Often weeds appear in places that we want to keep free of plants, such as paths, borders, stairs, roofs, etc. Of course, we can always resort to commercial herbicides. But did you know that there is a much cheaper way to eliminate those unwanted vegetables? There is a product that we all have at home that can help us create a homemade herbicide: bleach.
In order for you to understand the magnitude of its power, we will explain what is this substance, what is its effect on plants and how should it be used. Without a doubt, it is a good alternative if we want to eliminate certain herbs and save some money.
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What is bleach?
Before we tell you how to make homemade weed killer with bleach, we will first discuss what it is and how it affects plants. Also called bleach, bleach, clear or chlorinated, bleach is a solution of sodium hypochlorite. It is a chemical compound with the molecular formula NaClO, since it is composed of sodium, chlorine and oxygen. It should be noted that It has a wide variety of uses in different fields: Domestic, industrial, in hospitality, food and many other services.
It must be said that bleach is very oxidizing. In contact with any organic matter, it dissolves and destroys it. For this reason, it is such a powerful disinfectant. Plus, it’s broad-spectrum and really, really cheap. Of course, we must bear in mind that some metals are sensitive to bleach, so we must prevent them from coming into contact so that they do not rust. Below we will list the most common uses of this compound:
- Water disinfectant: Both for water consumption and for sanitizing bathrooms and public swimming pools.
- Bleach: Eliminates stains on white clothes and prevents the proliferation of microorganisms on fabrics.
- Surface disinfection: It is used to disinfect floors, cloths, countertops, utensils, etc.
Despite the fact that bleach has everyday uses, we must remember it is very toxic if inhaled or ingested in certain quantities. It is not uncommon for children and even adults to become poisoned while cleaning at home. Many people do not know that if bleach is mixed with ammonia or acidic substances, this mixture ends up releasing gases that are toxic and dangerous for our health. In addition, contact of bleach with the eyes, skin or mucous membranes can cause burns, irritation and also skin cancer, if the concentration is high enough.
For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that we handle bleach or products containing it with the utmost care and using adequate protection. We must also try to keep these compounds out of the reach of children and use them responsibly to avoid harming the environment. The latter is very important, since Large quantities of bleach can be very harmful to ecosystems.
What happens if I put bleach on the plants?
We already know what bleach is and what it is used for. But how does this affect plants? As we have already mentioned before, this chemical compound does not only affect microorganisms, if not to any organic tissue. This also includes all vegetables. For this reason, bleach is a fairly powerful and very inexpensive herbicide.
At this stage, it should be noted that the herbicidal power of bleach is not as critical as that of phytosanitary products. The latter get inside the plants, poisoning them from the inside. On the other hand, bleach has an effect similar to salfumán when used as an herbicide. Both burn vegetables on contact.
When we apply bleach as a homemade herbicide, we can do it in two ways: By direct contact or by changing the pH of the soil. As mentioned earlier, applying bleach to organic fabrics, such as plants, burns them. But that doesn’t mean it burns vegetables to ashes, it just dries them out, killing the entire treated area. Therefore, the effect is not systemic, because only the part where this chemical compound was applied dies. In case the damaged area is vital for the plant, it can kill it completely.
Another way to use bleach as a household herbicide is to alter the pH of the soil. If we apply this chemical compound near the root of a vegetable, we will eliminate it completely. We can also put bleach in areas where we don’t want anything to grow. By adding a sufficient amount of bleach we can change the pH of the soil, as it is very alkaline. This way, the vast majority of plants won’t be able to grow there for a while. Of course, we should only apply this method in private spaces and not on lands that have ecological or productive value.
Homemade weed killer with bleach: method of application
Now that we know the effect of this chemical compound, it’s time to find out how to make a homemade herbicide with bleach. It’s really very simple, because we don’t have to make or design anything. Simply pour the concentrated bleach on the vegetables or at the bottom of them. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be a large amount, just enough to completely wet the plant. If what we want is to prevent vegetables from growing in unwanted places, such as on the sidewalk or in the gaps between the paving stones, it will be enough to water the ground with a jet of bleach.
It should be noted that this compound will have to be applied several times in a row if you want to eliminate certain plants, especially if they are resistant or large. In the event that it starts to rain soon after applying the bleach, it is very likely that the water will end up cleaning the plant, so we will have to repeat the application. If we use the bleach at dusk, it will be more effective, because the vegetables will stay moist longer.
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How to dry a tree with bleach?
With this information, we can now use bleach as a cheap, homemade herbicide. However, we must always bear in mind that It is a highly toxic product both for us and for the environment. Therefore, we must handle and use it with great caution.