Simple and effective way to organically kill weeds

Weeds are the bane of my existence.

I grew up in Florida, land of eternal summer, and I learned my hatred of weeds young.  The warm, humid weather provided the perfect conditions for year-round weed growth and therefore required constant maintenance; my parents, criminal masterminds, often included weed killing in my weekly chores.  It never felt like I was in control of my weeding efforts, so I was often given a spray bottle of off-the-shelf weedkiller to help the never-ending battle; even then, I always, always, always hated using harsh chemicals.

Now that I’m in the UK and chores are now an everyday part of life (called “being an adult”), the never ending battle against weeds continues.  However, this time it’s different.

I have a secret weapon that I implement whenever I notice weeds popping up – and it’s as easy as making tea.

Enemy numero uno

In London, the weather is a far cry from the humid climate of Florida or the four seasons I loved in Chicago.  However, London summer (when it finally arrives) fosters weeds with the best of them.

Yes, yards or gardens are smaller than in the states, but sidewalk or pavement cracks still harbour an amazing amount of weeds.  Weed killer from DIY stores or garden centres can be incredibly expensive and I still hate using chemicals or non-natural ingredients, particularly as we have pets, including a cat and backyard chickens.

This led to an experiment to see which diy homemade weed-killing method would be the easiest to keep those pesky pavement or patio weeds at bay.

By far, the easiest, cheapest and most eco-friendly way to kill weeds is boiling water.

Yes, boiling water.

Make tea, kill weeds

I started using boiling water to kill weeds after a family friend mentioned she used it.  Always on the lookout for tips to make my life easier, I was floored by its simplicity and the all-natural solution.  Oh, the countless hours of weeding and spraying weed killer ; I wish I knew this tip back then!

Whenever I make tea, I use the remaining water in the kettle to scorch the roots of the weeds.  Now, if the weeds were especially egregious, a few dedicated kettles wage battle in-between chores.

What happens

I found that the hot water and the sun are the perfect combination.  The sun and water work to kill weeds in about 24 hours.

Green and leafy weeds that are a bit on the bigger size will yellow and shrivle overnight.  The remnants of the weeds will become smaller and less noticeable over the next few days; the bigger ones may need a yank to remove the shrivelled evidence.

It’s successfully, consistently, and cheaply kept weeds at bay on our pavement and patio.

Note about safety

Boiling water can scold, so if you try this method at home, make sure to do so safely and carefully.  I find a kettle works best when compared with a pot; the kettle’s spout helps to accurately aim the water and control its rate of flow.  Of course, make sure to avoid any splash back and exercise caution if you employ this tip at home.

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