View Full Version : An absolutely incredible weed killer...homemade
Taigen
06-10-2005, 03:15 PM
I searched all over the net to find a homemade weedkiller and the one I used today is just amazing!! WARNING....IT WILL KILL EVERYTHING IT TOUCHES so please use VERY carefully.
Take one gallon of ordinary vinegar, one bag of regular table salt and a bit (2T) of dish soap. Then spray on what ever it is you want killed. I can't believe how quickly this works. I used it less than an hour ago and the weeds are ALL drooping! But SO WILL YOUR GRASS, so be prepared to have to reseed if you are doing a grassy area.
One problem we found was the pressure sprayer seemed to get clogged up with the salt so I would recommend straining it before putting it in the spraying. I did all those "patches" that appear in gravel driveways and just went out....everything I sprayed is all shriveld up, even that great big round leave weed. I'm thrilled!! :D: It even seems to be working on bugle weed which has taken over part of our back lawn....we will have to reseed but at least that stuff will be dead!
Can you tell it doesn't take much to please me!! LOL :D:
Mommajoan
06-10-2005, 03:22 PM
Question.....how much salt is in a bag??? We don't get it in bags... :no:
ma barker
06-10-2005, 03:23 PM
What is a 'bag' of salt Bev? :confused: Ours comes in a cardboard 'can'....26 oz.
I can't wait to try this....I hope it will also kill the dreaded Bermuda grass......
gander
06-10-2005, 03:42 PM
I have no problems with roundup killing bermuda. The only thing you have to remember is that round up does not kill the ground. so as soon as the bermuda that you did not spray starts growing it will take the otheres place. I would be more worried about putting salt in my soil that roundup.
Plantoholic
06-10-2005, 03:42 PM
Wonder if you could heat the vinegar first because then the salt would dissolve better. Can't wait to hear how much salt :cool:
Taigen
06-10-2005, 03:46 PM
Hi folks....I used 1kg of table salt...and there is still salt in the bucket after we strained it. I am going to keep it for another time we need it. It takes quite a bit of stirring to get it mixed up and as I said there was still some in the bottom.
I have never dealt with bermuda grass so I can't say....but if you could see what it has done with a WIDE variety of weeds here...I am totally amazed at it. I just had to share it with others!! The other thing I like is the spray that I used is very controlled so even on the lawn when a dandelion rears it's ugly head I can just spray it. Can't think of the name of that big round leaf weed, everytime you try to pull it it breaks off and the roots grow stronger...but they are all shrivelled up now :):):) THe awfule bugle weed is also shrivelled oh I could go on and on!! LOL :D:
Under the new deck that we put at the pond....we SHOULD have put the fabric down before the deck..but we didn't and you could actually see the tall grass lay down...it has turned yellow yet but it is all just laying down.
The soap helps bind the vinegar and salt to the plant by the way.
Have fun:):):) There's so much enjoyment in killing weeds that have bugged you forever!!! :D:
Mommajoan
06-10-2005, 04:02 PM
Gary...what's wrong with salt???
:thinking: :thinking: :thinking: :thinking: :thinking: :thinking: :thinking:
kntry
06-10-2005, 04:08 PM
Thanks a MILLION for this. I knew I must have missed something with the vinegar. I tried straight vinegar a few weeks ago. The weeds started to turn brown but came back.
I must spend over $100 a year on Roundup. I haven't bought any this year and have weeds knee high to a grasshopper :eek: :rolleyes: everywhere.
I know what I'll be doing this weekend!
OH BOY!!!!! I can't wait to try this by the koi pond! Thanks, Bev! I was worried about using any type of herbicide that close to the ponds....the frogs from the water garden could stray there and I didn't want them getting it on themselves if they hopped thru the weeds and I didn't want to track it into the flower beds on my shoes. YAY!
Oh....1K = 2.20 Pounds
Plantoholic
06-10-2005, 04:20 PM
Oh....1K = 2.20 Pounds
Thanks, Lynn I was gonna have to ask that :p:
:eek: That is a lot of salt
Scott
06-10-2005, 04:29 PM
OK, I just tried some.... but I used distilled white vinegar and a less accurate measurement of salt since I was only making a spray bottle full...... I nuked the bottle with the vinegar and salt to help dissolve the salt..... then a added a bit of dish soap..... we shall see....
Thanks for the formula Bev!
Scott
06-10-2005, 04:30 PM
2.2 lbs. to how much vinegar?
1 gallon....
Mommajoan
06-10-2005, 04:30 PM
Does any one know why Gary was afraid of the salt???
:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
kntry
06-10-2005, 04:31 PM
Joann, the salt will stay in the ground and keep anything else from growing there. But if you don't saturate the ground, it should be a problem.
Scott
06-10-2005, 04:31 PM
Does any one know why Gary was afraid of the salt???
:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
Salt kills plantz.... hence the weed killing formula... but it could stay in your soil and make it so new plants might be killed also....
Roark
06-10-2005, 05:07 PM
I use a bit of dilute nitric acid on the really nasty weeds that RoundUp won't touch. Works great on anything green, but in a few weeks and several rainfalls later, it gets degraded to a high-nitrogen fertilizer. In the meantime, it's a sterilant, and wicked-bad on anything buggy, green or (gulp!) human.
If your vinegar/salt formula works as advertised, then I'm all for another tool in the arsenal! And talk about cheap! COOL!
HEY!!! Just thinking out loud here: Not only will it kill your weeds... you can also use the last dregs in the bottle to put on deep-fried fish sticks and fries! Nummerz!!! Try THAT with Round-Up!!!
Roark
WinginSue
06-10-2005, 05:48 PM
dilute nitric acid
Roark
HUH???:confused: :confused:
Keep in mind Roundup doensn't kill the ground but it does kill the worms and such critters in the ground.
Taigen
06-10-2005, 06:40 PM
Okay...this is weird but I am going to post the pics of some of the weeds that I just took. The first one you can see which side of the bugle weed I sprayed and which I didn't. The other pics speak for themselves. I noticed the taller weeds (photo by the painted tobbogans) have drooped considerable but not as much as the shorter weeds.
To answer some of the questions; it is regular table salt, I don't know if the iodine has something to do with it or not. I think you could cut down by half the salt content as I have a tremendous amount left in a bucket. I strained it because it was clogging the sprayer. The vinegar is just plain old vinegar. I stirred and stirred but the salt never totally dissolved, hence the straining. I have no idea if these things will grow back or not...you don't saturate the ground, you spray the plant leaves and I'm sure some runs down the stem to the roots. I haven't tried planting anything else in the spots as this is the first time trying it so I can't say if there is a residual effect but I can't imagine there would be for any time.
Anyway...hope that answers your questions and here are the pictures :yes:
L5Vegan
06-10-2005, 07:18 PM
Dissolving salt idea.
Add 3 quarts water and 1kg salt to pan.
Bring to boil to help dissolve salt.
Let cool.
Add dish soap and 1 quart vinegar concentrate.
Whacha think?
Taigen
06-10-2005, 08:06 PM
Gee I have never seen the vinegar concentrate either! I'll have to look for it. I imagine the smell of heated vinegar would soon engulf your kitchen LOL!! Then we would all have the munchies for chips hahaha
L5Vegan
06-10-2005, 08:32 PM
Gee I have never seen the vinegar concentrate either! I'll have to look for it. I imagine the smell of heated vinegar would soon engulf your kitchen LOL!! Then we would all have the munchies for chips hahaha
i wouldn't heat the vinegar concentrate. You could add it last, in the sprayer if you wanted.
Scott
06-10-2005, 11:29 PM
OK, I just went out and looked at the weeds that I sprayed today with this concoction..... and IT WORKS WELL!!! :yes: :eek:
Those suckers took a week to die with round-up..... but only a few hours with this witches brew......
Thanks again for the formula!! :)
tnovak
06-11-2005, 01:36 AM
Ditto here on the gravel driveway
gonecadd
06-11-2005, 01:54 AM
Someone told me this a few years ago: Pour your salt where you want to get rid of weeds then spray with the vinegar. It is suppose to make a cleaner edge if you do it this way. And no having to mix. But on the other hand you have to put 2 things down rather than just one mix.
Taigen
06-11-2005, 07:41 PM
Well I am glad it is working for you guys....I can't beleive what it has done to our weeds. They are just totally dead...this brew really is great!! All the awful bugle weed is nicely shrivelled and brown :):) Even wild strawberry plants growing in the lawn. :):)
emmalou
06-11-2005, 07:53 PM
Veggie that's the second time she hit it... it is old news LOL
:D: :D: :D: :D: :D: What can I say....or not say :confused:
allen42
06-11-2005, 08:30 PM
Cindy made some up today after i showed her this post , she couldnt WAIT !! SO I will update shorty lol i have every reason that it will work , Salt kills, the soap makes it stick to the foliage better , have no idea what the vigigar does besides making a smelly smell lol ,, update to follow soon !
Roark
06-12-2005, 12:40 AM
This is neat. :) An environmentally-benign weed-killer! Who'd have thunk it?
This may be the answer to a long-standing problem. Savannah has chickens/geese/quail/etc and forbids the use of anything "chemical" on her properties. The weedkillers all have some toxicity problem at some level. So the fencelines tend to be a mess unless the Labor Party does a monthly weed-whack. Maybe tomorrow I'll load-up some of this stuff in the 25-gal tow-behind and see what happens!
Roark
emmalou
06-12-2005, 02:13 AM
This is neat. :) An environmentally-benign weed-killer! Who'd have thunk it?
This may be the answer to a long-standing problem. Savannah has chickens/geese/quail/etc and forbids the use of anything "chemical" on her properties. The weedkillers all have some toxicity problem at some level. So the fencelines tend to be a mess unless the Labor Party does a monthly weed-whack. Maybe tomorrow I'll load-up some of this stuff in the 25-gal tow-behind and see what happens!
Roark
Ditto..will expound later :confused:
aartwmich
06-12-2005, 01:21 PM
Pickling salt dissolves very readily.
I'll be interested to see if there is any indication of salt residue in the soil....it would really suck to contaminate your soil with salt, I wonder how much is too much??
Taigen
06-12-2005, 01:53 PM
aartwmich....I don't saturate the soil...just the leaves of the plants. I'm sure some runs down the stem to the roots but it certainly isn't a great ammount that is sprayed on. I'm curious to see if anything re-surfaces, I am leaving the dead stuff there to see if it comes back but I have my doubts it will. Everything that was sprayed looks pretty much dead!
N.F.Fishluver
06-13-2005, 11:02 AM
I only read the first couple of pages of this thread but I think I can clarify a few things as I've been using this "recipe" for years. The actual recipe is 4 cups of white vinegar, *1/4 cup* of regular salt and 2 teaspoons of dish soap. More salt won't hurt but as has been mentioned it won't dissolve either. A good friend of ours who happens to have a horticulture degree suggested I try this recipe when we lived on a farm that was certified organic. Now I use this around the ponds and on the gravel driveway. I just passed the recipe on to a neighbor over the weekend who is concerned about using anything where their dogs are...
Taigen
07-22-2005, 09:48 AM
Bumping up for those that wanted the recipe :yes:
jungleman9941
07-24-2005, 09:27 AM
You can use baking soda to kill crabgrass and it doesn't hurt the grass. I have used it on other weeds also with good results and it is cheap.
aartwmich
07-25-2005, 05:07 AM
Hmmm I would like to hear more about how baking soda will kill cragrass and not the lawn
jungleman9941
07-25-2005, 05:52 PM
you wet the crabgrass and then sprinkle the baking soda on it. it doesn't hurt southern grass not sure about northern grass, try a small patch first.
luke-gr
07-25-2005, 06:37 PM
I looked at the ingredients on some total vegetation killer that I have and both the main ingredients are some kind of salt (salt prefaced witha really big word) :D: :D:
Taigen
07-25-2005, 07:33 PM
Mine worked great on everything except the bugle weed....it came back :( But I also probably didn't spray as much where it was in the lawn and I didn't remove the dead stuff. The other weeds are still dead and it worked great.
I've heard more and more people locally using this recipe too, even local garden centers are advising it which is good to know.
Now we think there may be cinch (sp?) bug in the front lawn....anyone have any homemade recipes for them????? :D:
kntry
08-07-2005, 07:04 PM
Does anyone know how long after a hard rain you have to wait to use this? How many hours before a hard rain can you spray and still be effective?
HOW DO YOU DISSOLVE THE SALT????
SunWolf
08-14-2005, 12:06 AM
I have been desolving 1 cup of salt in about 1 cup of HOT water (just enough to make a kind of salt paste), then adding 1 gallon of plain white vinegar...basic plain generic vinegar. Making the "salt paste" allows it to mix a little better with the vinegar, but doesn't seem to hinder its weed killing ability. Then I stir in 2 Tablespoons of Dawn Dishwashing liquid, pour it into an appropriate sprayer and have a go at the offending weeds. Crab grass HAS NOT grown over areas that I have been sprayed!!
Seems to last about a month or so between applications...however, if we get a heavy rain storm it seems to need reapplied a little more frequently, so I'm not too worried about lasting "salt burn" to the soil.
And it makes my brick patio smell like a wonderful salad dressing!!!
squancho
06-11-2006, 08:02 PM
another weed killer we use around here is to take a plastic tea pitcher and microwave some water till its very very hot, almost boiling and pouring it on weeds, dangerous if you arent strong enough to hold the pitcher but safe and free and environmentally safe , works like a charm on weeds, anthills, all kinds of stuff, why waste money on roundup?
cezhart
06-15-2006, 12:27 PM
I have no problems with roundup killing bermuda. The only thing you have to remember is that round up does not kill the ground. so as soon as the bermuda that you did not spray starts growing it will take the otheres place. I would be more worried about putting salt in my soil that roundup.
Really??? Do you think that one could water it good & make the salt disapate? What would the salt do in the soil?
cindy
03-08-2017, 01:44 PM
I only read the first couple of pages of this thread but I think I can clarify a few things as I've been using this "recipe" for years. The actual recipe is 4 cups of white vinegar, *1/4 cup* of regular salt and 2 teaspoons of dish soap. More salt won't hurt but as has been mentioned it won't dissolve either. A good friend of ours who happens to have a horticulture degree suggested I try this recipe when we lived on a farm that was certified organic. Now I use this around the ponds and on the gravel driveway. I just passed the recipe on to a neighbor over the weekend who is concerned about using anything where their dogs are...
I have been desolving 1 cup of salt in about 1 cup of HOT water (just enough to make a kind of salt paste), then adding 1 gallon of plain white vinegar...basic plain generic vinegar. Making the "salt paste" allows it to mix a little better with the vinegar, but doesn't seem to hinder its weed killing ability. Then I stir in 2 Tablespoons of Dawn Dishwashing liquid, pour it into an appropriate sprayer and have a go at the offending weeds. Crab grass HAS NOT grown over areas that I have been sprayed!!
Seems to last about a month or so between applications...however, if we get a heavy rain storm it seems to need reapplied a little more frequently, so I'm not too worried about lasting "salt burn" to the soil.
And it makes my brick patio smell like a wonderful salad dressing!!!
:)