Kill weeds - safe and cheap

Nontoxic Homemade Roundup Works Just Fine

By DAVE FISHER/ecoRI.org News staff

I have had a problem with poison ivy winding its way through my hedgerow for the past 10 or so years. I never really gave it much thought, usually removing it by gloved hand, but this year the rash-inducing ivy had really taken hold and removing it by hand seemed like a daunting task.

Most folks would reach for the Roundup, but knowing that Monsanto is corporate evil incarnate, and Roundup is merely watered down Agent Orange, I decided to find a natural solution to my poison ivy problem.

In just a few hours, this solution began to break
down the poison ivy in my hedgerow.
Notice the blackened part of the leaves.
(Dave Fisher/ecoRI News

To be honest, I took the first recipe I could find via Google search for a natural weed killer and, after reading the comments below said recipe, tweaked the recipe up.

Here’s my recipe for an all-natural weed and poison ivy killer that will cost you less than five bucks a gallon to make at home. I bought four quarts of white vinegar from Ocean State Job Lot for a buck apiece, and I can attach my squirter directly to the bottles. The amount of salt and detergent required for the solution can’t cost more than a buck.

What you’ll need:

1 gallon white vinegar
1¼ cup salt (I used kosher, but iodized table salt will work just fine)
2-3 tablespoons of dish detergent (I used Seventh Generation, but I’m sure any detergent will work)

The process: Add the vinegar and salt to a large pot. Bring the solution up to a low-medium heat, just enough to dissolve the salt. Add the detergent. Cool the mixture to room temperature, fill a spray bottle with the mix and go to town on those weeds.

Keep in mind, this is a spot solution. Spraying it on the weeds in your lawn will create big dead spots. It is fantastic for the weeds that pop up in the cracks in the sidewalk, and has really done a number on the poison ivy in my hedgerow.