It doesn’t matter what size your garden happens to be, you are going to end up with a problem. It is an issue that has been plaguing gardeners for thousands of years and it is one that has seen numerous solutions, including some that are bad for both humans and the environment. I’m talking about the growth of weeds, something that most gardeners can appreciate.
It doesn’t take much gardening to recognise that weeds can be quite difficult to deal with. They have a habit of overpowering the garden and destroying the plants that we are trying to grow. In addition, it can be quite difficult to remove the weeds without causing any damage to the other plants that may be in the area. Fortunately, there are some all-natural solutions to consider.
Remove Them by Hand
One of the most common ways to remove weeds is to pull them by hand. This is something that gardeners have been doing for hundreds if not thousands of years. A trowel can be used to loosen the soil and make it easier to pull out the weeds. Wear gardening gloves.
Mulch
If you put down mulch, it keeps sunlight from reaching the soil. This causes an environment that is not habitable to the weeds. Mulch can also prevent the seeds from going into the soil in the first place.
Boiling hot water
Take a kettle of water and boil it and then take it out to your garden. Pour it directly on the weeds near the base of the plant. It will kill that weed permanently.
Salt
Sprinkling salt on the weeds causes them to dehydrate. If you have a small garden, salt can be a very effective way to kill weeds. That is especially true if you have a lot of rainfall because the salt is diluted. Be careful not to use too much or it can disrupt the soil balance.
A 3:1 saltwater ratio is best to start
Newspaper
Don’t throw away the newspaper, place them around the plants to protect them from weeds. It works in a similar way to mulch, preventing sunlight from reaching the weed seeds so they don’t grow.
Vinegar
Not only is vinegar a natural way to kill weeds, it is quite cheap as well. The acetic acid in vinegar is a herbicide and pulls moisture from the leaves of the weed. Be careful only to use it on weeds because it will kill your plants as well.
Herbicide soap
Make your own herbicide soap by mixing equal parts of salt, vinegar and dish soap and put it in a spray bottle. Spray the garden weeds directly. The salt and vinegar dehydrate the weed and the dish soap causes it to stick to the leaves. Don’t spray it on your other plants.
Torch them
If you would like to get aggressive, use a weed torch.
Cornmeal
Sprinkle cornmeal around the garden. It works in a similar way to mulch, keeping the seeds from germinating. Make sure that you only do this after your plants have grown substantially.
H/T: Shareably
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