Does Baking Soda Kill Weeds? How to Use it for Weed Control

Does Baking Soda Kill Weeds

Does baking soda kill weeds? Baking soda is a cheap, safe, and potent way of killing weeds. Pulling by hand can be tiresome, and the use of chemicals can be harmful to your grass or other surrounding plants.  

Bicarbonate soda (baking soda) has many uses. It is popular in many homes. Who knew that baking soda could take the place of weed killers and herbicides apart from cleaning surfaces? This home remedy is not as harsh and costly as the weed killers but as useful as possible.

Are you tired of the intrusive weeds in your lawn? Just open your pantry and grab the baking soda!

Read more of how baking soda kills weeds in this article.

Does Baking Soda Kill Weeds? How?

When your nemeses, the weeds, are at it again, baking soda may be all you need. This simple, inexpensive home remedy has proven to win actively growing weeds battles quite effectively. How does it work, you ask?

For starters, baking soda contains salt, and salt is used as a desiccant in many ways. Therefore, baking soda extracts water out of plant cells, which ends up drying out the foliage. Even the weeds cannot survive extreme salt levels.

However, while using baking soda to kill weeds, you need to take note of various factors. For instance, too much salt in the soil will make it toxic for plant growth. The poisonous ground may affect even the desired and useful plants as well. So, this method will work best if the weeds are growing in an isolated area away from other plants and grass. If your site often rains, you are lucky because it will dilute excess salt in the soil.

Also, avoid using baking soda in areas with high salt levels in the soil. Such places, like the beach, have natural salt. Adding more salt will do more harm than good to the ground, and all the plants are growing.

Just a sprinkle of baking soda on the weeds here and there, and you can rest assured you will not be seeing them again.

How to Use Baking Soda to Kill Weeds

Are you convinced that baking soda is your better from herbicides in killing weeds? Follow the steps below on how to use it.

Materials and tools you will need;

A pair of gardening gloves

Spraying bottle

Teaspoon

Nylon stocking/ flour sieve

Tip 1: Experiment the baking soda method with few weeds in advance to resolve if it is the ideal weed controlling remedy for your lawn. More specifically, if the weeds are growing near desired plants and grass.

Step 1: Always put on your pair of gardening gloves before you start. Use 2 cups of water and fill your sprayer. Make sure you use a sprayer that will enable you to target and spray on the weeds so that other plants and grass will remain dry.

Step 2: Waterworks alone just fine, but it will be best to add a surfactant to the sprayer’s water. Adding surfactant ensures the water sticks to weeds much longer hence improved results.

You can either buy ready-to-use surfactants or use a DIY surfactant. Mix 1 teaspoon of unprocessed molasses and two teaspoons of gentle dish detergent or baby soap with the sprayer’s water.

Step 3: Use either a filled nylon stocking or a kitchen flour sieve with baking soda. When shaken over the aimed at weeds, both of them will leave a fine, even dusting of baking soda.

Step 4: Use your water only or water with a surfactant filled sprayer and thoroughly spray the weeds. Instantly, use the flour sieve or nylon stocking filled with baking powder and shake the baking soda over the already sprayed weeds. Make sure you have covered the weeds with the baking soda entirely.

Treated weeds should discolor to brown or black within a couple of days.

Step 5: Using a shovel, or weed remover, pull out the dead weeds from the lawn.

Step 6: Bare spots and patches where you pulled out the weeds will attract a new ‘convoy’ of weeds. Therefore, grow grass or other desired plants to cover and fill up the bareness.

Step 7: Repeat the above process throughout the growing season. Since baking soda will only affect the weeds above the ground, frequent applications will weaken the entire plant. A weakened weed will eventually die, and chances of re-growth are nil.

If the weed is growing in concreted areas such as patios or driveways, sweep the baking soda between the cracks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eALLx8evNa0

Tip 2Baking soda remedy works well early in the day. This time the plant is more active, and pores are open. Temperatures exceeding 85 F will speed up the application results. Water the weeds with as little as 0.5-1 inch of water if it has not rained one week after application. Water helps infuse the baking soda to the roots to work effectively.

Will Baking Soda Kill Weeds Permanently?

Weeds act as ‘gate crushers’ to a healthy lawn party. Nobody invites them, yet they annoying show up. One minute you don’t see them, the next minute a whole lawn is filled with them. This is why every home gardener is out looking for effective weed remedies that will kill them completely. But instead of rushing to the stores on the lookout for weed killers and herbicides, opt the typical baking soda.

With the right method of application and consistency, baking soda will yield expected and desired results. It’s cost-effective yet powerful enough to kill the unsightly weeds. But be careful it doesn’t kill even the non-weeds.

Can You Mix Baking Soda And Vinegar To Kill Weeds?

Vinegar is also another readily available home remedy effective for killing weeds. The Acetic acid in vinegar makes it very useful to kill most plants by extracting moisture from their foliage. Remarkably, vinegar is 100% natural and hence eco-friendly. It is processed from the fermentation of apples, grapes, or grains. Fermented apple produces a cider, which also eradicates weeds singly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CskZVw-wcBA

For a more powerful natural weed killer, combine baking soda and vinegar. Depending on where your weed is growing, you can use this mixture in a spray bottle or form a paste. Well, combined effort does seem to work best in most situations.

A liquid mixture in a sprayer: Add a surfactant in the spray bottle and then mix baking soda and vinegar in the ratio 1:2, respectively. Start adding the baking soda into the sprayer, followed by vinegar. The mixture will fizz for a minute, and then tighten the nozzle once it settles. Shake well for the baking soda to completely dissolve in the vinegar, and then spray the complete weeded area. Otherwise, you can choose first to sprinkle the baking soda on top.

As a paste mixture: this paste formed combination is ideal to be applied in between cracks of driveways and patios where the weed has grown. Mix 1 part of baking soda, 1 part salt, and 1 part vinegar into and form a paste. Apply the paste filling in between the cracks or to the base of the weeds. Repeat the process after every two days, preferably until weeds are dead and uprooted. With pressure from the garden hose, wash away any paste remainder.

Caution: Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. Vinegar will make the baking soda to foam up. If stored in a closed container, the mixture will explode. Either use a mix you are sure to finish or immediately discard the remains. Also, vinegar has an unpleasant scent, but it quickly dissolves.

Safety Precaution Tips

Make sure you mix solutions, clean containers, and change or cover labels. If not, you risk someone ingesting it or misusing it. It would be best if you discarded everything after use or thoroughly clean the mixing container.

Always don on protective gear while in the garden or mixing substances.

Alkaline or acidic substances can discolor surfaces such as concrete and marble, so be careful when applying to the weeds in between cracks. In case of a mess, rinse the surface with clean water immediately.

Do not use baking soda on already salted soil, such as the ground near beaches.

Parting Shot

Pantry remedies have endless uses in every home. With proper knowledge of home remedies, you are sure to save money and still get desired results. Home remedies such as baking soda and vinegar as weed killers are not only cheaply available but safe and effective as well. Surprisingly, these may be close to a free solution in place of the herbicides and tiresome removal by hand method.

With home remedies, bye-bye weeds!