegar are known as powerful natural weed killers.

The gardening experts explained: “One of the few weed killers to get right down into the root system, pure salt is a homemade weed killer that will starve both leaves and roots of moisture and dehydrate them.

“For small patches of weeds, you can add salt directly to the plants and soil. 

“For larger areas, consider mixing salt and water in a spray bottle and spraying onto the weeds. Note that this will kill grass as well.”

Gardeners can also use vinegar in much the same way, but note that only vinegar which has at least five percent acetic acid will work, so standard white vinegar will work well.

The experts continued: “Having said that, the most effective approach is to mix the two into a much stronger homemade weed killer solution.

“Mix one gallon of five percent white vinegar with one cup of table salt in a bucket and stir it until the salt completely dissolves.

“Next, add two tablespoons of dishwashing soap and stir thoroughly. 

“The liquid soap will act as a surfactant to ensure your solution sticks to the weeds.

“With that done, use the funnel to pour your weed killer into a spray bottle and spray it onto your weeds, ensuring you thoroughly coat all surfaces.”

When it comes to natural weed killer alternatives, they don’t come much simpler, or cheaper, then this – boiling water.

To carry out this hack, fill a kettle or pan with water, bring it to the boil, and pour the boiling water on the weeds.

Unfortunately, boiling water isn’t a permanent solution, says the experts.

They said: “Although boiling water works remarkably well at killing off the foliage, it doesn’t affect the root system, so the weeds will grow back eventually.”

That said, boiling water proves a great way to temporarily get rid of those pesky weeds that grow in between the cracks of driveways or sidewalk until gardeners have time to come up with a longer-term homemade weed killer fix.

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