How to Use Nicotine as an Herbicide

Tobacco leaf tea will kill most common plants.

Herbicide, or weed killer, is a pesticide used to kill unwanted vegetation. Several different types of herbicides are available, some targeting only specific species and others killing all vegetation. Some natural substances, such as nicotine, will act as an alternative to harsh chemical herbicides. Making nicotine herbicide is an easy process, requiring only a few minutes of spare time and some simple supplies.

Things You'll Need

• Pot
• Stovetop
• 2 cups of dried tobacco leaves
• Strainer
• Funnel
• Spray bottle

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil over medium to high heat.

2. Add 2 cups of dried tobacco leaves to the boiling water. Reduce the stove's heat to low and cover the pot. This will create a tobacco tea high in nicotine.

3. Allow the leaves to simmer for 25 minutes and remove the pot from heat.

4. Pour the tobacco tea through a strainer and into a funnel, filtering it into a spray bottle.

5. Spray plants that you would like to kill with the tobacco tea, drenching the leaves and soil.

6. Drench the plant and soil once daily until it begins to show signs of dying. After it begins to die, spray every other day until you have eradicated the plant.

7. Store unused tobacco tea in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep pets and children away from treated plants, as the high levels of nicotine are poisonous.

References

• "Gardening All-in-One for Dummies"; The National Gardening Association, Bob Beckstrom, Karan Davis Cutler and Kathleen Fisher; 2003
• "Gardening for a Lifetime: How to Garden Wiser as You Grow Older by Sydney Eddison (Apr 21, 2010
• "1,519 All-Natural, All-Amazing Gardening Secrets: Expert Tips for Gardens and Yards of All Sizes by Reader's Digest (Jan 2006