With all of the negative media regarding weed sprays its time to find a safer alternative to chemical weed sprays. The beauty of growing your own fruits and vegetables is taking control of what goes into your food. It is sad but true that this has become such a concern. With added antibiotics, bleach and even roundup, we really don’t know what we are eating these days. Not only do all these extras affect the taste they can affect our health.
Store Bought vs. Homemade
When I started gardening years ago I bought whatever fertilizer was labeled safe for use in gardens and just used caution with my weed killer. Recently I have begun moving towards organic and healthier options. Wanting to find what was available commercially that was safe for use as pest/bug control, I happened across options that I could make with few ingredients that were a safer alternative, many of which I have around the house. Although I had my doubts I figured what do I have to
Time to try Something New
When the weeds started to crop up, I decided it was time to try out one of the recipes I had found. The recipe was simple – vinegar, salt and dish soap. Being common household ingredients, these seem to be much less toxic than standard weed killer. After cleaning out an old weed sprayer, I realized the recipe was for a simple spray bottle. Fortunately, I had an old bottle with a different vinegar mix that I had for completely separate use. I mixed up the ingredients and went to spraying.
How did it Work
Before spraying. 24 hours after spraying.
The next morning I headed out to the garden just to check on my watering system. I had made a few tweaks on that as well. While there I checked on the weeds to see how they were enjoying their special treat. Not expecting any results as it usually takes a week or more to see any results from a chemical spray. I am completely blown away by the effect this homemade weed spray made. In less than 24 hours the weeds went from thriving to nearly dust. In some cases, there really wasn’t even enough left to pull. However, I did notice that it is necessary to spray all of the greenery for a better kill, (at least for the 24-hour kill). Unlike some weed sprays, you can spray anywhere and it works its way through the entire plant.
Phase One Trial Complete
So with phase one of my trial complete, I am very satisfied with the results. I so much prefer using these three simple household ingredients near my fruits and vegetables. However, it is advised to use caution around any plants that you do not want to kill.
Time to try on a Larger Scale
From here I intend to mix up a gallon batch of this spray. I want to see how it works around our driveways and other weed problem areas. I have never cared to use chemical weed killers
Unfortunately, weed control is and always will be a big part of our summer yard maintenance. Quite frankly its the one I dislike the most. With all the accusations of the connection of Round-Up and cancer risks, I am wanting to eliminate these toxic products from our household. While I know there are many other toxins in our home we must start somewhere. With that, I am looking forward to seeing the results that I achieve in using this home-brewed safer alternative to chemical weed spray.
Want to try this for yourself?
If you would like to try this safer alternative weed spray you will need the following:
- 4 Cups Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Salt
- 2 teaspoons of Dishsoap
- 1 Sprayer Bottle
Add all ingredients to sprayer bottle, mix and proceed to spray weeds. Use caution around plants or grasses you wish to keep.
