Some of my neighbors have daffodils and crocus blooming in their yards {although most of those got nipped in the buds with our last snowfall}, but it's still a little too early for much to be blooming in my yard. Spring comes late in Colorado. However, there is one thing that seems to weather storms and cold dips in temperatures... weeds. There are plenty of dandelions in my garden right now.
For awhile I have wanted to try a homemade, less toxic week killer, and when we adopted Beau {our new puppy} I figured there was no time like the present. I mixed up the following concoction in a bucket to take care of our weeds:
Organic Weed Killer
I poured this mixture into a spray bottle and the rest of the mixture back into the plastic white vinegar container and labeled both.- 1 gallon white vinegar
- 2 cups Epsom salts
- 1/2 cup Dawn dish detergent
I wasn't sure this homemade weed killer would do the trick, but I shouldn't have worried. Yesterday morning I sprayed the dandelions you see on the left side of these photographs...
Several hours later I took the photos on the right side of the same plants...
Needless to say, this concoction works well. Although it's "organic" I still wore gloves and kept the puppy away from the plants as I was spraying. Obviously, even though it's organic, it's still toxic! I did notice a little green peeking out from the center of the dandelions, so I may have to spray a second round this morning, but that doesn't bother me. The cost of making this weed killer was about $6. This makes it about six times less expensive than the traditional 24 oz. spray bottle of Roundup, plus it makes more than a gallon, so I can refresh the spray bottle as needed.
I hope some of you have more to show in your gardens than dead weeds. In a month I'll be able to brag about some of my blossoms too!
