Chemical-free Weedkillers For Your Garden

Environmentally friendly weedkillers for your garden aren’t always easy to find.

But weeds are!

We all spend hours in the garden pruning and preening, and pesky weeds like dandelions and white clover can ruin our hard work pretty quickly.

That’s why the experts from GardeningExpress.co.uk have revealed the best chemical free weedkillers you can make from common store cupboard essentials.

Vinegar, salt, and baking soda all contain properties that starve, dehydrate and ultimately destroy troublesome plants, so that gardeners can enjoy healthy lawns and weed-free driveways for longer.

“There’s nothing more disheartening that seeing hours of hard work in the garden ruined by pesky weeds that seem to sprout from nowhere,” a spokesperson for GardeningExpress.co.uk commented.

“There are loads of commercial products on the market that will do the job in killing the weeds quickly, but most of these contain potentially harmful chemicals.

“Not only are these homemade concoctions a chemical-free alternative, but you’ll also save the expense of store bought products.

“Products with high acidic values are usually effective, but you should avoid spraying them directly on soil as substances like vinegar can break down the soil structure and kill beneficial microorganisms.”

Vinegar

Vinegar is non-selective and will kill everything it touches.

It won’t work on deep-rooted perennials, however, and may just “burn” the visible parts of the weed.

It’s highly effective on small weeds, but it can also alter your soil to prevent things from growing there in the future, so it’s best to use this on block paving and gravel driveways only. Simply add it to a sprayer and squirt onto the leaves and stems of weeds.

Salt

Salt has been used as a herbicide and pesticide for hundreds of years and is very effective.

Dilute three parts water with one part salt, mix and leave to stand for 10 minutes to make sure the salt has dissolved, then spray the desired weeds with the salty solution.

But don’t use on lawns — salt can be absorbed into your soil and prevent future growth.

Boiling water

Scalding water can destroy growing weeds, but also any other greenery nearby. Make sure to keep it as close to the weeds as possible.

Baking soda

Use baking soda on pesky weeds, particularly those growing in cracks to avoid killing healthy grass and other vegetation.

Mulch

Layer mulch with newspapers or cardboard to eliminate existing weeds. This also stopping the next generation of weeds from growing, too.

Cornmeal

Cornmeal gluten acts as an organic herbicide. It’s free of toxic chemicals, so should be scattered over soil to prevent crabgrass and dandelions from growing.

Rubbing alcohol

Mix two tablespoons of rubbing alcohol with a litre of water, and then pour the mixture into a spray bottle. The alcohol will remove the moisture that weeds need to survive.

Click here for more gardening advice from “The People’s Friend”.