All-Natural Weed Killer
There’s something satisfying about grabbing a weed just above the soil line and successfully extracting the main root and accompanying appendages. It’s free stress relief and it’s one of my favorite things to do. But what happens when you have miles of garden (if you do, please know that I’m jealous) or are trying to up your curb appeal game so that your house will sell?
In our case, Justin had a great opportunity. In exchange for having a place to hunt, he will help care for a beautiful piece of property owned by my friend and her family. Part of his care includes creating a food plot for the resident deer. Right now, a lot of the property is heavily wooded and overgrown. He’s done a lot of research and has decided that using Round-Up, or the like, is out of the question. He mulled over some alternative options and asked me for my thoughts.
Why not an all-natural weed killer? Something for the pesky weeds in the sidewalk, in the landscaping, and even on a large plot of land? Of course, it needs to be effective, but it can’t put the critters at risk. Challenge accepted. I headed out to my favorite local hardware and agriculture center, snagged one of those portable spraying containers, and got to work.
Here's what you will need:
Portable pump-action spraying container - I purchased a gallon size, but if you’re heading up a big job, you might want to look into something larger.
One gallon of vinegar - I wish I could have found 20% acidity, but in the amount of time I had to look, I decided to grab 5% acidity vinegar.
One cup of unfiltered lemon juice - I picked up organic so that I can use the rest in recipes, etc, but you could even juice your own lemons. This will really kick up the acidity and effectiveness.
One cup of Castile soap - This allows it to adhere to the weeds, making it impossible for them to escape.
Add the soap to the container first, followed by the cup of lemon juice. Swirl it around and top it off with as much vinegar as will fit in your container. Mix it up gently and get to sprayin’!
We recommend spraying while the sun is out. It will surely make it more potent as the sun is a key factor in helping your all-natural weed killer a success. You’ll also want to be very careful with using it around your other plants. This all-natural weed killer is not choosy, it’ll take down any plant it comes in contact with.
Sadly, during the time we made the spray and took the photos, it was cloudy for a few days. However, even without the sun to give it a boost, the weeds still took a major hit from the all-natural weed killer!
Isn’t it incredible how items that we already have in our homes can help us outside and aide in keeping the environment safe, at the same time?! My five-year-old niece even gave it a try and was so proud that she could be an outdoor helper. Of course, her faithful, old cat is never far away!
Don’t worry - I still have plenty of weeds to pull, but this will certainly help me clean up my patio, landscaping, and sidewalks, which means more time enjoying them this summer. Not only that but now my handsome huntsman has an all-natural alternative to use for the food plot (that won’t pump additional herbicides into the animals).