Weeds are a headache for many gardeners. In case you don’t need to dig them out by hand, chances are you’ll be tempted to succeed in for a store-bought weed killer to get the job performed rapidly. However research have linked frequent herbicides to quite a lot of well being issues, together with most cancers, reproductive toxicity, and respiratory harm.
Keep away from these hazards and check out certainly one of these pure options to maintain your garden and backyard trying nice.
Douse with boiling water. That is notably efficient for weeds which have grown by means of cracks in patios, driveways, and walkways. The water will cool because it runs off the floor, and it received’t harm any of the vegetation you need to defend.
Spray with vinegar. Combine 1 gallon white vinegar with 1 cup desk salt and 1 tablespoon dish cleaning soap. Pour into a twig bottle and soak weeds completely. This combination will hurt something inexperienced, so contemplate overlaying close by prized vegetation to guard them.
Let your grass develop larger. Weeds, like all vegetation, want daylight and water to sprout. Strategic garden mowing (sustaining a peak of two to 4 inches) will encourage thick, wholesome grass, serving to to dam the solar and moisture weeds must thrive.
Smother with corn gluten meal. Corn gluten meal (which incorporates no precise gluten) is a byproduct of the milling course of. You’ll be able to unfold it in your backyard as pre-emergent weed management: It received’t kill weeds which have already sprouted, however it can forestall new development. (It will also be utilized in natural garden care at a selected software price.)
Study to like them. Think about your weed downside from a unique perspective. Most of them are native vegetation that should thrive — which is why they’re so laborious to kill. Some weeds, like alfalfa and chicory greens, are literally edible. Others, comparable to forget-me-nots and chickweed, will enhance soil fertility as they decompose.
This initially appeared as “Reduce Weeds, Naturally” within the April 2019 print problem of Expertise Life.
