Home Remedy for Killing Grass

Preparation

• Before applying any grass-killing treatment, mark off the grass you want to kill. Use a garden spade to dig a line in the ground separating the grass you want to kill from the grass you want to keep. Doing so severs the roots between the two, which is necessary to avoid killing or saving the wrong grass, according to landscape plants specialist J.R. Feucht.

Salt

• Salt destroys two things grass needs to survive: moisture and nutrients. It dries out grass and kills the microorganisms that convert nitrogen to nutrients the grass needs. Pour salt generously on the area of grass you want to destroy, stomping it into the ground as you go to help it reach the roots. You don't need a special type of salt for the task. Table salt kills grass effectively, according to the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University. Be aware that salt can damage the soil as well as kill unwanted grass.

Newspaper

• Though it kills grass effectively, salt can spread to other areas of the lawn. Feucht suggests using newspaper. Lay 10 sheets of newspaper across the unwanted grass. Overlapping sheets prevent parts of the grass from receiving sunlight. Piling 4 inches of wet wood chips on top of the newspaper keeps it from blowing away. Wetting the wood chips makes them heavier, so they're more likely to stay in place. According to Feucht, the grass beneath the newspaper begins dying within a month, and the newspaper decays, providing nutrients for the soil.

Vinegar

• A common misconception is that white vinegar kills grass. While it does destroy the grass blades, associate horticulture professor Jeff Gillman of the University of Minnesota explains that it does not kill the grass' roots. While vinegar makes grass appear dead, the grass resumes growth soon after a treatment.