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Safe Homemade Weed Killer with Essential Oils

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Nothing can ruin a landscape more than pesky weeds. I get out the all-natural, homemade weed killer spray when we see unwanted plants coming up through the sidewalk, edging, and fence rows.

This spray does a great job of killing stubborn weeds that make your yard look off-kilter. Beware, it kills almost anything, so don’t spray it on or near plants you want to keep!

I recommend using this spray for all your landscaping needs. It makes your yard look like a professional designed it!

This all-natural, non-toxic spray is gentle enough for little ones to use. Just keep them in the right area of the yard! I prefer to weed by hand in the garden to be on the safe side.

Eliminate Weeds in Your Garden

One thing people always ask me about is weeding. Weeds will use the nutrients in your soil to grow, crowding out the beneficial plants. They’re hard to eliminate; you have to get the roots out of they will return from the grave!

Weeds are such an eyesore, especially when they start sprouting along your carefully placed lawn ornaments. The most beautifully crafted landscape can begin to look forgotten within weeks as weeds spread fast.

You have to be proactive about weed elimination, or it can take over your entire yard and spread into the garden.

Growing up, our parents told us to pick 1,000 weeds before we could go and play, so is it any wonder I started looking for a natural, homemade weed killer spray?

Obviously, I don’t want my yard filled with toxins. After all, my family inhales and ingests what we put on our plants!

This homemade weed-killing spray will help you manage your organic spaces without danger to your friends or family. What could be better?

Non-Toxic Gardening Ingredients 101

This weed-killing spray is made with ingredients found in most kitchens. With a few essential oils, you can say bye-bye to weeds and hello to a gorgeous, clean yard.

Organic White Distilled Vinegar: This common pantry ingredient kills weeds by sucking moisture from the plant. It will turn the weed brown within 24 hours; it’s that powerful! The acid in white vinegar is dangerous to any plant, though, so keep it away from your precious produce.

You have an award-winning solution when you pair white vinegar with other impressive natural pesticides!

We add the vinegar last, so the essential oils have a chance to disperse in the soap solution evenly. Dispersants are a vital part of DIYs. Soap, maple syrup, honey, and olive oil are all examples of typical dispersants.

Without a dispersant, the essential oils assemble in one place.

Organic Unscented Liquid Castile Soap or Homemade Dish Soap: Castile soap helps the vinegar to stick to the plant, giving it more time to work its magic. If you don’t have liquid castile soap on hand, you can always use our Homemade Dish Soap. This DIY contains essential oils that will further boost the effectiveness of the weed-killing spray.

Essential Oils: One of my favorite parts of DIYing our weed control is that you aren’t breathing in gross fumes. So many weed-killing sprays on the market contain fumes that can harm your lungs, eyes, and throat. Plus, they leech into surrounding plants where children play. No one wants to risk getting chemicals on their skin.

We use a wonderful blend of essential oils that smell great and get the job done. Wintergreen essential oil has been proven to inhibit the growth of weeds and seeps into the soil to kill roots. (1)

Clove essential oil has fungicidal, herbicidal, and insecticidal properties. This EO does double duty, protecting your yard from both insects and weeds.

In recent studies, cinnamon essential oil was the best weed killer, especially when compared to lavender essential oil. (2)  These “hot” essential oils should come with a warning label!

I use orange essential oil in my ant, wasp killer, and weed-killing spray. This bright EO keeps pests away and has been used as a natural herbicide for decades!

Make Homemade Weed Killer Spray

This simple weed-killer spray comes together in minutes. When you see how easy it is to make, you’ll regret not doing it sooner!

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Weed Killer With Essential Oils

Author: Mama Z

Equipment

Materials

Instructions

  • Place the castile soap and essential oils in a glass spray bottle.
  • Pour in the vinegar, replace the lid, and shake vigorously to mix. Spray on weeds as needed.

Notes

This weed killer will destroy anything it comes into contact with, so be sure you don't spray it on anything you want to live!

Step One: Mix the Solution

Place the liquid castile soap and essential oils in a glass spray bottle. We recommend using a dark glass bottle because it helps the essential oils retain their potency.

Then, pour in the vinegar and shake vigorously to mix. Store your solution in a cool, dark place away from any light.

Step Two: Apply to Weeds

To use, spray on weeds. This solution works best on a hot day when the soil is dry. The weeds are thirstier on those days and will soak up the solution, not knowing the fate that lies ahead.

Wait a few days and apply the solution again if needed. Enjoy your gorgeous, weed-free lawn!

References:

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