He might have laughed because this kind of “kitchen mix” gets popular online, but weeds don’t care much about trends.
A mix of garlic, honey, and vinegar is not a reliable weed killer. Out of the three:
- Vinegar is the only one with any real weed-suppressing effect (acetic acid can burn plant leaves on contact)
- Garlic has no meaningful herbicidal action
- Honey actually does nothing useful for weed control (it can even make things sticky and attract insects)
So your neighbor’s reaction makes sense from a gardening perspective—this isn’t an effective weed solution.
🌿 What actually works better for weeds
If your goal is to remove weeds safely and effectively, here are proven options:
1) Straight vinegar (stronger than DIY mixes)
- Household vinegar works on small weeds
- Horticultural vinegar (20%+ acetic acid) works much better
2) Boiling water
- Simple and very effective for cracks in driveways or pathways
3) Manual removal
- Pulling weeds with roots is still the most reliable long-term method
4) Mulching
- Blocks sunlight so weeds can’t grow back easily
⚠️ Important caution
Even vinegar:
- Only kills the top of the plant, not deep roots
- Can damage soil and nearby plants if overused
Bottom line
Your mix won’t harm weeds much, but it won’t solve the problem either. It’s more “kitchen experiment” than gardening tool.
If you want, tell me where the weeds are growing (garden, pavement, lawn), and I can suggest the most effective method for that exact situation.
