Weeding can be one of the most frustrating and time-consuming parts of maintaining a garden. Constant bending, crouching, and pulling can cause back strain, sore knees, and wrist pain, especially for older gardeners.

However, if you don’t remove the entire root system, weeds will often regrow within days. Resorting to chemical weed killers should be avoided, as they can be both costly and detrimental to the environment. While pulling them out by hand may seem like the only option, there's a natural alternative that’s both effective and environmentally friendly — and you likely already have it in your kitchen.

Lemon juice, with its natural acidity, can be used as a powerful weed killer that works without the need for harsh chemicals or repeated manual labour. When applied directly, it dries out the weeds and causes them to shrivel, making it an excellent solution for patios, paths, and gravel areas.

Gardeners' World.com has shared two recipes for homemade weed killers - one utilising lemon juice, the other salt.

While these homemade solutions may not be as immediately effective as their chemical counterparts, they are much better for your garden and the environment.

Lemon juice

Gardeners' World.com recommends a lemon juice solution to tackle unwanted weeds on patios, paving, pavements, and driveways.

To concoct your own, you'll need the juice of five lemons. If that seems like too much work, bottled lemon juice is an alternative.

Simply decant the juice into a spray bottle and target your weeds. Ensure you apply it on a dry day, as rain could wash it away.

Salt

When it comes to salt as a weed killer, it's critical to note that salt alters the soil's pH and can be detrimental to other plants if not used properly.

Gardeners' World advises targeting only the undesired greenery on hard surfaces to prevent contamination of fertile soil.

The formula is simple: mix one part table salt with two or three parts water and ensure that it is ordinary table salt you're using – not rock, sea, or Epsom salts.

Labelled as "cheap and easy" by the site, the salt solution will ultimately eradicate weeds for good.