How To Kill Weeds Naturally: 7 Effective Methods
Weeds are kind of inevitable. Even if you are the most careful gardener, they still manage to pop up and cause chaos in your garden. It’s very annoying. But not only are they not aesthetically pleasing, but they also cause a ton of problems. Weeds are robbers. They love to rob your plants of space, water, and nutrients. Some types of weeds can also secrete chemicals into the ground that inhibit any growth near them. Yikes! That’s why you need to get rid of them as soon as you spot them. And while you may want to grab the chemical weed killer – don’t. There are plenty of natural ways to kill weeds that won’t harm your health or the environment. So, let’s see how to kill weeds naturally.
Weeds are kind of inevitable
Weeds love to rob your plants of space, water, and nutrients.
In this article
How To Kill Weeds Naturally
Weeds are opportunists. They will absolutely take root anywhere they can. As long as there is room, they are there. But don’t let the ugly weeds wreck your beautiful garden. There are plenty of ways you can fight back without having to use harsh chemicals. We’ve collected some of the most effective natural methods of killing weeds to help you fight these pesky intruders. We haven’t included common killers like vinegar, vodka, or salt, as they can harm some neighboring plants and grass.
Don’t let the ugly weeds wreck your beautiful garden
There are plenty of ways you can fight back without having to use harsh chemicals
#Pull them out
If you have some free time and are vigilant about what goes in your garden, then you can always get rid of the weeds the old-fashioned way – by hand. Take your gardening gloves, claws (or another sharp tool), roll up your sleeves, and go to town. Keep in mind that in order to effectively get rid of weeds you need to pull them out completely out by the root, otherwise they will return.
You can always get rid of the weeds the old-fashioned way – by hand
#Newspapers
It’s planting season soon. This means it’s time to smother any weeds that may be thinking of popping up in order to prepare the garden beds for planting. All you need to do is find some old newspapers and cover the soil. A nice, thick layer will help keep sunlight from reaching the weed seeds. And with no sunlight, they won’t be able to sprout. In order for this to work, make sure you’ve removed any weeds that have popped up already, then wet the soil, place the newspapers, wet again, and then cover everything in mulch.
Find some old newspapers and cover the soil
#Mulching
Mulch is amazing! It keeps plants warm during the winter, looks beautiful, and also helps to prevent weeds from terrorizing your plants. Mulching not only stops weeds from sprouting, as it cuts off their sunlight, but it also stops weed seeds from coming into contact in the first place. Using organic mulch also offers some additional benefits, like retaining moisture and breaking down into the soil, enriching it with extra nutrients.
Mulching not only stops weeds from sprouting, but it also stops weed seeds from ever coming
#Fame Them
Fire kills pretty much anything, including weeds. So, get yourself a weed torch. This little contraption works by heating up the water inside the weed. Once the water starts to turn into steam, the cells inside explode and the plant dies. You don’t even need to sit and burn them for long. All you need to do is wilt them. While this method, takes some practice, it’s fast and effective. Just make sure you are very careful when doing this on windy days, or if you live in drought-prone area, as you may cause a fire. It’s also not recommended to use on poisonous plants, as it will release their oils into the air, and you will breathe them in. The torch can also use plastic, so don’t use it near any plastic containers or borders.
Fire kills pretty much anything, including weeds
#Boiling Water
This method works similarly to the flame torch method. Just boil a pot of water and scald those annoying weeds. Carefully pour the stream of scorching water over each weed and that’s it. Some weeds that are perennial may take you two or three tries to eliminate them completely, but they will stop coming back eventually. This is a super cheap and easy method. Just keep in mind to do it while wearing closed-toe shoes, and you stay clear, so you don’t get burned.
Just boil a pot of water and scald those annoying weeds
#Corn Gluten Meal
A byproduct of corn milling, corn gluten meal does a great job of preventing weeds from growing at all. It is a pre-emergent organic herbicide that needs to be applied in spring before the weeds start to sprout. Sprinkle corn gluten meal on any exposed areas of your garden to stop seeds from sprouting. However, this method is a little too effective and may also keep your other seeds from sprouting as well, so maybe don’t use it in your veggie garden until the other plants are established.
Corn gluten meal does a great job of preventing weeds from growing at all
#Ground Covers
Weeds like to settle anywhere that has enough space for them. So, take away the space. Since they love bare, open soil, you can use ground covers to protect these free spaces. Ground covers are plants that are low-growing and like to spread out, staying close to the soil which makes it harder for weeds to wiggle their way through. Plus, even if some weeds do manage to get through, the lack of sunlight will kill them. Ground covers are natural, look nice, and adds greenery to your garden. The best covers depend on where you are from, but some of the most common are creeping thyme, bugleweed, and ice plant.
Ground covers are natural, look nice, and adds greenery to your garden
These were some of the most effective methods when it comes to how to kill weeds naturally. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can easily get rid of any pesky weeds that are bothering your garden.
These were some of the most effective methods when it comes to how to kill weeds naturally
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