Easy, organic and safe: how to use child and pet-friendly homemade weed killers

Magazine

There are still many weed killers available that are toxic to pets and dangerous for children. With homemade weed killers, that risk can be completely eliminated, offering you and your family complete peace of mind. Here’s all you need to know about what to use and how to apply them.

Why homemade weed killers make sense

As much as we love our gardens and want to protect them from the ravages of rampant weeds, in the grand scheme of things their importance doesn’t come close to that of the lives of our children and pets. Despite this, we continue to use weed killers containing chemicals that are dangerous to both.

By substituting organic, homemade weed killers instead, you won’t have to worry about and monitor your children or pets when they’re in the garden. Better yet, most of the ingredients are cheap and may already be found in your kitchen or shed. The following are some of the best family-friendly alternatives.

Mulch

Something many gardeners will have in supply all year round, biodegradable mulch – such as compost, wood chippings or even leaves collected from your garden – is great for preventing weeds from growing in the first place, as well as killing any that are already growing.

This homemade weed killer works by depriving them of light (in addition to keeping soil cool and helping it retain moisture for your plants), and organic mulches also offer a home to insects such as crickets and beetles that find and eat weed seeds. Spread a layer about two inches deep over target areas and be sure to replenish it regularly.

Boiling water

Yes, if you have a kettle or a saucepan, plain old water straight from the tap is a weed’s worst nightmare. It is great for getting rid of weeds in areas they have overrun, such as driveways or paths, especially in those harder to reach cracks and gaps. The results are instant and can be enhanced by adding some salt to the water after it has boiled. You need to be careful when pouring it out, though, as it will kill any plant it comes into contact with, whether they’re weeds or not.

Salt

The chef’s favourite seasoning, whether rock, sea or regular table, salt is another fantastic homemade weed killer to apply to harder areas of the garden like patios or paths. It will also act as a barrier to weeds in places that are hard to reach with the lawn mower, such as the edge of your lawns. Caution needs to be exercised here too, as – in high concentrations – salt can eat away at concrete surfaces and cause ground to become barren for long periods after it has been applied.

Vinegar

Just like boiling water, vinegar will kill weeds as soon as it comes into contact with them, especially if you use the horticultural variety that consists of a huge 20 percent acetic acid. Also like boiling water, the effects of this homemade weed killer are indiscriminate, so keep it well clear of your regular plants. Gardeners should be aware that it can make soil more acidic, so do not use near plants that prefer more alkaline conditions.

Sugar

If you’ve got any weed trees, bushes or vines that are hard to dig or pull out, sugar is the perfect organic solution. All you need to do is pour some of it around the bottom of the plant you want to get rid of, and the sweet stuff will cause microorganisms in the soil to draw their nitrogen requirements directly from the soil itself. There’ll soon be little nitrogen left for the weed, and it won’t be long before it dies. Of course, sprinkling a hefty amount of this homemade weed killer will attract pests like ants and wasps. To deter them, add an equal amount of chilli pepper to the sugar.

When it comes to your weed-killing requirements, these organic, child and pet-friendly alternatives really do cover all the bases. There’s never been a better time to ditch the toxic chemicals we’ve been spraying and scattering in our gardens and take the much a safer option, especially when most of them are already sitting in the cupboards and shelves of our kitchens.