Once summer weather rolls around it brings with it green lawns and bountiful gardens, however there is also one aspect of this time of year all gardeners dislike, weeds. Finding out what to use to kill weeds is important to keep them from spoiling the look and health of one's property. Fortunately there are many safe and natural ways to do this without resorting to harmful chemicals.
In some cases, such as when weeds grow in close proximity to flowers or vegetables, they will need to be pulled out. It's important to do this properly or they will just grow back. After watering, when the soil is moist, dig until the bottom of the weed's root system is reached, and uproot the entire plant. The discarded weeds can be used as compost.
Suffocating these garden invaders is another way to eliminate them, when their sunlight is cut off they cannot survive. This can be accomplished by cutting old newspapers into wide strips and laying them on top of areas affected by weed growth and covering them with garden mulch. Several layers of newspapers may be needed, to prevent stronger weeds from poking through.
Commercial herbicides on the market often contain potentially hazardous chemicals, as an alternative to this, one can prepare a homemade weed killer that only contains safe ingredients. Mix together thoroughly two cups of white vinegar, one-half cup of salt, and several drops of dish soap, making sure the salt dissolves fully, pour into a spray bottle and spritz weed-growth with it. Make sure it does not come into contact with other plants or it may kill them.
Areas such as between paving stones in the garden can be kept free of unwanted weed growth by the use of salt. Rock salt used in winter to prevent ice from forming is ideal for this purpose, but even household table salt works fine. Just sprinkle it along these cracks, taking care not to touch the lawn or garden, as it can kill them as well.
The heat of fire is a powerful natural weed-killer. This does not mean starting an actual fire, but rather simply passing a hot flame over the weedy areas, the heat effectively dries up the moisture within them, which causes them to shrivel up and die. Propane-powered weed scorchers designed for this purpose or regular, general-use blowtorches can both suffice for this purpose.
The design of an ornamental flower bed can be planned in such a way that is not weed-friendly. Some species of ground covering plants naturally keep them from sprouting up and prevent them from getting sufficient water, nutrients, and sunlight. Some examples are Walker's low catmint, Majestic lilyturf, and creeping thyme to name a few.
When preparing beds for fall planting in the summer, a technique called "solarizing" can be particularly effective for killing existing weed growth, and also preventing it next season. It is done by first raking and tilling the soil in the bed to eliminate debris, digging a trench about 8 inches deep around its perimeters, then placing a clear, plastic sheet over the bed, positioning the edges in the trench and securing them with soil. This must be kept in place for 4-6 weeks then removed, fertilized, and it is ready for planting.
In some cases, such as when weeds grow in close proximity to flowers or vegetables, they will need to be pulled out. It's important to do this properly or they will just grow back. After watering, when the soil is moist, dig until the bottom of the weed's root system is reached, and uproot the entire plant. The discarded weeds can be used as compost.
Suffocating these garden invaders is another way to eliminate them, when their sunlight is cut off they cannot survive. This can be accomplished by cutting old newspapers into wide strips and laying them on top of areas affected by weed growth and covering them with garden mulch. Several layers of newspapers may be needed, to prevent stronger weeds from poking through.
Commercial herbicides on the market often contain potentially hazardous chemicals, as an alternative to this, one can prepare a homemade weed killer that only contains safe ingredients. Mix together thoroughly two cups of white vinegar, one-half cup of salt, and several drops of dish soap, making sure the salt dissolves fully, pour into a spray bottle and spritz weed-growth with it. Make sure it does not come into contact with other plants or it may kill them.
Areas such as between paving stones in the garden can be kept free of unwanted weed growth by the use of salt. Rock salt used in winter to prevent ice from forming is ideal for this purpose, but even household table salt works fine. Just sprinkle it along these cracks, taking care not to touch the lawn or garden, as it can kill them as well.
The heat of fire is a powerful natural weed-killer. This does not mean starting an actual fire, but rather simply passing a hot flame over the weedy areas, the heat effectively dries up the moisture within them, which causes them to shrivel up and die. Propane-powered weed scorchers designed for this purpose or regular, general-use blowtorches can both suffice for this purpose.
The design of an ornamental flower bed can be planned in such a way that is not weed-friendly. Some species of ground covering plants naturally keep them from sprouting up and prevent them from getting sufficient water, nutrients, and sunlight. Some examples are Walker's low catmint, Majestic lilyturf, and creeping thyme to name a few.
When preparing beds for fall planting in the summer, a technique called "solarizing" can be particularly effective for killing existing weed growth, and also preventing it next season. It is done by first raking and tilling the soil in the bed to eliminate debris, digging a trench about 8 inches deep around its perimeters, then placing a clear, plastic sheet over the bed, positioning the edges in the trench and securing them with soil. This must be kept in place for 4-6 weeks then removed, fertilized, and it is ready for planting.
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