I have wanted to try this DIY weed killer for years and just never got around to it. Then I moved to Florida. Our front lawn is landscaped with a blanket of shells. It looks beautiful and I am grateful to the previous owner for having the house landscaped so well.

Garden, Lawn and Sidewalk DIY Weed Killer Recipe That Actually WorksGraphic and Photography by Carolyn J. Braden using CanvaPin me! carolynsbloomingcreations.com — Garden, Lawn and Sidewalk DIY Weed Killer Recipe That Actually Works
Graphic and Photography by Carolyn J. Braden using Canva
Pin me! carolynsbloomingcreations.com

One thing I know for sure though, shells do not block weeds! As the spring season has started to show itself in south Florida, the weeds have started to do the same. Living on an island that dedicates tons of time, resources and education to preserving wildlife and land, I wanted a weed solution that wouldn’t go against those efforts.

I also don’t want to encourage red tide, which harsh lawn chemicals are proven contributors of this agal bloom. Red Tide releases toxins that cause illness in humans and other animals. Having a completely weed free lawn is not as important as the harmful effects of chemical lawn treatments. In late 2020 I had my first experience with red tide and it definitely irritated my lungs, so I know this is something to be concerned about.

I saw many recipes on Pinterest for this DIY weed killer over the years, so this year I finally decided to try it.

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Here’s the easy recipe:

1 gallon vinegar
2 cups epsom salt (plain with no additives)
1/4 cup Dawn Dish Soap (Blue Original)

We placed all these ingredients (starting with the vinegar) into this 1 gallon pump sprayer we bought on Amazon.

I then shook it to mix it all together. My husband then went out early in the morning to spray it on some of our weeds. We then let it (and the sun) work it’s magic.

Our result?

It worked! Well, on most weeds. We checked the weeds again at about 6:00 in the evening (after a sunny day) and most had wilted and began to brown.

The only ones that seemed resistant to the solution was a tough grass-like weed, which we believe could be a small palm sprout. They are hard to even pull out of the ground, so it made sense that this one was resistant.

In the photo above, you can see the softer grass patches and random other weeds all were wilted that evening.

After two days (sunny days + one rain storm), they were mostly dead. By then, the solution had made it’s way to the root and we were able to easily pull them out.

We will definitely continue to use this solution. I know that Dawn still contains chemicals, but I also know it is used to clean animals when oil spills happen, so I know it’s gentle enough. We have many little lizards running around our yard constantly, so I won’t use it daily, but we will keep it on hand to use occasionally.

As for that tough resistant weed, for now we’ll just be pulling it out by hand.

Other helpful tips:

I use vinegar as an alternative to fabric softener. You can’t smell it at all on fabrics after washing and it truly works. It’s especially good for workout clothes.
I use epsom salt in my bath all the time, especially when I have sore muscles. It works great!
I’ve also read epsom salt can be used with water to make your grass greener, but have not tried it.

While this recipe and tips and tricks may not work for everyone, like many things in life, it’s all at least worth a try.

More of our DIY’s and other inspirations can be found on our YouTube channel, “Carolyn Braden”.

If you have any questions for us, visit our Contact Us page and send us a note! We love helping other DIYer’s out there! You can also leave us a comment below. We love to hear from our readers!

C.J. Braden is a regular contributer for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Little Ways to Get Back To You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her by clicking here.

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