How To Make DIY Homemade Weed Killer

Trying to avoid weeds in our yard feels like a full time job. We have a half acre lot, so it’s definitely no small task. Spraying chemicals is out of the question because not only do we have 3 kids and always walk barefoot on our lawn, but we have a lab mix who, I swear, will never grow up and eats pretty much anything including mulch and grass. We have tried many products over the years, but this homemade DIY weed killer is my favorite. IMPORTANT NOTE: This absolutely will kill your grass so be extra cautious to only spray it directly onto a weed and, ideally, not on a windy day. You may get some brown spots on your lawn if you overspray but they usually go away after some good watering or rain, once the grass start growing back.

Here’s my Homemade DIY Weed Killer recipe:

• 2 tbsp epsom salt

• 20 drops of a citrus essential oil (I’ve used orange, lemon and lime essential oils)

• 2 tbsp hot water

• 2 drops dawn dish soap

• 1 1/2 cups of vinegar

I make this in a glass bottle since essential oils can eat away at plastic. I made a homemade bug spray in the past with a lot of essential oils and the plastic literally started warping. I use a small funnel and add the epsom salt to the bottle, then the essential oil drops and the hot water. I use hot water from the faucet and it’s really just to help dissolve the epsom salt so it doesn’t clog the spray bottle. I give it a few good swirls and then add in the vinegar. We usually buy large bottles of vinegar from Costco since we use so much of it for other household tasks and cleaning!

Here are some before and after pictures of when I sprayed the dandelion weeds. It really works best on a sunny day, too.

Original Photo

One Hour Later

Five Hours Later

I also use this homemade weed killer spray on the small weeds that grow through our paver patio. We just had it re-sanded and sealed this spring, but small weeds still continue to creep through. The results on the hot patio pavers are even faster! Here are some pictures from when I sprayed. I do go back and pull the dead weeds out but the spray helps them stay away even longer.

Other natural lawn care we have done before is applying milky spore (for grub control) and using cornmeal as a pre-emergent for weeds in the spring. I think my neighbor thought I was nuts applying the milky spore because I had to walk a grid in my yard and drop teaspoonfuls all over.

One more awesome manual tool we use actually pulls the weeds out from the root. Some weeds have extremely long roots so when the ground is soft, such as after a good rain, this tool work amazing and saves your back! It’s called Grampa’s Weeder and it’s a stand up weeder. My husband also really likes using a propane torch weed burner! I think it’s truly just fun for him, but this is another good option that actually works really well!

Natural, organic lawn care is so tough and a total commitment, but keeping your family and your pets safe is the most important thing. Let me know what you use for weed control in the comments below!