April Showers Bring May Weeds ????
Alright. This is a little different for Bridget’s Kitchen.
No Chicken.
No Butter.
No Cheese.
(Frankly, I’m just as surprised as you are…)
But when something works — and costs next to nothing — I feel obligated to share it.
We’ve been battling those annoying little weeds that pop up between the pavers. You know the ones. The tiny green squatters that somehow appear overnight like they own the place.
And while there are about 47 products at the hardware store promising to annihilate them forever… a lot of them also come with warning labels that sound like maybe you should wear a hazmat suit and call your attorney before opening the bottle.
So instead?
Back to basics.
This homemade weed killer is cheap, easy, and pretty effective.
Where to use this Homemade Weed Killer
Now — let me be clear — this is NOT something you want near plants you actually care about. The salt in this mixture can absolutely damage soil and prevent future growth. So this is best used for weeds in cracks, pavers, gravel, driveways, sidewalks, and places where you do NOT intend to grow petunias anytime soon.
Here’s the recipe:
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2 cups vinegar
- A couple drops of dish soap
Directions: Mix the salt and vinegar together first – shake shake shake — 2 – 5 minutes to get the salt to dissolve into the vinegar. THEN add a couple of drops of dish soap.
I would love to tell you I bought adorable pink spray bottles because I’m organized and stylish… but honestly Dave found them on Amazon and they are made of Chineesium (slang in our house) and I don’t give any stars for the squeeze bottle other than the color. I would like to order a magic spray bottle that works when the sprayer is pointing down. Do they make those?????
Tell me – What else should I know?
The dish soap isn’t there for cleaning. It actually acts as a surfactant, which basically means it helps the mixture stick to the weeds instead of beading up and rolling off the leaves. Fancy word. Simple job. (I had to double check the spelling…ha)
As an FYI – The vinegar helps dry the weeds out by pulling moisture from the plant leaves. Household vinegar contains acetic acid, which damages the outer surface of the weed — especially young weeds. The salt finishes the job by dehydrating the plant even further and making it harder for anything to grow back in that exact spot. (Genius, right?)
A nice hot sunny day is the BEST time to use this stuff. Sunshine helps dry the weeds out faster and makes the mixture work harder. Right before rain? Not so much. Rain will dilute the mixture and potentially spread salty water where you may not want it.
Now — is this a miracle?
Nope.
Some weeds may need a second treatment. Especially stubborn ones. But considering this takes about 4 minutes to mix up and costs almost nothing and is available in my kitchen… I’m okay with a second treatment.
Apparently versions of vinegar-and-salt weed killers have been floating around for generations. Long before giant chemical lawn companies showed up with neon labels and commercials involving men yelling about crabgrass, people were using pantry basics to deal with weeds around paths and gardens.
And honestly? Sometimes the old ways are still the best ways.
Easy peasy — dead and speedy.
(Oh, I crack myself up!)