Key Takeaways
- Boiling water kills weeds quickly but doesn’t target roots, causing regrowth.
- This method works best for young weeds in driveways or stone paths.
- It risks harming nearby plants, soil ecosystems, and may cause accidental burns.
- Alternative solutions include weed pulling, vinegar, mulch, or professional organic weed control.
Pouring boiling water on weeds can kill small weeds immediately. Because of the quick results, it’s a popular method to eliminate weeds sprouting on soil or near plants. However, it may not be enough to kill older weeds.
If you plan to use boiling water in your lawn or garden, it’s best to know how to use it properly to avoid harming your plants and for the best results.
But how does boiling water kill weeds, and is it an effective long-term solution for removing weeds? Learn the truth about this alternative weed killer.
How Does Boiling Water Kill Weeds?
When you pour boiling water on weeds, it kills the leaves and stems that it touches. The extreme heat will destroy the plant’s cell structure, eventually killing it.
Once it dries up and dies, it’s easier to dig the weed up and remove it from the roots.
However, this method mostly works well on young weeds.
Older weeds are tougher to kill with boiling water since the heat doesn’t easily reach the root or affect woody stems. It can damage the leaves, but if you don’t remove the roots, the weed can sprout again.
Common weeds – especially those in Nebraska – like dandelions, have long, thick, and fleshy roots, making them difficult to eliminate with boiling water.
How to Use Boiling Water for Weed Control
If you want to try this method, here’s how you can use boiling water for weed control.
- Prepare a tea kettle, electric kettle, or pot. It’s recommended to use a kettle with a spout and handle to help you direct the water flow easier and protect you from the hot water.
- Boil enough water, depending on the number of weeds you need to kill.
- Wear gloves, long sleeves, pants, and closed shoes to protect your skin from accidental splashes.
- Pour the boiled water directly onto the weed. Remember to pour slowly and avoid splashing water on nearby plants to avoid killing them. You may also pour a lot, but don’t waste the water.
- Wait for the weed to brown and die before digging it up. Make sure to remove the root thoroughly to avoid regrowing new weeds.
The Pros and Cons of Pouring Boiling Water to Remove Weeds
Although hot water helps remove small weeds, this method has perks and downsides you need to consider. Here are just some of them.
Pros
- Damages and kills young weeds immediately
- Provides a cheap, accessible, and easy method
Cons
- Doesn’t target the roots
- Requires you to manually dig out and remove the entire plant to avoid regrowth
- Can damage or kill other plants and the soil
- Might cause skin burns when splashed
- Can cause mold or fungal growth in the soil due to the high temperature messing up the ecosystem
Despite the boiling water’s effectiveness, this method has more downsides than benefits. For one, it doesn’t thoroughly eliminate weeds.
Also, boiling water isn’t an eco-friendly lawn care solution, especially in the long run, as it can damage nearby plants and your garden environment.
Overall, it’s not the most efficient and safest way to eliminate weeds in your yard. However, feel free to use this method as a short-term solution.
Alternative Methods to Eliminate Weeds
If you’re hesitant to try boiling water or use chemical herbicides, explore these other homemade or organic solutions.
- Weed pulling: Although it’s labor-intensive and time-consuming, uprooting weeds is still an effective way to eliminate weeds and prevent them from regrowing. There’s no need to use chemicals, and you can avoid harming other plants in your lawn or garden.
- Hoeing and tilling: Use a hoe to loosen and aerate the soil, and apply the tilling method to change the soil’s structure and remove the weeds. This method also prevents the weeds from regrowing.
- Vinegar: Vinegar contains acetic acid. It’s a weak type of acid, but it’s strong enough to damage weeds and eventually kill them. You may use this with dish soap to create a homemade weed-killing solution.
- Salt: Sprinkling salt on weeds draws out moisture from the leaves and blocks the plant from absorbing nutrients, eventually killing it. It can also prevent young weeds or weed seeds from sprouting on the soil.
- Mulch: Place mulch, such as leaves, straw, or compost, to block the sunlight and prevent weeds and weed seeds from growing.
Get Rid of Weeds with SunCo Organic Weed Control Services
Pouring boiling water to eliminate weeds provides a quick, short-term solution to controlling your weed problem.
However, if you want to manage weeds in your lawn, garden, or commercial space, consider investing in and working with a lawn care specialist like SunCo.
SunCo offers lawn care services in the Midwest, including lawn maintenance, weed control, fertilization, and sprinkler system management for households and commercial spaces.
Ask our Outdoor Specialists about any of your lawn or weed concerns, and we’ll help you care for your yard or outdoor space in a sustainable way.
