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.
Many store-bought herbicides contain some harmful chemicals which may hurt people or animals, instead one can prepare a homemade weed-killer that is made only of normal, household ingredients and is not hazardous. Put in a spray bottle two cups of white vinegar, one-half cup of salt, and a few drops of dish detergent and mix thoroughly. Spray directly on weeds, but avoid contact with vegetable as it may damage them.
One area that is often plagued by weed growth are the cracks between paving or patio stones. The best way to kill these off is to dump salt on them, either table salt or driveway rock salt work well. One must ensure that they don't get salt on nearby grass though, or it too will die.
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.
In ornamental flower beds, it is possible to plan one's plantings in such a way that it will reduce the likelihood of weeds being able to thrive there. Selecting ground covering plants that by nature prevent weed species from getting the nutrients, sun, and water they require to flourish is a good way to avoid this issue altogether. Examples include creeping thyme, Walker's low catmint, and Majestic lilyturf, to name just a few.
A process known as "solarizing" has also been proven to effectively reduce weed growth in both the current and upcoming planting seasons. This should be done during the summer to prepare the beds for fall planting activities. First rake and till the soil, eliminating any debris and dig an 8-inch deep trench around the bed's outer edges, then lay a thin, clear sheet of plastic over it, placing the edges in the trench. Fill in trenches with soil to hold the plastic in place. This should remain for 4-6 weeks after which it can be removed, fertilized and used 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.
Many store-bought herbicides contain some harmful chemicals which may hurt people or animals, instead one can prepare a homemade weed-killer that is made only of normal, household ingredients and is not hazardous. Put in a spray bottle two cups of white vinegar, one-half cup of salt, and a few drops of dish detergent and mix thoroughly. Spray directly on weeds, but avoid contact with vegetable as it may damage them.
One area that is often plagued by weed growth are the cracks between paving or patio stones. The best way to kill these off is to dump salt on them, either table salt or driveway rock salt work well. One must ensure that they don't get salt on nearby grass though, or it too will die.
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.
In ornamental flower beds, it is possible to plan one's plantings in such a way that it will reduce the likelihood of weeds being able to thrive there. Selecting ground covering plants that by nature prevent weed species from getting the nutrients, sun, and water they require to flourish is a good way to avoid this issue altogether. Examples include creeping thyme, Walker's low catmint, and Majestic lilyturf, to name just a few.
A process known as "solarizing" has also been proven to effectively reduce weed growth in both the current and upcoming planting seasons. This should be done during the summer to prepare the beds for fall planting activities. First rake and till the soil, eliminating any debris and dig an 8-inch deep trench around the bed's outer edges, then lay a thin, clear sheet of plastic over it, placing the edges in the trench. Fill in trenches with soil to hold the plastic in place. This should remain for 4-6 weeks after which it can be removed, fertilized and used for planting.
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