If you have a green thumb and a garden or a nice orchard at home, you probably know that weeds are a real nightmare. On the paths, between the flagstones of your terrace or garden, the dreaded weeds give you a hard time. And despite weeding by hand, these weeds grow very quickly. You can combat weeds with natural ingredients that you probably already have at home, such as baking soda and white vinegar, and turn your green space into a Garden of Eden…
Why use ecological methods for weeding?
Weeds are unwanted plants that grow in the garden near your plants, flowers and vegetables. Although they may seem innocent, weeds harm the health and vigor of your plants by taking up space and nutrients from the soil! Plus, they are not pretty to look at and reduce the beauty capital of your garden.
Now, to get rid of weeds and save your garden from colonization, you don’t have to resort to harsh chemical herbicides, which in addition to being toxic to you and the environment, are harmful to your own plants, because they can burn them and make them lose their vitality. Also, when it comes to products to get rid of pests, diseases or weeds, it is best to opt for natural methods of prevention and control. Baking soda and vinegar are part of this and do not pose any health risks and help keep the environment healthy.
How to make a natural herbicide with baking soda?
Baking soda, also called sodium bicarbonate, is a powerful natural herbicide. It is a phytotoxic product that harms plant growth. It dries out unwanted plants by absorbing water from their cells and eradicates them.
How to do it?
- Water the weeds to wet them and allow the baking soda to adhere to the foliage and soil;
- Sprinkle about a teaspoon of baking soda over each target herb, covering it with the product;
- If after a few days of waiting you do not see results (wilting or darkening of the foliage), repeat the procedure;
- If you have weeds on your garden paths, sprinkle baking soda between the tiles. It will kill the weeds and prevent their growth.
It is best to use this method away from grass and plants. Also, it is not advisable to plant anything else in the treated area before the rain has washed away the baking soda.
How to make homemade herbicide with white vinegar?
White vinegar contains acetic acid which has the power to burn the foliage of weeds; the latter become weak and eventually die. It should be noted that vinegar is most useful for young broadleaf weeds. For large or deep-rooted plants, multiple applications may be required for it to work properly. It is more strenuous work compared to the baking soda method, but it is a good solution for weed control if you do not want the soil to be inhospitable to plants.
How to do it?
- Pour 2 cups white vinegar into a spray bottle;
- Add 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid so that the spray adheres to the leaves and breaks down their protective coating;
- Spray the solution on the weeds and avoid spraying your precious plants;
- Vinegar breaks down quickly in soil, but it is recommended to wait a week to plant anything in areas sprayed with vinegar.
Grandma’s recipe for killing weeds
Mixing white vinegar and baking soda is a doubly practical solution to repel weeds! It will allow you to kill two birds with one stone, burning the leaves and dehydrating the plants from the roots!
How to do it?
- Use 1 part baking soda to 2 parts vinegar;
- First pour the baking soda into your spray bottle before adding the vinegar;
- A chemical reaction will occur! Then add a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid;
- Close your sprayer and shake it;
- Spray weeds thoroughly with this solution!
For your information
Another method is to sprinkle baking soda on the weeds and then spray them with white vinegar. A chemical reaction will occur directly on the unwanted plants. Leave it to act and repeat the operation if necessary.
Remember that you won’t be able to plant anything here for a long time either!
What useful practices complement your natural herbicide?
In addition to your natural baking soda and vinegar weed control product, you can do a few simple things in your garden to keep these harmful plants away: remove weeds from the surface by hand and save the baking soda and vinegar for the more entrenched weeds, mow your lawn regularly to a height of 3 to 3 inches to keep weeds away and cut them before they set seed, etc.
When the sun and the nice weather arrive, we spend more time in our garden, walking or taking care of our beautiful flowers and plants! That’s why we want this space to live up to our expectations and without any bad plants nearby! We hope that you have found in this article all the useful information to get rid of them!
Frequently Asked Questions
What other natural herbicide to kill weed roots?
Boiling water also kills weeds and their roots! This has been confirmed by many experts, including Gena Lorraine, a gardening expert, as passed on to us by our colleagues at Express UK.
How to use boiling water to kill weeds?
Boiling water kills plant tissue. Easy to make, this herbicide is easy to use, day or night, with or without sun! Simply boil some water and pour a sufficient amount over the leaves of the grass. Preferably use a teapot with a pouring spout for precise aiming!
How to use a propane torch to kill weeds?
You can actually burn weeds! But use the torch with caution because the fire can also kill nearby grass and plants. Never use it in bushy areas prone to fire!
The best places to use it are still unplanted areas, such as sidewalk cracks, for example.
What concentration of vinegar should I use to get rid of weeds?
Concentrations of 5 to 10% kill weeds that are just starting out (2 weeks). Older plants, on the other hand, require higher concentrations. It should be noted that a bottle of household vinegar has a concentration of approximately 5%.
What are other natural herbicides?
Essential oils of clove, red thyme, savory and cinnamon are also used to kill weeds because they are phytotoxic. That is, when they come into contact with light, they have the ability to irritate and damage weed cells.
How to weed?
To weed a garden, you can proceed in 4 different ways:
- Pull weeds by hand (from the root),
- Cover weeds with mulch or black plastic to prevent them from accessing light.
- Use a herbicide.
- Remove weeds with a hoe, that is, loosen the soil surface with a hoe or three-pronged claw.
