With constant and proper care, gardens can become a small paradise on earth. Yet, gardeners know that having a garden is not necessarily an easy task, and weeds are their worst nightmares. They destroy plants and are extremely difficult to eliminate. If undesired grass growing everywhere in your vegetable garden or ruining your beautiful flower boxes, if you have callous knees from weeding all day long and the sight of a single extra weed will be the death of you, you might want to keep reading.
These incredible tips from a professional gardener will make your day and maybe even your summer. They will help you eliminate weeds in your garden and enjoy the beauty of your backyard.
1. Vinegar
Vinegar is rich in acetic acid, which is a powerful natural herbicide, and attracts moisture from the leaves but only spray it on the leaves.
2. Boiling water
Pour a kettle or a pot filled with boiling water over the weeds, around the crown of the plant. This will destroy them for good.
3. Cornflower
Once your plants have grown, sprinkle some cornflour on them to prevent weed seeds from germinating.
4. Salt
To dry out weeds, sprinkle them with salt. However, don’t use too much, as it could harm your plants if it disrupts the soil balance. You should mix salt with water in a 3:1 ratio and only sprinkle this mixture on the weeds.
5. Mulch
To prevent weed seeds from germinating and growing, use mulch to prevent sunlight from reaching the soil. This will also prevent weed seeds from getting into the soil.
6. Homemade ecological herbicide
You can also eliminate weeds with a homemade, environmentally friendly herbicide. Pour it over the weeds when the weather is nice and sunny, since rain may spread your herbicide across your garden and damage your flowers.
Ingredients
- 2 litres of water
- 1 kg iodized salt
- 3 litres of white vinegar
Method
- Dilute salt in 2 litres of water.
- Add the white vinegar and stir.
- Pour it into a bottle.
- Pour some on the weeds to dry them and eliminate them.
7. Getting rid of them by hand
This is the most common method and people have been using this method for thousands of years. Loosen the ground with a trowel, then pull the weeds out. Wear gardening gloves to avoid replacing the seeds into the soil.
8. Reclaimed water
If you have moisture-absorbing containers, reclaimed water can help you eliminate weeds. You only have to water the weeds with the moisture-absorbing containers to eliminate weeds in your yard.
9. Baking soda
Baking soda, like salt, can help you eliminate all the weeds in your garden. To take advantage of its benefits, simply sprinkle it on the areas invaded by weeds and wait for it to rain for the product to be effective.
10. Here is another homemade recipe to tackle weeds
For this recipe, you only need three natural ingredients:
- 1-gallon vinegar
- 2 cups Epsom salt
- 1/4 cup dish soap
You can use regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Many find table salt works well too, if not better. Apply the solution on the weeds on sunny days for best results.
Sources:
- Tip Hero
- Blogue Fantastic Gardeners
- Santé Plus Mag
- How To Instructions
- Meteocity