The Best Natural Weed Killers

“Weeds are nature's graffiti.” — J.L.W. Brooks

Indeed they are. In fact, removing this graffiti from lawns is a top priority for many homeowners who value lawn care. U.S. households spent nearly $15.9 billion on lawn care and gardening services as recently as five years ago, according to LawnStarter.

Even the most beautiful lawn can get ruined by pesky weeds. Naturally, weeds tend to be difficult to kill and weed whacking alone simply won’t cut it — pun intended. Weeds are hard to get rid of because they soak up the nutrients and moisture that your grass needs to thrive. While removing them is a must, using chemical weed killers can do more harm than good. Most chemical herbicides are harmful to children, pets, as well as the very soil and grass you’re trying to protect. But, there are natural methods to remove weeds without threatening your lawn’s ecosystem and the surrounding neighborhood.

Keep your lawn healthy and green by learning all about the best natural weed killers and ways to prevent weeds from growing in the first place.

Natural weed killers

Don’t nuke your lawn with strong chemical weed killers. All-natural solutions are best to fight the good fight against those troublesome weeds. The following organic weed killers are gardener-approved and are made with products you may already have. Give them a try to see what works for you!

White vinegar

The acidic properties of vinegar give weeds a walloping. Be careful not to oversaturate the weeds. You could cause collateral damage to the flowers in your yard.

Newspaper

In movies, have you ever seen someone get smothered by a pillow? Do the same to those annoying weeds with newspapers. Wet throwaway papers and lay them on top of your weeds to cut off the light, air, and room to grow.

Boiling water

Arguably the easiest method. Simply heat up a kettle of water and pour it directly on actively growing weeds. That’s it. The heat alone will scorch weeds and stop them in their tracks. (Bonus tip: A pot of boiling water is also very effective on growing or resilient ant hills in your lawn. The water makes its way through the extensive highway of small tunnels and usually only takes one time.)

Borax

Practically all households have this cleaning necessity, but I bet you didn’t know you could kill weeds and clean your kitchen with it. Just add 10 ounces to 2 ½ gallons of water, mix thoroughly, and spray it on the weeds vigorously. Then watch them wither away.

Baking soda

Apply baking soda to weeds any time of the year as long as you coat the entire plant, including its foliage. The bulk of the baking soda should cover the weed’s stem. Just remember to apply the baking soda at a rate of 1 teaspoon per weed.

Simple guide: Prepare a home for a new baby.

Table salt

Yes, it doubles as a seasoning and weed hitman. You can “Salt Bae” sprinkle it directly on weeds or even create a saltwater mixture to spray, which will help assure that your garden plants remain unharmed. If you’re applying just the salt directly, sprinkle a little salt at the base of each weed.

Homemade weed killer

Instead of paying for store-bought herbicides that kill your weeds and your lawn, try making your own homemade herbicide! They can be just as effective and require little to no chemicals. Combine 1 gallon of white vinegar, 1/2 cup of table salt, and 1 tablespoon of dish soap (to act as a surfactant) in a bucket to create an unstoppable weed killing solution. Put it in a cheap spray bottle and unleash it among poor, unsuspecting weeds.

How to prevent weed growth

Get ahead of the weeds by preventing them from growing to begin with. This will save time and money, leaving you with more availability to tend to the plants you care about. Address them head-on with these methods.

Baking soda

This weed killer can also be used as a preventive measure. Just sweep baking soda into cracks or directly sprinkle it onto weeds at the same rate stated earlier.

Cornmeal

Stop weedlings before they grow. The proteins in cornmeal (processed corn gluten meal specifically) can stop any seed from germinating and growing. You can also sprinkle cornmeal on grown weeds to prevent them from growing further.

Mulch

Similar to the newspaper tactic, adding a nice layer of mulch in your garden will smother helpless weeds. Best of all, a thick layer of it can hide weeds even after they’re dead. Making your lawn and or garden, one of the better-looking ones on the block.

More than likely, you have the necessary tools to kill these lawn leeches. With all these natural weed killing options available, you’ll have no need to purchase harmful chemical herbicides. For more home and garden tips, check out the Lifestyles section of our blog. Happy weed killing!