HOMEMADE PAHRUMP WEED KILLER
In 1970 a chemist at Monsanto, John Franz, discovered that glyphosate is a highly effective herbicide that can kill almost any type of plant. The company quickly developed Roundup, a commercial brand of glyphosate-based weed killer.
Farmers were particularly fond of Roundup. However, there was one problem: it was nearly impossible to kill the weeds without also killing their crops. As a result, Monsanto sent its chemists back to work to develop glyphosate-resistant, or “Roundup Ready” crops, which have had their DNA altered (genetically modified or GMO) to make them immune to glyphosate. This meant that farmers could now spray Roundup with abandon without worrying about harming their crops.
The use of glyphosate, Roundup, and GMO foods has become a highly debated topic. Some people believe that glyphosate causes cancer in animals and humans, and that long-term consumption of GMO foods is dangerous to all living things. However, the EPA has not yet banned Roundup from the market. This is a hot-button issue that is sure to continue to be debated for years to come.
There is one undeniable and compelling reason to avoid buying Roundup: it’s too costly! I wouldn’t buy it even if it were proven to be as safe as water. There are cheaper and safer options available, such as white vinegar, table salt, and dish soap. These items are commonly found in the kitchen and are easy to use.
First, I’ll share the homemade Pahrump weed killer ingredients with you, then I’ll show you two recipes for weed killers that use them.
WHITE VINEGAR
Regular distilled white vinegar with 5% acidity is affordable and effective. If you can find a higher acidity, even up to 20%, it will work faster, but the results will be the same.
TABLE SALT
Use the most inexpensive salt you can find at the grocery store—not sea salt, rock salt, or Epsom salt (Epsom salt is chemically different from table salt, so don’t use it). Just use plain, inexpensive iodized or uniodized generic salt, also known as sodium chloride (NaCl).
DISHWASHING LIQUID
We like to use Dawn Dish Soap. The brand of dish soap you use doesn’t matter, since you’ll only be using a few drops. The soap’s purpose is to break the surface tension of the vinegar so it can stick to the weeds and be absorbed more easily.
WEED KILLER FOR AREAS TO BE REPLANTED
If you have weeds in areas where you want to plant new plants, fill a regular garden sprayer with white vinegar and add about 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap, such as blue Dawn or Meyer’s Clean Day. Put the sprayer top on and follow the instructions on the sprayer to prepare it to spray. That’s it! It’s really that simple.
Choose a hot, dry day to spray the weeds until they are saturated. The weeds will wilt and shrivel up within hours. Be careful not to spray anything you want to live. However, do not worry about the vinegar killing anything below the soil. Vinegar will not harm the soil, so you can safely replant the area once the weeds have died.
WEED KILLER FOR AREAS NEVER TO GROW AGAIN
To kill all vegetation in walkways, driveways, and other areas where you don’t want anything to grow again, mix 2 cups of table salt with 1 gallon of white vinegar. Do this in a container that is larger than 1 gallon so you have room for the salt. Put the lid on and shake to dissolve the salt. Salt dissolves more quickly in vinegar than in water, but it takes a bit of effort. It may not completely dissolve, but that’s okay.
Add 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap to the mixture. This will break the surface tension of the mixture so that it will stick to the plant material you are killing. Pour the mixture into a regular garden sprayer. Apply the mixture to weeds or grass on a dry, sunny day in areas where you do not want to see any vegetation in the future.
The dish soap helps the mixture stick to the leaves and stems of the plants, which helps it to kill them more effectively. The dry, sunny weather helps the mixture to dry out the plants, which also helps to kill them.
The salt in this recipe is what will eventually make your weed-killing permanent. The salt will penetrate and leach into the soil. It may take several applications, but over time the salt will “sterilize” the soil in this area so that nothing will grow there. Plan carefully before you go this permanent route.
HOMEMADE PAHRUMP WEED KILLER THAT IS NON-TOXIC TO HUMANS AND PETS
These homemade Pahrump weed killer recipes are not only affordable, but they are also completely safe for humans and animals to be around. In fact, except for the soap (which is not toxic, but not very tasty), you could have some fun with the family tonight by telling them that you made salad dressing using 3 parts olive oil to 1 part weed killer!
Here are some additional things to keep in mind when using homemade weed killers:
- Be sure to wear gloves and eye protection when applying the weed killer.
- Do not apply the weed killer on windy days, as it could blow onto plants that you do not want to kill.
- Do not apply the weed killer on plants that are in direct sunlight, as it could scorch the leaves.
- Rinse the weed killer off of any tools or equipment that you use to apply it.
While we are happy to share our homemade Pahrump weed killer recipes so you can tackle your weeds on your own, we are here to help, too! Give Snowden Designs a call today at 775-537-8070 and let us help you!