Homemade Thistle Killer
Things Needed
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 qt. white distilled vinegar
- Blender
- Empty spray bottle
Thistles are flowering plants covered with sharp prickles. The prickles keep deer, rabbits and other animals from feasting on the plant. Though thistles can bloom colorful flowers, they are considered weeds. Most individuals do not want thistles growing on their property. They can be killed with home remedies verses store-bought chemical weed killers.
Step 1
Pour lemon juice and vinegar into a blender.
Step 2
Place the lid on the blender and blend the two ingredients.
- Thistles are flowering plants covered with sharp prickles.
- The prickles keep deer, rabbits and other animals from feasting on the plant.
Step 3
Pour the contents of the blender into an empty spray bottle.
Step 4
Spray the thistles with the homemade weed killer. The weed killer works because the main ingredient, vinegar, dissolves the cell membrane of the plant tissue. The lemon juice also has a high acid level, which aids the vinegar in breaking down the plant tissue. The thistle will then dry up and die.
Tip
You can also get rid of thistles by mowing over them just before they begin to flower. Mowing after they flower will spread the seeds, and cause more thistles to grow.
Warning
Vinegar stronger than 9 percent can be used to kill weeds, but it can irritate or burn your skin. It is best to stick with a 5 percent vinegar. The vinegar percentage will be listed on the label.