Weeds are a gardener’s worst enemy and sometimes a lot of work to get rid of! But many of us don’t want to use the chemical herbicides that will kill them as they can be dangerous around kids and pets and are not good for the environment. That’s where these natural weed removal tips may help make the task a little healthier.
1. Remove by hand.
It’s the still the simplest and best way to remove weeds. It’s also the most time-consuming. You’ll want to have a trowel, something to rest your knees on and a bucket. Depending on the type of weed, you’ll need to ensure you pull it out by the roots and not spread any seeds.
2. Buy high quality seeds and compost.
This really applies most if you are planting grass. Make sure that the grass seed contains less that 2% of grassy or broadleaf seeds and crop seeds like corn or wheat seeds and inert matter like chaff and soil particles. This way, you won’t have weeds growing alongside your grass right from the start.
3. Cover with mulch.
Mulch is a great way to starve weeds by blocking sunlight and preventing weed seeds from getting into the soil.
4. Cover with cardboard or newspaper.
Similar to mulch, cardboard or newspaper will smother weeds, and as the weeds break down they feed the soil too.
5. Pour hot water on them.
Giving weeds a hot bath will scald them. You’ll want to make sure to pour it around the crown of the plant too, to ensure you kill it. This technique works best on young weeds.
6. Pour salt on them.
Salt will work best if there’s moisture to dilute it because if you pour straight salt in your garden, you’ll not only kill the weed, but likely all the nourishing microbes in the soil. If you’re not sure there will be enough rainfall to dilute the salt, make a mixture of 3:1 of salt to water to spray on the weed directly.
7. Spray vinegar on them.
Vinegar’s acidic qualities work much like salt, drawing out the moisture from the weed and illing it that way. However, like salt, vinegar is indiscriminate and will kill everything (good and bad).
8. Spray a natural herbicide on them.
There are a number of companies that make what they claim to be natural herbicides that you can use. You can also make your own by mixing equal parts of dish soap, salt and vinegar. Mix them in a spray bottle and zap your weeds.
9. Burn them.
Taking a weed torch will crisp weeds into oblivion. But, it may not kill their roots. Plus as you’re setting fire to plants, this method should be used with caution.
10. Use corn gluten (or corn meal).
Using corn gluten will prevent weeds from ever popping up. It prevents germinating seeds from growing, but doesn’t have an effect on already-established plants. It also provides a healthy dose of nitrogen to the soil.
11. Crowd them out.
Growing a densely planted garden or lawn will inhibit weeds as they won’t find space to grow in because the ground is already occupied.
Although it’s a good thing to want to use natural sprays to kill weeds, it’s important to remember that by killing weeds with do-it-yourself solutions you will also kill the natural microbes and fungi in the soil that will likely inhibit growth of vegetables and flowers.
If you are using a spray on a sidewalk or pathway, then these are great solutions, but many gardeners recommend the smothering techniques (Tips 3 and 4) over sprays.
Hopefully, these tips will help keep the weeds in your garden at bay. Have you got weed-killing tips that work for you?
Share these natural ways to kill weeds with your family and friends!
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