‘Highly effective’ way to kill patio weeds with 29p cooking staple – ‘kills everything’

Hours in the garden maintaining it can soon be ruined by weeds which can grow anywhere there’s space outside. According to GardeningExpress, there are store cupboard essentials which should be used to eliminate weeds instead of products bought from the garden centre. Gardeners can use white vinegar instead to get rid of weeds, which can be picked up for as little as 29p.

A spokesperson for GardeningExpress said: “There’s nothing more disheartening than seeing hours of hard work in the garden ruined by pesky weeds that seem to sprout from nowhere.

“There are loads of commercial products on the market that will do the job in killing the weeds quickly, but most of these contain potentially harmful chemicals.

“Not only are these homemade concoctions a chemical-free alternative, but you’ll also save the expense of store bought products.

“Products with high acidic values are usually effective, but you should avoid spraying them directly on soil as substances like vinegar can break down the soil structure and kill beneficial microorganisms.”

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They said: “Salt has been used as a herbicide and pesticide for hundreds of years and is very effective.

“Dilute three parts water with one part salt, mix and leave to stand for 10 minutes to make sure the salt has dissolved.

“Spray the desired weeds with the salty solution, but don’t use on lawn weeds, salt can be absorbed into your soil and prevent future growth.”

Once weeds have been pulled up, it is important to prevent future regrowth.

Mulching can help to stop weeds growing back and the experts recommended using newspapers or cardboard to do so.

Baking soda, boiling water and rubbing alcohol can also be used on garden weeds.