Homemade Weedkiller Safe for Grass

Any plant that grows where it is not wanted is considered a weed.

Just as one man's trash is another man's treasure, one man's weed is another man's flower. A weed is any plant that grows where you do not want it to grow. Because many weed killers have the same effect on desirable plants, such as turf grass, as they do on weeds, it is difficult to create a homemade weed killer that will not also kill your grass. The trick is to apply it in such a way that you treat only weeds, leaving the grass untouched.

Things You'll Need

• Drill
• ½-inch drill bit
• Grabber tool
• Tin snips
• Metal roof flashing
• Sponge
• Scissors
• 2 bolts (½ inch)
• 2 washers (½ inch)
• 2 nuts (½ inch)
• Pickling vinegar
• Liquid dish soap
• Plastic mixing bucket

Instructions

1. Remove the rubber tips from the pincers of a grasping tool by drilling out the rivets that hold them in place. You can purchase a grasping tool from any hardware store. Many of them are sold as pickup tools or reachers.

2. Cut two metal plates from a piece of roofer's flashing using a piece of tin snips. Each plate should be 3 inches wide by 4 inches long.

3. Cut two pieces of sponge to the same size as the two plates.

4. Drill a hole through the center of both plates. Cut an identical hole through the center of both pieces of sponge.

5. Place a piece of sponge over a plate. Place a washer onto a bolt. Run the bolt through a sponge and piece of tin so the washer is against the sponge. Slip the bolt through the holes at the tip of one of the pincher ends of the grabber. Slide a nut onto the other end of the bolt and tighten it down. Repeat this process to attach a second sponge and plate to the other half of the grabber.

6. Mix a solution containing 1 gallon of pickling vinegar and 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap in a 2-gallon bucket. The pickling vinegar is higher in acetic acid than white vinegar. Acetic acid is the substance in vinegar that kills weeds. Dish soap will help the solution stick to the weeds.

7. Dip the sponges at the tips of the grabber in the solution. Clamp the sponges over the weed at its base and pull upward to coat the weed in the weed killer. This will saturate the weed without harming the grass around the weed with overspray the way a spray application would.

References

• Texas A&M University Extension: Homemade Weed Wiper
• University of Minnesota Extension: Salad Dressing or Weed Control? An Organic Non-Selective Weed Control Product Evaluation
• Washington State University Extension: What Is a Weed?

Resources

• The Garden Counselor: Vinegar Weed Killer: Grandma's Recipe for Fast Weed Control