How to Kill Quackgrass Naturally: Easy Homemade Quackgrass Killer Recipe

Last Updated on July 13, 2026 by Ellen Christian

This quackgrass killer recipe is safe for your pets and effective on both your lawn and your driveway or patio area. Get rid of quackgrass easily.

Quackgrass Killer Recipe

Every spring I notice quackgrass popping up between the cracks in my front steps. Pulling it never solved the problem because it always came back a few weeks later. This simple vinegar weed killer helps knock it back quickly, and then I dig out the roots before they have a chance to spread again.

While you’re getting your garden in shape, don’t forget to check out these lawn mower maintenance tips to get your lawn ready.

This quack grass killer will help control weeds in your lawn or wherever they grow. I have a problem with weeds growing around our front steps. Since our steps are concrete, the weeds grow up between the steps and in cracks. This can also be a problem for people who have driveways with cracks. 

As much as I love gardening, I cannot stand weeding. I’ve written before about choosing the best mulch and how important that is to keep weeds under control. There are lots of time-saving gardening tips like this quackgrass killer that can make gardening more fun.

How to identify quackgrass

There are lots of different perennial grass weeds that you’ll find in your lawn. Quackgrass is a creeping perennial grass which means that if you don’t catch it quickly, it will overtake your lawn.

It resembles crabgrass but it has long, tapered blades that are attached to a hollow stem. Check out the video for a few tips on how to identify it.

You may also find weeds like crab grass, broadleaf weeds or Bermuda grass. This weed killer will work well on all sorts of weeds including broadleef plants. And, best of all, it has no glyphosate in it.

FAQ about quackgrass

How do you kill quackgrass naturally?

The problem with killing quackgrass naturally is that even though you kill the weed on the surface of the lawn, the rhizomes underneath are not dead. You will need to remove them to be one hundred percent certain that they don’t come back next year. I have used plain vinegar. And, I just do not find it as effective as this quackgrass killer recipe.

Learn how to make your gardening process more efficient to cut down on the time you spend gardening.

Will Roundup kill quackgrass?

Yes, it will along with everything else in your yard. Here’s a helpful comparison:

Homemade Vinegar Spray	Glyphosate Herbicide

Will boiling water kill quackgrass?

No. The boiling water will kill the weed on the surface of the lawn, but it won’t get deep into your lawn to kill the rhizomes.

How do you kill quackgrass without killing grass?

You need to be very careful with your application. You can use a small paintbrush to paint just the leaves of the weeds. Then, when they are dead, very carefully dig up the rhizomes to be sure it doesn’t come back next year.

Does vinegar kill quackgrass?

Yes, vinegar will kill quackgrass but it is more effective mixed with dish soap. 

Why didn’t my quackgrass die?

• It rained too soon.
• The weeds were too mature.
• It wasn’t sunny enough.
• You missed some leaves.
• Underground rhizomes survived.

How do you apply this quackgrass killer?

If you have an area that you want nothing to grow in at all like your steps or your driveway, you can apply this weed killer with a spray bottle. But, if you have an area that you have other growing things in like your lawn or your garden, you will want to apply it with a paintbrush. That way, it won’t kill the other plants. Eventually, the rain will wash away the vinegar and dish soap and the area will be clear to grow in again.

Quackgrass doesn’t respond well to a selective weed killer. You will need to use a weed killer recipe that kills ALL weeds in order to deal with it. Then, when it’s dead you must dig up the rhizomes or it will simply come back again. 

Making this homemade quackgrass killer recipe

It’s very easy to make this quackgrass killer.  I love saving money on gardening so I can put the extra into buying more gardening tools and accessories.

Supplies you’ll need

Supplies

• White vinegar
• Dawn dish soap
• Spray bottle (A quality spray bottle lasts much longer than dollar-store versions.)
• Measuring spoons
• Funnel
• Waterproof labels
• Garden gloves (I always wear waterproof garden gloves when applying vinegar weed killer)
• Hand weeder
• Garden kneeling pad

Directions

1. Mix 4 cups of white vinegar with 1 tablespoon Dawn dish soap.
2. Mix well.
3. Pour into a clean spray bottle.
4. Label your bottle. 

How to use this homemade weed killer

Avoid saturating the grass and flowers with this quack grass killer. You can use this weed killer around grass and flowers but do not apply directly to them. It may burn the grass/flowers.

Apply the weed killer in the morning so it has time to heat up as much as possible during the day.

Check the forecast for rain. This mixture does best when it has the chance to sit on the weeds for 24 hours.

After 24-48 hours, your weeds will become dark and shriveled up.  

Dig up the rhizomes to be sure they don’t come back next year.

How to prevent quackgrass from returning

• Fill cracks in sidewalks.
• Add mulch to garden beds.
• Mow regularly.
• Remove seed heads.
• Pull young shoots promptly.
• Overseed thin lawn areas.

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• How to get rid of slugs
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