In the home, many people are moving toward alternatives to household cleaners that contain harsh chemicals, so it makes sense to give the same consideration to yards, flowerbeds, and gardens. A somewhat new trend is turning to common household items as an alternative to using harsh chemicals in the yard, as these items are often safer and better for the environment.
Gin is an effective weed killer that works as a desiccant, or a dehydrator. All alcohols are desiccants, so in theory you could use other alcohols to kill the weeds in your yard. However, the use of gin is becoming a popular method of killing weeds.
There are several mixtures you can find online that are recommended for gin to kill weeds. The following is one you can try with a couple of other common household items:
– 1 tbsp gin
– 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
– 1 tsp liquid dish soap
– 1 quart of hot water
If you have pets and children who frequent your yard, however, it might be more sensible to stick to alcohol-free alternatives to kill weeds.
Vinegar is another common household cleaner that can be used to kill weeds. One recipe for vinegar is the following:
– 1 gal distilled vinegar
– 1 cup salt
– 1 tbsp liquid dish soap
If you search online for more homemade weed-killing concoctions, you might stumble across the use of salt as a weed killer on its own. Salt, however, is not a commonly recommended weed killer. Although it does effectively kill weeds, it can also damage the soil, making it difficult to grow desired plants such as grass and flowers. Of course, you can use salt for parts of your yard where you don’t normally grow plants, especially cracks in a sidewalk, patio, or driveway.
Overall, gin is an effective and uncommonly-known method for killing weeds, but it does need to be used carefully, especially if you have children or pets. This might not seem like a cost-effective measure in killing weeds (gin can start at about 40 cents an ounce for the cheapest kind, and the Roundup is about 10 cents per ounce). However, it can be a safer alternative to the harsh chemicals that compose Roundup. If you look at the ingredients on a bottle of Roundup, you’ll see quite a few chemical combinations, which are potentially harmful to other life in your yard. These homemade recipes can help you maintain a more natural environment for your plants and prevent toxic chemicals from harming them.
Sources:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/roundup080805.cfm
http://www.ehow.com/how_4804204_kill-weeds-gin.html
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf471957.tip.html
