Just want to point out, the screen on the top in your filling spout. That is meant for you to pour through to protect your sprayer. That way nothing bigger than that screen size gets to your sprayer inlet. By removing the screen when filling, you’re allowing larger deposits that form in all shelf stored liquids directly into your sprayers mechanism, defeating the safety feature of that screen.

Chemistry 101: Always Add Acid. You should have filled your sprayer with the epsom salt solution, detergent, dye, topping to 3 gallons of water, and then added the vinegar. Adding water to a strong acid can cause an exothermic reaction, causing the mixture to boil, not good to get splashed on you. Also, if the acid was added after you wouldn’t have to worry about the detergent foaming. Vinegar that strong can dissolve your skin; your directions are unsafe. Safety goggles and gloves, with long pants and long sleeved shirt, would be a lot safer.

WOW. I can not believe the hostile, negative, useless, nasty and/or argumentative comments here. Unbelievable entitlement and so many rude a**holes. Good info. Thanks for the totally free video. Yes, it's FREE people. So-- If you have issues, MOVE on...

I came here for the natural weed killing. No RoundUp for me.

Thanks for the solution mix ratios, which was what I was looking for. I recently jumped from 30% to 45% vinegar and wasn’t quite sure of the ratios to try. Contrary to some of the other comments, add the water first, then the Epsom salt solution, coloring and vinegar… The detergent should be diluted with some of the water & added at the end to prevent foaming. Also, if you add hot water to the Epsom salts and let them sit ahead of time…they will dissolve and liquefy without the need for a blender. Just a couple of Process tips to share. Always wear safety glasses, gloves and some type of respiratory mask to be safe… Thanks for the video!

?? Just because table salt and epsom salt both have salt in their names doesn't mean they are interchangeable in applications. Table salt is in the original recipe because it's toxic to plants. Epsom salt, by contrast, can actually be beneficial to plants.

Suggestion, add the dish soap last AFTER adding your water. That way it doesn't foam up.

I've heard of this basic formula - I like your updates. HOWEVER, let's remember that all of those components are chemicals - yes even the water (which of course is in the formulated Roundup available at a store) - I bring this up because so many people hear the word chemical and think it's bad - some are and some are not ! WE ARE MADE of CHEMICALS.

Instead of using the blender and the epsom not emulsifying completely, heat the water and stir in the epsom salt.

I would put all the ingredients except the Dawn in the sprayer first. That way, the mixture won't foam. Than add the Dawn and shake the sprayer. Also, I use Turf Mark, a commercial blue die made specifically for spraying lawns and possibly other things, too.

I dissolve pool salt in a Home Depot bucket. Put in some hot water to start, and then the salt. Stir every so often until it looks like the water can't hold more. Cap the bucket and only use a few cups as needed, and store the bucket. Time can help dissolve remaining salt. I would replace the 45% vinegar with regular store vinegar. But use 3 times as much. For his 4 gal sprayer, I'd use 3 gal vinegar, and no additional water. in my experience the vinegar trashes the surface / visible parts of the weeds. But weeks later they can come back. The salt kills(desiccates) the subsurface parts as well. Using just salt, don't count on anything growing there or in the area immediately surrounding it for years to come. Is why I'd not use too high a percentage in the mix. Yes to Dawn, and the option of food dye. Unused parts of this mixture can be poured into another Home Depot bucket and stored for further use. And YES clean and rinse the sprayer..

I used to mix all that. Then I bought a gallon of 30% vinegar and diluted it with 2 gallons of water. Burns everything to the root. No messing with salt clogging up the backpack sprayer (I used to make salt water first and let the slush settle then pour off the liquid - but it still managed to clog my sprayer with fine particles). Vinegar will repel ground termites, cockroaches, slugs and frogs to boot. I’ve sprayed on cloudy days that rained and it still worked better than Captain Jacks Dead Weed Brew. Caution of caustic fumes. Wear respirator or stay upwind.

Would you happen to have one for Canadian Prime Ministers?

My great grandpa and grandpa and my father were all avid gardeners and only used natural things on ours and their foodstuff, hence their number one go to for weed killing was at first soap then later wash up liquid vinegar and water. My late wife was an avid gardener and allotmenteer she grew all our veggies and fruits and used the same method for weeds, she used to the "complimentary gardening my old man taught her, the only one difference was she used to buy the vinegar as concentrate then dilute it to her needs, strong for say paths and gravel areas and weaker for in between her complementary plants. Nothing else needed or added.

I’m a commercial landscaper and spray lots of glyphosate (Roundup, Ranger Pro, etc.) and 2-4D These products are systemic which means the plant absorbs the chemical and translocates to the roots for a better kill. I might try test this mixture on some properties to see how it works. What I use kills vines and woody stems. I doubt it will be effective on these. Probably a good alternative for homeowners who want to avoid chemicals.

I used to do spraying commercially. it is important not to walk in your spray, we always worked backwards, because if your feet touch wet spray, then you step on grass you don't want to go away, there will be footprints in a couple days of dead grass.

Good luck with the Chapin sprayer! I had mine one season and it started leaking at the start of the second season. Despite religiously rinsing it out and running water through it after each use. Chapin told me that it wasn’t designed for vinegar and that I was out of luck. 2 years ago I bought a Ryobi 4 gallon and haven’t looked back! No comparison.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you tipping 45% active vinegar into your sprayer sitting at eye level. I have worked in the chemical industry for 30 years and have seen firsthand what a chemical at either end of the PH spectrum can do to your eyes. Please stress safety when making these video's.

per-gallon of spray: 1/2C epsom salt dissolved in water, 1qt 45% vinegar, 1/4C Dawn dishwashing soap, food-coloring (dye) If you put most of your water in the sprayer first, you wouldn't expose the pump to 45% acetic acid and concentrated epsom salts.. Additionally, you'd avoid sudsing.

I've been in the lawn care industry for just about 30 years now I'll tell you one of the things we do in small or large tanks that we mix fertilizer or herbicides and even insecticides - we add a can of Sprite. Use about 1/3 of a can for a backpack sprayer. Sprite the effervescence in it I guess actually probably the seltzer create the situation that breaks the surface tension of the water molecule meaning it acts like the dawn detergent ( which is not really acting as a surfactant it's more of a wetting agent.(Sticky), where as the Sprite is a true surfactant (breaking down the water molecule to a smaller molecule so that the solution can penetrate through the waxy hairy surface of the plant or weed.) So effectively the sprite adds a little bit of sugar - causes the plant to suck it up - and shrinks the water molecule so that it bypasses the hairy surface of the plant and gets in there much easier. Don't forgo the Dawn dish detergent but I add about a third of a can of Sprite to 1 to 4 gallons and you'll see some really good results - much improved uptake. This will help further kill those weeds like mentioned in the comments that came back after 3 days.

Dollar store sells commercial strength vinegar in laundry soap section

If you let the solution of water and Epsom salt stand overnight, all the salt will be dissolved. But I can't see that this works better since we use Epsom salt to enhance the green of plants. I use just one thing to combat weeds, and that is my gas torch, go over once a fortnight and all my gravel paths are clean of weeds, and my chickens help too 😊.

Try putting the Dawn soap in the spray container at the end avoiding the foam dilemma.

Good proof i like that, Round Up is a curse to our farms,and our bodies

I've used this concoction against weeds for several years on a smaller yard with a hand pump sprayer. Last year I moved to a larger property with a much karger yard, so bought a Ryobi 2 gal. sprayer. This spring, I had to replace it because the salt and/or vinegar destroyed the pump. Just a heads up to anyone using an expensive sprayer, make sure you check with the manufacturer about what chemicals are safe for the tool

Roundup is basically Agent Orange-Lite

old studies showed that 10% vinegar was as effective as round-up

I like that you show the strainer as a benefit on your sprayer and then just put it aside and ignore it 😂

You talk about the toxicity of the vinegar and as such it seems you should be wearing a mask and long pants when you spray. I also would have loved for you to include a follow up in the same video that's actually shows the weeds in 24 hrs or however long it took to kill them. Thanks for a great, helpful video!

Roundup is evil.

Perfect video, good timing. Ready to spray now, THANKS

The ONLY thing I have found that works is..... GASOLINE and a MATCH

Why wouldn't you suggest that people apply on a hot sunny day (Best when there's a 3-day period of no rain) and start at the furthest point working backwards? That's the way to get the best results without a chance of tracking the weedkiller into your lawn. Another point: Vinegar really helps to keep ants away. I once poured the leftover pickle juice along the edging of my driveway where ants were prone to make anthills. I didn't have a single hill for a year!

When pouring any liquid from a can, tilt to the side, or spout uppermost, to avoid glugging. This gives a smooth flow as the air is able to enter the can smoothly.

I will vouch 100% for what he is saying here. Look out for it on metal, like a metal shed.

use hot or warm water to help desolve the salt and leave that strainer in place before adding the ingredients to the sprayer

You should not use the Dawn 50% less scrubing. It has caustic soda, and mized with the vinegar it will make salt, but reduces the amount of vinegar available. Npo problem with the old fasioned formula

Great but I thought Epsom salt was used as fertiliser for magnesium?

They sell 60% vinegar at our local feed & farm store. I use it on weeds AND grasshoppers.

Why not put the water in slowly without a sprayer?

Great video,nicely shot,loved the good ,clean audio.

Walmart has 45% vinegar. I actually use Epsom salts when transplanting as it helps the little hair roots to grow rapidly, reducing transplant shock. Much smaller quantities.

I like this recipe. I understand the value of each ingredient and none of them cause cancer. The man made very clear the dangers of the vinegar. Common sense should take care of the rest. And that’s a cool sprayer. Thanks a lot!

Best greenhouse/garden shed I've ever seen. Beautiful property you've made. Well Done. Well done. We had cattails at our property years ago and the red-winged blackbirds would perch atop the brown heads and sing lovely songs in the evenings.

Thanks for the video; I only wish you would have shown us the killed weeds at the end, and how many days it actually took to kill them.

This should work very well, I've used the 5% vinegar from the store with okay results, but not great results. One thing I was taught when using acid is to ad the acid [vinegar, acetic acid], to water, not water to acid.

Purchased two on clearance at HD..$50.i love it. My old one is still going after three years

May 11, 2024 Thank you for advising to rinse equipment after using it. I wondered about the salt or vinegar ruining the sprayer I recently used.

I used BAKING SODA all by itself. Weeds started barely coming back about 2 yrs later

Couple of tips…1 use warm or hot water to dilute salt… 2 take the nozzle off the hose and stick it in the liquid and the Dawn won’t suds up. Also be careful walking in the area you spray as your shoes will damage your grass when you walk out of the spayed area.

The tip about adding food coloring to the spray mix is golden! Thank you!

Great video, nice spread !

The trouble with salt - It doesn't break down and instead builds up in the soil. Sooner or later, your garden won't grow anything except grease wood or bindweed.

A written recipe would be nice.

Excellent video! Thx much

I've used this concoction several times, and while it rapidly kills weeds on the surface (the solution burns and browns the tops of the weeds and dries them up in the sun fairly quickly), it does not kill the roots. It's a great solution for a minute, but it is by no means a permanent one - they keep coming back over and over again.

You might try sodium bisulfate (swimming pool "pH decreaser"), which will give you pretty much the same solution, at lower cost and without the strong acetic acid smell.

Why do people ignore the fact that salt is bad for plants/ soil because it builds up and doesn't disapate. 😢

westport wa.state here and listening the old ways have been better for all. my uncle gave his horses tobacco to get rid of all parasites. no shots needed. also he would grow carrots with tobacco leaf compost and fed it to all of his animals. thank you for sharing your knowledge sir. bless you and yours.

I ordered 40% vinegar for the same thing recently and was looking into. Great info on the food coloring additives

Try adding dawn after you fill your container with water

The only thing I have found that works is thermonuclear weapons. No weeds for at least six months afterwards! But now I will try your product idea, thank you! :)

Have you thought about boiling the Epsom salt before adding it to the machine? It seems it would melt better than just blending it. Worth a try anyway.

Thank you!!

only need a few drops of the soap, you can also use cooking oil instead of soap, cooking oil will work as a sticker and a tracker that isn't blue , just an oil sheen that goes away when dry

Thank you! I really appreciate this information 🤩

I'm in New Zealand and have a selection of these, the neckless we both wear all the time. Have found them all good.

After watching you top off the sprayer with water, would it be better to put the soap in last?

Another powerful weed killer in your kettle. Boiling water. All of these will have no residual effect like Roundup has. I would not use table- or Epsom salts, because they are strong alkali that would unfavorably change pH and chemical elements of the soil they are sprayed on. Neat cooking vinegar with the dish soap is pretty effective by itself.

Surfactants or soap help the acid and sodium chloride to get through the surface of the leaf, not stick to the plant. Be careful because this also will soak into our skin. So I'd use some PPE.

Fantastic video thank you!

Thank you for this informmative video. Will this solution kill the roots/rhizomes? I have a new rock bed and bermuda grass spreading all over. Thank you for any suggestions.

Thanks for the content. I hate that folks in the comment section are so dang rude. Peace.

Very good presentation. It would be handy in addition to the list of ingredients that you put the amount of each in your comments so we could just copy the formula. Thanks!

True, pure epsom salt obviously MUCH better to use in the garden, vs regular salt. Great video !

Epsom salt is hydrated magnesium sulfate MgSO4 that helps plants to grow. I throw water softener granules on my driveway so the rain can dissolve it, and let it soak into the ground. It works sometimes. My weeds grow well in salt and used motor oil. Dish detergent breaks down the surface tension so it will stick to weeds and grasses.

Great video, thank you. Just wished you showed us the before and after, that would have been perfect. Thank you so much again, fantastic info. Love from Ireland

The best tip he gave was to rinse your sprayer really well. I went to use sprayer this spring and the pump was completely gone.

Hi, there. I've just subscribed because I loved this video not only for the weed killing info but also for the mini-tour of your property. I've always felt negatively about gravel in landscapes, but seeing your parking area and paths has made me feel differently. This seems like a viable and less expensive alternative to concrete. I hope you have video about your greenhouse construction. Looks very interesting. Thanks so much.

NEW SUB! Thanks for the advice fren! 😃👍

Have you tried dissolving the Epsom salt in hot water before adding it? It breaks down fast in warm bath water. Wouldn't it be just as easy to add it to a gallon jug or old pan with hot water, let it cool a bit?

historically magnesium sulfate or (epsom salt) has been used as a fertilizer.

It is the concentration of acetic acid that is 5 percent in table vinegar and what you purchased from Amazon may be 45 percent acetic acid. It is not the percent of vinegar.

Waiting for a day or two with no rain in the forecast after I spray, I use the undiluted plastic white vinegar bottles from the supermarket. I poke a row of multiple small holes in a horizontal row across the upper curved edge of the bottle with a pointy toenail cutting scissor and holding the bottle upside, I squeeze the the bottle and the vinegar sprays out in a fan rake shape. I move it left and right walking down my gravel rock path and it just takes a day or too and all weeds turn brown and die. If in a few months anything pops up I spot treat but it usually lasts most of the summer if I spray early in the spring. It works great on weeds between stepping stones too.The vinegar smell disappears within 3-6 days depending if it rains. I cover my shoes with the supermarket plastic bags in case I spray them. I haven't needed Dawn or Salt or a sprayer, though a sprayer and maybe diluting vinegar a little with water might cover a bigger area saving money. If you don't have a sprayer just refilled the first vinegar bottle that has the poked holes with the solution and reuse it. Hope this tip helps. I found it to be the quickest, easiest way if you don't have much time and it absolutely works to kill the weeds.

Excellent video thank you ..

It will kill the tops of the weeds but, not the roots as far as I can tell. I have a real problem with quack grass and I have tried everything to get rid of it. Nothing seems to work.

So what was the liquid you added the absent salt

I use a fence sprayer. It used to have a manual pump to pressurise the tank. I changed that for a mini 12V air compressor. So rather than pumping liquid, it just pressurises the tank. I do run water through after use just to prevent the nozzle clogging with salt.

When I was young after making crank homemade ice cream the water )ice cream salt mixture would be spread in weed area with salt bits left when it rained kept weeds away .

Epsom salts are actually used to fertilize palms and supplies them magnesium

Thanks

Heat the mixture to dissolve the epsom salt

One to two Tsp of Dawn per gallon of water (or mixture) is plenty for a surfactant.

The only problem I have with this mixture is what it can do to the roots of shrubs & trees. Traditional weed killers as well as your mixture , can be absorbed through the roots and damage surrounding desirable plants whereas roundup becomes inert in the soil. I can use roundup under my trees & shrubs without adversely affecting them.

You can buy really excellent blue dye for this purpose at a landscaping supply/farm supply store. It’s far more concentrated than food coloring and has a container that pre-measures a given amount.

Epsom salt draws sweat bees. It also provides Magnesium, which causes plants to make more chlorophyl. Table Salt is Sodium and chloride. Not sure I want to spray magnesium on weeds. I do like the stronger concentration of vinegar though. The acid would likely do more damage to the weeds.

Watches the video from start to finish waiting to see the result from spraying the walkway. After all that it was bye folks, have a good day. What about the magic formula, what was the result? Nothing. Could have waited a few days and then show the outcome of the spraying. I’m going down to the pub for a drink.

Wear safety glasses and cover your skin when using high percentage vinegar.

Thanks for detailed explanation, 👍 job.

After reading all the comments, I don't know what is wrong and what is right. I know my dad use to use Epson salt, dawn soup and a can of beer to fertilize the grass. I have so many weeds, but I don't want to hurt the soil with the salt or the many beneficial bugs. Just a little confused.