Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Recipe Wednesday - Patio Weed Killer

Not a food, but hopefully you'll find some great use for this "recipe" !!! 

When we moved into our house the previous owner's daughter gave us a great tip.  Use vinegar to kill the weeds on the patio.  She gave us this tip because, at the time, our little Ajay was about to celebrate his 1st birthday and she figured we wouldn't want chemicals where he would be playing.  Ain't that the truth!

So here is what I do. 

At the start of spring I put on some junky old clothes and have a seat (criss-cross-applesauce style) on our back patio - which is made of brick.  I put on my gardening gloves and pull out the weeds that have grown in.  I then take a squirt bottle filled with white vinegar and spray in the cracks.  (I use the stream nozzle, not the fan-out nozzle.)  I'm generous without being wasteful.  I do it a few squares at a time.  I've learned to make a mark of some sort (the kids' chalk works great for this) so I know where I left off and don't re-spray.  (Ideally, if you don't finish this project in one sitting, then you can get back out there and finish up before the rain washes the chalk line away!)  This treatment usually lasts a few weeks to a month, depending on how much vinegar you use and how much it rains.  Would work great for the sidewalk or driveway, too.

Super simple, cheap, healthy. 

3 comments:

Sarah said...

that's such a great idea. I always spray the weeds about this time and haven't done it yet because I didn't want to use the chemical (and also this silly rain)

Michelle said...

I'll have to give that a try!

Erin said...

Thanks for the reminder! I need to do our backyard brick walk too!
I wish there was something that could get rid of all the Danedelions we have this year!!