A 90p bottle of lemon juice proved effective at killing patio weeds in a test, with the weed shrivelling considerably within a few hours on a sunny day. The method, recommended by Gardener's World magazine, uses the citric acid in lemon juice to make weeds wither.
Testing lemon juice on patio weeds
The journalist, who was reluctant to use chemical weed killers due to environmental concerns, had already tried vinegar and boiling water this summer. She then discovered the lemon juice technique and decided to test it on a single weed rather than the whole patio.
She bought a 250ml bottle of lemon juice from Sainsbury's for 90p, noting it was easier than squeezing lemons by hand. The bottle allowed her to target the liquid precisely onto the weed.
Sunlight makes the difference
Applying the juice on an overcast day produced little change. However, when she repeated the method on a bright day, the weed shrivelled considerably after only a few hours. She believes the sunshine helped the lemon juice work, and advises using the method in fine weather, as rain would rinse the juice away.
Gardener's World echoed this advice, noting that homemade weed killers do not have the same power as glyphosate and other commercial products. The magazine recommends multiple applications over a few weeks and spraying only on dry days.
How to kill weeds with lemon juice
You will need five lemons or a bottle of lemon juice. If not using a ready-made bottle, squeeze the lemons to extract the juice. Pour the juice straight onto the weed, coating the leaves and directing some towards the root. Leave it in the sunlight and check back after a few hours. If the weed has not shrivelled, apply more juice on a dry, sunny day.
