Imagine spending hours upon hours taking care of your garden or yard, only to have your effort ruined by weaseling weeds.
These unwanted plants can do serious damage to your garden that’s often irreversible and may cause you to remove your beloved plants and start the garden all over.
Weeds attract insects, pests, and diseases. They compete with other plants for water, nutrients, and light where they usually win.
Today, we’re discussing everything you need to know about killing weeds with diesel fuel. This is a simple yet effective way to get rid of your weeds problem.
Will Diesel Fuel Kill Weeds?
Diesel fuel is toxic to all forms of plant life and it will kill all plant material on contact. This goes for all weeds, grasses, crops, and even flowers.
Using diesel fuel to kill weeds, however, is a double-sided method. Yes, diesel fuel can rid you of weeds, but it can also kill the good plants in your garden.
For this reason, you need to be very careful and know exactly where to apply the diesel fuel so you don’t end up ruining your entire lawn or garden.
Keep in mind that when you apply diesel fuel to the soil, it’ll also kill insects and microorganisms. This is another double-sided situation because you won’t get rid of harmful pests only.
Diesel fuel will also kill the beneficial microbes responsible for maintaining the healthy development of your soil and plants’ root system.
Does Diesel Fuel Kill Weeds Permanently?
No, diesel fuel won’t kill weeds permanently. Although this toxic fuel can kill plants’ leaves, stems, and roots, it doesn’t affect the seeds of the weeds.
This means that once the applied diesel has diminished from the soil (for example, due to being washed away by rain), the seeds will germinate and the weeds will grow again.
As a non-permanent solution, you’ll need to use diesel fuel at least every season to achieve the best results.
How to Kill Weeds With Diesel Fuel
To execute this procedure, here are the items you’ll need:
- Gasoline jug or jerrycan
- Spray bottle for thick liquids with a direct spray nozzle
- Funnel
- Shovel
Once you get everything ready, carefully follow the next steps to kill weeds using diesel fuel:
- Go to your local gas station and fill the jug with 1 or 2 gallons of diesel fuel.
- Use the funnel to pour the diesel fuel into the spray bottle. We recommend you do this in your garage, tool shed, or any other place away from plant cover to avoid killing plants that you want to keep by accidentally spilling some of the diesel.
- Grab the spray bottle and directly spray the diesel on the roots of the weed. Make sure it comes in contact with the area around the roots as well as the leaves and stems of unwanted plants.
- Once the weeds and grass are dead, remove them using a shovel along with one inch of the soil underneath. This will prevent unwanted growth in that area at least for a season.
The process doesn’t require much diesel since a medium level of contact will be enough to get rid of the weeds. Any amount that runs away will kill other plants it covers.
So, spray until the weeds are wet. But there’s no need to drench the roots and grass for the diesel to work.
If you accidentally spill diesel on the wrong area, be sure to remove at least the top four inches of soil before planting there again. Since it’s toxic to all plant material, diesel fuel will stop growth in that area for at least one season.
Safety Precautions for Using Diesel to Kill Weeds
While it’s true that diesel fuel is very effective when it comes to killing weeds and unwanted grass, the fact is, it can also be quite harmful to the environment. The following points are some safety precautions that you should stick to for minimal damage:
- Spray diesel in the morning when there’s no chance of rain or wind for at least 48 hours.
- Diesel is a fire hazard, so you shouldn’t spray it around fires.
- Diesel will kill all plant lift. As a result, you shouldn’t spray it on flowers or areas with other good plants.
- Don’t store the diesel in the spray bottle. Instead, return it to the gasoline jug after you’re done spraying and keep the container in a cool, dry place where it can’t spill or get inhaled. Make sure you label the spray bottle so it doesn’t get used for other purposes.
- Wear a mask while spraying diesel on the weeds because it can irritate your breathing if inhaled.
- If you have well water, don’t apply diesel fuel on your soil because it’ll probably soak into the ground and get into your water.
- Keep animals and children away from the area after spraying diesel.
How Long Does it Take Diesel to Kill Weeds?
Diesel fuel will take approximately 48 hours to effectively kill weeds after spraying. Although you’ll notice initial results as the plant leaves start to wilt within a few hours, diesel needs to remain in contact with the plant for 48 hours at minimum to effectively kill it.
Can Diesel Fuel Kill Grassy Weeds?
As we mentioned earlier, diesel fuel is toxic to all plant materials and will kill any part it comes in contact with. This means that diesel is an indiscriminate plant killer, so it’ll also rid you of grassy weeds when applied to them following the same procedure used to clear weeds.
To ensure proper coverage, the amount of diesel sprayed may need to increase depending on the type of grassy weeds.
Wrap Up
If you decide on killing weeds with diesel fuel, know where and what you want to get rid of. Carefully follow the above steps and closely adhere to the safety precautions. This way, you can safely and effectively use diesel to kill weeds in your garden, yard, or sidewalk.