Using chemicals is so easy to kill those undesirable weeds in our outdoor backyard gardens. However, sometimes our beautiful landscape goes down with it. These DIY recipes for weed killers will help you have a healthier garden to thrive during the summer.

Keep a beautiful garden getting rid of weeds without harming your plants!
Keep a beautiful garden getting rid of weeds without harming your plants! Image source: Country Living

Natural And Toxin Free

Drench the weeds with salt, vinegar and dish soap mixture.
Drench the weeds with salt, vinegar and dish soap mixture. Image source: Shary cherry

This is an easy recipe that only takes three ingredients:

  • 1 gallon vinegar
  • 1 cup table salt
  • 1 tablespoon dish soap

Pour the gallon of vinegar into a bucket, add the cup of salt and stir until dissolved. Lastly, blend together the dish soap. Funnel the mixture into a plastic spray bottle, and drench the weeds in your backyard on dry and sunny days.

Vinegar is a great option when it comes to being an effective weed killer. It’s eco-friendly, meaning it doesn’t harm the environment, neither does it harm people and pets. The only drawback here is that vinegar’s action doesn’t last, so new weeds grow very quickly. Check some tips on how to Start An Organic Garden In 8 Simple Steps.

Boiling Water

So simple and effective.
So simple and effective. Image source: Vorply

The absolute easiest and fastest way to get rid of weeds - especially the young ones. Also, since it’s just pure water, it won’t affect the rest of your garden in any way. This means your backyard landscape design will be intact! Be really careful about this one, though. Have gloves and proper clothes on, and make sure your pets and your kids are inside the house. Taking a lot of precautions when handling hot water is absolutely necessary.

It works better for young weeds, and you can also add a tablespoon of salt for extra effectiveness.

Related: Different Recipes Results for Fast Weed Control

Eat Them

Several of these weeds can actually be delicious.
Several of these weeds can actually be delicious. Image source: Shary cherry

It might sound a bit strange, but there are several weeds that are actually edible, such as:

  • Dandelion
  • Purslane
  • Clover
  • Lamb’s Quarters
  • Plantain
  • Chickweed
  • Mallow
  • Wild Amaranth

Be cautious when picking out these herbs - make sure you positively identify them and avoid eating anything that grows outside your garden. If you’re not sure, don’t take a chance. Learn more about it.

Related: Why You Should Check Your Trees Before Pruning

Baking Soda

Fill in the driveway or sidewalks cracks with baking soda.
Fill in the driveway or sidewalk cracks with baking soda. Image source: David Wolfe

To prevent weeds from growing in the cracks of driveways or around the house, pour baking soda on them. The excess sodium will make it much less hospitable for the most common weeds! Your home landscape design will be a lot more beautiful once those weeds are out of the way.

Related: 10 Natural Ways To Mosquito Proof Your Summer

Cut Out the Sun

Newspapers can be pretty good for killing weeds as well.
Newspapers can be pretty good for killing weeds as well. Image source: Our Lake Life

If you don’t want to risk any chemicals upsetting your garden or structures, you can kill weeds by covering them with a few sheets of newspaper, thus blocking out the sun. Whatever seeds were there won’t grow anymore, and if any does grow, it will wither and die in a few days.

Related: How To Kill Weeds With Effectiveness

Did you know about any of these tips? Check our Landscape Inspiration page for more backyard and gardening articles!

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