Natural Weed & Grass Killers

If you have weeds or grass growing in places where you do not want them, a chemical herbicide will kill them. These poisons are effective, but there are natural options to consider. Several common household items have the same affect on grass and weeds as commercial herbicides.

For sidewalk or driveway weeds, one of the best weed- and grass-killing solutions is salt. Use rock salt or even table salt. Salt draws moisture out of the weeds or grass and causes it to die. This is only appropriate for places where you do not wish to grow anything in the future. The salt soaks into the soil and remain there for a long time, making the soil infertile.

One of the uses for this common kitchen product is killing weeds and grass, and any other plant with which it comes in contact. Since it is nonselective, use it only where you want to kill all the plants in the immediate area. It is best used for weeds and grass growing in the cracks of a sidewalk or driveway. Vinegar can be used in its pure form to kill weeds, although some people mix a gallon of white vinegar with an ounce of liquid soap to improve results. Vinegar uses acetic acid to draw moisture from the plants, often causing them to turn brown and die within hours.

Heat the water to the boiling point and then pour it directly onto the area you wish to kill. It could take a couple of applications and a few days to completely kill everything, but it works.

Corn meal can also be used in weed and grass prevention. Corn meal is not a weed killer; it is a pre-emergent. This means that after you kill off grass or weeds in an area, you can sprinkle corn meal all over the ground to prevent future growth. According to the This Garden is Illegal website, corn meal is a type of seed "birth control."