Grab Some Salt From The Kitchen And Apply Where Needed
Head to your kitchen cupboard, grab your regular table salt and apply a pinch to the base of any weeds you would like to see gone. No need to water it in, let the rain do that over time. As with some of the other methods already mentioned here, salt isnt selective, it will kill everything it touches so avoid spilling it on your plants and/or grass areas. Remember that once it dilutes in the rain it may spread a little too. Lastly, proceed with caution if using salt on paved areas as repeated uses may cause some damage to your pavers.
Natural Methods To Get Rid Of Common Garden Weeds
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With so much controversy surrounding the use of chemical weed killers, especially those containing glyphosate, many gardeners are turning to more organic and natural weed control methods to deal with weeds even if it means more work. If you would like to get rid of weeds without harsh chemicals, here are 10 ways to knock them out.
Common weed killers to try:
Stand-up weeding tool. Photo by: Jari Hindstroem / Shutterstock.
How Do You Get Rid Of Lords
Lords-and-ladies is easy to identify by its clusters of poisonous red berries
A British wildflower and tuberous perennial, lords-and-ladies or cuckoo pint is a nuisance in the garden, thriving in shady spots.
‘Remove it by digging it out or by dabbing it with a systemic weed killer,’ advises the Amateur Gardening experts. The herbicide will be taken into the plant, and the roots and shoots will soon die.
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Apply A Vodka Spray To Kill Weeds
For weeds growing in well-lit areas, one natural weed killer you can try is vodka. This alcoholic solution dries out plants, with a few drops of dish soap to hold the vodka in place and allowing the sunlight to take care of the rest. The vodka removes the protective waxy coating on plant leaves, making them more susceptible to withering and burning.
- 5 drops of dish detergent
This solution works best when applied via a spray bottle, though you want to avoid getting it on any other plants in the area that you dont want to be dried out. This option doesnt work so well in shaded areas, however, so stick to locations with plenty of light.
Use A Selective Herbicide
You want to choose a weed killer which has been engineered to kill the weed but not that the grass you have. Selective means it won’t kill all plants it’s applied to. 2,4-D is the more common selective herbicide. Using it properly has minimal risks and is extremely effective at killing weeds without killing your grass.
Selective herbicide works by entering the leaf of the weed and changing the way the plant handles nutrients. It causes it to literally grow and age itself to death. Selective herbicides typically take 4-14 days to see very strong results but can literally start to work overnight. It is an effective way to kill 99% of broadleaf weeds down to the root so that the same weed shouldnt be a problem in the future.
If you want to do this yourself the products, we recommend would be either Weed B Gon or Killex. These products can be purchased at a local hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowe’s.
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Preventive Measures To Keep The Weeds Away
Once you get the weeds out, theyd better stay out. For that to happen, though, you will have to pay attention to your lawn regularly and take measures early. Some of the things you can do include:
- Fertilising twice a year This will guarantee that your grass will stay strong and be less likely to develop weeds. The process is best done either early in the spring, when the grass is waking up, or in autumn when the lawn is going into dormancy.
- Applying the proper weed control products The success of a weed killer depends on your ability to choose and apply it at the right time. It all comes down to pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides. The first ones are meant to block germination of the weed seeds, while the latter are meant to kill already existing weeds. Some of those are even combined with fertilisers, so your lawn can benefit even more from the application. If you are looking for an organic pre-emergent weed killer, you can give corn gluten meal a try.
All weed killing products are available in the specialised store. We suggest that you consult with someone if you are having doubts about a products efficiency and suitability for your lawn. You can always get a lawn care specialist in the area to inspect your lawn and take care of a weed situation or another issue for you.
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Natural Ways To Kill Weeds In Grass
So, you just finally got rid of all the persistent weeds that had been gumming up the roots in your garden beds. Everything is looking perfect and things are growing nicely. Theres just one problem: your lawn seems a bit overgrown in places. Not only overgrown, overrun. The weeds are back and theyve found a place that you cant reach without risking your entire lawn… or so they think.
There are a ton of highly-toxic or even carcinogenic weed killers on the market that will absolutely get rid of your weeds and leave your grass intact, but were willing to bet youd rather not resort to such measures. Especially if you or your kids have any plans to walk barefoot through that grass at any point in the spring or summer. So whats the alternative? How do we get rid of the weeds on our lawn naturally without killing the grass? Well, well tell you how.
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Put Them In Hot Water
Hot water is another friend when it comes to natural weed control. Boil a pot of water and carefully dump this scalding hot water over the weeds leaves and stems. Use care, though, as boiling water doesnt discriminate itll kill every plant it touches.
This is not an immediate cure, as it takes time to burn out the plant, especially ones that root deeper into the soil.
Repeat this over the course of a few days until the weed wilts and dies. You can also speed up the process by adding a few tablespoons of salt to the water. As we mentioned earlier, though, salt will kill any plant it touches, so pour it carefully.
Top 7 Solutions To Kill Weeds Not Grass
In order to kill weeds without killing your grass, use a herbicide that is designed to target weeds but will leave grass unharmed. There are even formulations that will kill grassy weeds, like crabgrass, without harming your lawn. Once youve killed the weeds in your lawn, use a lawn-safe pre-emergent herbicide or an organic pre-emergent to stop new weeds from sprouting. You can remove weeds naturally by hand pulling them. However, avoid weed killers that contain vinegar and/or salt. These are dangerous to grass.
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Starve Them Of Light And Nutrients By Spreading Mulch
Weeds need light and a warm soil bed to thrive. Mulch can be used to prevent weeds as they dont have enough power to push all the way through the mulch/ If you have existing weeds be sure to remove them before applying mulch. Once it comes time to apply, spread a 3 inch thick layer of mulch to the areas needed to prevent weed seeds from germinating. 3 inches is usually enough to keep weed roots from sprouting. Mulch doesnt just assist with weed growth, it prevents the soil from drying out and can reduce watering requirements by about 50%.
By Apostoloff , via Wikimedia Commons
Which Types Of Weed To Deal With
For the first time, you have to think about which types of weeds you will need to deal with. In this progress, you will learn that there are mainly three types of weeds such as Broadleaf, Grassy, and Grass-type. Broadleaf is not looked like grass. Grassy weeds look similar to actual grass. They grow in the same manner as weeds. Grass-type weeds are similar to grassy weeds and actual grass. You have to find out which types of grass are grown in your lawn.
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By Mowing The Lawn High
Most homeowners like to have nicely trimmed grass, but having it very short enables weeds to grow. If you mow it high, the tall grass will prevent the sunlight from reaching the soil, and the weeds wont grow. It does not have to be too tall, but leave it as tall as you can.
Higher grass that gets more sunlight will spread the roots and leave no open soil patches for weed to take over. Modern lawnmowers have a setting to adjust the desired hight.
Line Your Flower Beds To Stop Weeds Appearing
Try weed-suppressing liners for your raised beds
The easiest way to deal with weeds is to prevent them from cropping up in the first place. Lining your patio, driveways, or paths with a weed-proof membrane before adding gravel, slate, bark chippings, or similar will help to keep them at bay.
For your raised garden beds, garden centers and DIY stores often sell specific lining sheets , which will also retain moisture and reduce the need for watering. Alternatively, if you have old carpet tiles or a shower curtain, these are a great DIY solution and are a good way to recycle unwanted household items.
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Spray A Salt Solution Onto The Weed Leaves
Discourage Lawn Weeds From Taking Over
Whats the best weed killer for lawns? There are actually a number of answers, but the common thread is being proactive. Here are some lawn weed control techniques to prevent weeds from getting a head start in your garden:
- Mulching with bark or wood chips or compost is a great way to smother weed seeds. You can also put down plastic or ground cloth under pathways with wood chips or gravel to prevent grass and weeds from poking through. One of the other benefits of mulching is that you can keep your soil more moist, which helps plants grow in the hot and humid environments in the southern United States.
- Avoid turning your soil in your garden beds, digging only as deeply as you need to plant seeds or bedding plants. By following a no-till method, you will be less likely to encourage new weeds and studies show it helps encourage soil fertility.
- When feeding your lawn, be careful not to over or under fertilize. Too much fertilizer will encourage crabgrass and other weeds, while underfeeding will keep your lawn from being healthy enough to compete with weeds.
- Water garden and lawns deeply but only as often as necessary. Light watering discourages your plants and lawn grasses from sending deep roots into the soil and instead encourages many weeds that have shallow root systems.
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Apply Some Diy Herbicidal Soap
Here is a good option that wont stain and can be used on driveways, walkways, patios, gravel etc.. It work relatively quickly and is also suitable for gardens and other landscaped areas. This one is a little sneaky as it is two thirds natural, one third dishwashing detergent . To make some herbicidal soap for use around your house simply mix equal parts of dishwashing detergent, vinegar and salt, stir it together and spray on affected areas as needed. The dishwashing detergent allows the mixture to cling to the plants. Dont have any salt? No worries, you can also use gin!
Again, be careful not to get any on your plants, this is another non-selective killer.
By Covering With Mulch
Mulch materials like wood-chips or even gravel are extremely useful in weed prevention. As you cover the ground with mulch, weed seeds have no sunlight and cant grow. Even if they somehow attempt to grow, it will be hard, and the weeds will eventually die.
Mulch can also look very lovely, and you can easily pick the one that goes well with the landscaping. Just cover bare ground with it on the base of the plants you want to protect.
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Rent Goats For Weed Control
Goats are not the ideal solution for every weed situation, but they are a great choice for hillsides, rocky areas, places that are difficult for humans to reach, and large areas that do not have desirable plants. Goats will eat just about anything in their path, so this is not an option for clearing the weeds in your vegetable garden or around your prized petunias, but they are a viable option for spots where you need some serious weed abatement. You do not need to purchase goats to handle your weed situation you may have a neighbor who will let you borrow some, or you can rent them from companies or goat farmers who provide goats to clients specifically for this purpose.
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Identify The Weeds You Have
In order to make a successful game plan, youll need to know just what kind of weeds youre dealing with. Weed treatments are designed to target specific weeds, so what may work on your broadleaf weeds may leave your grass-like weeds A-OK.
Weeds come in multiple categories, either broadleaf, grass-like, or grassy.
Broadleaf
- Common types: Clover, ground ivy, dandelions, chickweed
Grass-like
- Appearance: Similar to grass, with hollow leaves in a triangular or tube shape
- Common types: Nutsedge, wild garlic, wild onion
Grassy
- Appearance: Resembles grass, grows one leaf at a time
- Common types: Foxtail, annual bluegrass, quackgrass, crabgrass
Weeds can be broken down further into categories based on their life cycleannual, biennial, or perennial.
- Annual: Produces seeds during one season only
- Biennial: Produces seeds during two back-to-back seasons
- Perennial: Produces seeds over many seasons
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Brush Baking Soda Into Cracks
If your main issue is weeds growing through cracks in your walkways, patio, or driveway, you may have the solution in your kitchen right now. Grab a box of baking soda, sprinkle it along cracks where weeds grow, then use a broom or deck brush to push it into the cracks. You will need to repeat this process after it rains or if you rinse down your hardscapes, since that will will dilute the baking soda.
Set Realistic Lawn Weed Removal Expectations
Before you learn how to fix a lawn full of weeds, you need to set reasonable expectations. Even the greenest and most luscious lawns have some quantity of weeds.
Lots of reasonable lawn care and horticultural enthusiasts agree that as long as your lawn has less than 10% weeds, youre in good shape. When the percentage of weeds exceeds that number is when you may notice lawn care issues.
If your lawn is healthy, managing weeds is straightforward and easy. Weeds cant compete with a thick and vigorous lawn. But, if your lawn falls into neglect, then you may require some time and effort to remove excess weeds. Luckily, when you improve the overall health of your lawn, weed removal and management are simple.
Thats because I think that one of the best ways to prevent weeds from overtaking your lawn is to have a healthy, fertile, vibrant, and robust lawn in the first place. This process of establishing a healthy lawn takes time, effort, inspiration, love, and elbow grease.
For those reasons, remember that ridding your lawn of weeds is possible and straightforward. But weed management also requires ongoing commitment.
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