Nobody wants weeds in their garden. They are like uninvited guests, fighting for equal nutrients with the rightful plants. Because they can cause the ruin of your crops, anyone who owns a garden can’t help but worry about how to kill weeds.
Since they cannot be permanently removed, you need to continuously tend your garden and remove these weeds so that your plants can grow well.
Thankfully, there are two ways to get rid of weeds in your garden. If you do not mind using chemicals, we have provided some tips to help you apply them properly and get good results. On the other hand, if you prefer to DIY, you will find different natural weed killers you can try as you read further.
How To Kill Weeds Using Herbicides
The use of herbicides is an easy way to get rid of weeds if you are not interested in using homemade solutions.
However, it is not just enough to apply weed killers, it is important to apply them well, especially in the garden where you have other plants you want to preserve. Here are some tips on how to kill weeds properly using herbicides.
- Firstly, you should make sure that you read and understand the directions on the label and follow them accordingly.
- Do not try to use more than the given rate as it may result in a negative rather than positive effect
- Be sure of the type of herbicide you buy. While some can kill almost any type of plant, others kill only selective plants. Make your choice according to how you intend to kill the weeds.
- The result you get may differ depending on the herbicide. While some have quicker effects, others take a week or more to kill the weeds. You need to be patient after applying any product.
- Just like their effects differ, their persistence in plants and soils differs too. While some herbicides are quick to fade, others take a long time to do so.
- Also, while some herbicides penetrate deep down towards groundwater, some make only little movement through the soil. You should put this into consideration when choosing your preferred herbicide.
How To Kill Weeds Using Natural Remedies
Natural remedies are usually cost-effective and environmentally friendly methods. So, if you do not want to spend on herbicides or you are big on DIY, here are some natural ways to get rid of weeds from your garden.
1. Cover in Vodka Solution
This is an easy DIY trick on how to kill weeds that grow under the sun. First mix one ounce of vodka with two cups of water and a few drops of your dish soap.
Then spray the mixture on the weed while protecting desirable plants. Note that this method does not work for plants that grow under shades.
2. Spray With Vinegar
Vinegar contains acetic acid up to 5%. It is this content, particularly that makes it a weed killer. Although vinegar is effective on young plants, the effect is not the same on crops with firm roots.
Before spraying your garden with vinegar, make sure you cover your good plants so that it does not kill them as well.
3. Pour Boiling Water on the Weed
It is not only cost-effective, but boiling water has to be one of the easiest ways to kill weeds. Simply boil some water and pour them on the weed to kill them.
Use a kettle or any other tool with a narrow opening so that the water does not pour on good crops as it can kill them too. This method is best for weeds that are distant from desirable crops because water can run off the surface to areas around it.
4. Use Landscape Fabric
Covering your garden with landscape fabric is how to kill weeds in their numbers while giving the desired plants room for growth. The landscape fabric not only kills growing weeds but also prevents new ones from growing.
In the absence of proper landscape fabric, you can use old shower curtains or carpets. Simply make holes from which desired plants can grow.
If you love to do things around the house by yourself, here are more DIY inspirations for you!
5. Spread Corn Gluten
Corn meal, a corn by-product is a good preventive method. Spreading it around the garden will prevent the growth of weeds like crabgrass, dandelions, and chickweed.
6. How To Kill Weeds With Lemons
You may be used to using lemons as cleaning agents, but did you know that they are good weed killers too? Make a lemon solution and spray them on those stubborn weeds while protecting your crop from it.
7. Spray the Weeds With Flame
Use a weed torch to spray flame on the weeds. The aim is to heat up the water within the plant so that the cells will explode resulting in the death of the plant. You do not have to burn the weed into ashes.
Note that this torch can be effective not just on weeds, but on any plastic or fabric it touches. Hence, it is important to handle it with caution, especially in windy or dry weather.
More so, avoid burning poisonous grasses. This is because these grasses can release their poisons into the air when the cells explode. You may then inhale this poison into your body system unknowingly.
Final Words
Before you set out to terminate the weeds, be reminded that most weed killers can kill your crops too. Hence, when considering how to kill weeds you need to take measures to protect your desired plants while applying them.
Also, as you may have noticed, we did not include salt as a natural weed killer because of its long-term consequences. Although salt kills weeds and plants, it eventually moves into the soil, poisons it and contaminates groundwater.
If you are going to be trying any of these methods of killing weeds, kindly let us know which of them you prefer to try in the comment section below.
