A YouTuber dubbed the homemade mixture to remove weeds “effective” and “really cheap”, and showed it in action, shifting patches of the garden nuisance from between the cracks in his paving
Glen described the concoction as “effective” and “really cheap” (stock) (Image: Lucy Lambriex via Getty Images)
A gardener has explained how to create a homemade weed killer using three ingredients most households already have. Glen, who runs a site containing 80 allotment plots, described the mixture as “effective” and “really cheap”, and demonstrated it working, eliminating patches of weeds from between the gaps in his block paving.
He provided the guidance in a video for his YouTube channel, Veggie Patch Ideas, where he delivers “practical advice, step-by-step tutorials and innovative techniques” to assist gardeners. Glen said: “So, let’s go through the ingredients first. You’ll need a spray bottle, just an empty one.
He went on to advise: “And these, you can pick up as cheap as chips, or you can just use a spray bottle that you already have. Just make sure it has that screw lid, and you’re good to go. The next thing you need is washing-up liquid.
“Any will do – cheap, cheerful, whatever. And then table salt. And we all have these items in our house. The only thing you may need to buy is white vinegar. Now, this is distilled white vinegar, and this sits at around five per cent.”
Glen clarified that the difference between white vinegar and distilled is that the latter is weaker, but maintained both worked and recommended people to “go for the cheapest”. He then proceeded to show the technique.
Initially, he placed a small funnel into the opening of the spray bottle and tipped in the complete bottle of vinegar, before adding a tablespoon and a half of salt.
Glen added what he described as roughly the “same quantity” of washing-up liquid, stressing that you don’t have to be “too accurate” and that it’s only needed to help the mixture stick to the leaves.
Simply reinsert the trigger into the bottle and give it a shake, making sure you’re careful not to get any in your eyes.
Glen then demonstrated the potency of his low-cost weed killer, beginning with an “old nemesis”, bindweed. He doused the affected area, before returning three days later to discover it had dried out and started turning brown..
He advised waiting for several consecutive dry days before applying the weed killer, as rainfall will make it ineffective. Glen also tackled his block paving, which he described as an “absolute mess”.
Weeds had sprouted between the cracks, so Glen gave them a good spray. When he returned a few days later, he found they had died back significantly, and the area looked much improved.
This follows Ground Force legend Alan Titchmarsh sharing a natural technique to tackle weeds without chemicals or spending cash. He suggested all we need is a garden hoe and a spot of sunshine.
In an online video, Alan said: “What you are trying to do with your Dutch hoe is separate the [weed] from its roots and that way it will cook once it’s exposed to sunshine.”
He added: “Don’t try and dig with the hoe. Remember, you’re always skimming. The more of the weed root you can expose to the drying rays of the sun, the quicker they will die.”
