Friday, December 5, 2014
Those who enjoy caring for a lawn and garden during the sunny summer months are most likely very familiar with the challenge of keeping one's property free of unwelcome and unsightly weeds. Learning what to use to kill weeds should be a top priority of anyone who wants to keep their flower beds and vegetable gardens looking their best and healthy. There are many easy tricks that can achieve this without relying on hazardous chemicals.
In some cases, such as when weeds grow in close proximity to flowers or vegetables, they will need to be pulled out. It's important to do this properly or they will just grow back. After watering, when the soil is moist, dig until the bottom of the weed's root system is reached, and uproot the entire plant. The discarded weeds can be used as compost.
It's also possible to put an end to these pesky invaders by suffocating them, cutting off their access to sunlight. Cut some old newspapers into strips and place them over areas of weed growth, then cover this up with some garden mulch, it will be necessary to use several layers of newspapers because some weeds can poke through.
Commercial herbicides on the market often contain potentially hazardous chemicals, as an alternative to this, one can prepare a homemade weed killer that only contains safe ingredients. Mix together thoroughly two cups of white vinegar, one-half cup of salt, and several drops of dish soap, making sure the salt dissolves fully, pour into a spray bottle and spritz weed-growth with it. Make sure it does not come into contact with other plants or it may kill them.
Areas such as between paving stones in the garden can be kept free of unwanted weed growth by the use of salt. Rock salt used in winter to prevent ice from forming is ideal for this purpose, but even household table salt works fine. Just sprinkle it along these cracks, taking care not to touch the lawn or garden, as it can kill them as well.
The heat of a flame can also effectively wipe out weeds. It is not necessary to start a fire, all that's needed is a hot flame passing over weedy areas to dry them up from the inside out so they wither and die. A general-use blow-torch or a specially designed weed scorcher powered by propane will do the trick.
The design of an ornamental flower bed can be planned in such a way that is not weed-friendly. Some species of ground covering plants naturally keep them from sprouting up and prevent them from getting sufficient water, nutrients, and sunlight. Some examples are Walker's low catmint, Majestic lilyturf, and creeping thyme to name a few.
In order to prepare beds for fall planting, a method known as "solarizing" can be used in the summer. It kills weeds and prevents future growth. The soil must first be tilled and raked to remove debris, then an 8-inch deep trench must be dug around the bed's perimeter, next a clear, thin sheet of plastic will be laid over the bed, with its edges placed in the trench and covered up with soil. After 4 to 6 weeks, this plastic can be removed, the soil fertilized, and used for planting.
In some cases, such as when weeds grow in close proximity to flowers or vegetables, they will need to be pulled out. It's important to do this properly or they will just grow back. After watering, when the soil is moist, dig until the bottom of the weed's root system is reached, and uproot the entire plant. The discarded weeds can be used as compost.
It's also possible to put an end to these pesky invaders by suffocating them, cutting off their access to sunlight. Cut some old newspapers into strips and place them over areas of weed growth, then cover this up with some garden mulch, it will be necessary to use several layers of newspapers because some weeds can poke through.
Commercial herbicides on the market often contain potentially hazardous chemicals, as an alternative to this, one can prepare a homemade weed killer that only contains safe ingredients. Mix together thoroughly two cups of white vinegar, one-half cup of salt, and several drops of dish soap, making sure the salt dissolves fully, pour into a spray bottle and spritz weed-growth with it. Make sure it does not come into contact with other plants or it may kill them.
Areas such as between paving stones in the garden can be kept free of unwanted weed growth by the use of salt. Rock salt used in winter to prevent ice from forming is ideal for this purpose, but even household table salt works fine. Just sprinkle it along these cracks, taking care not to touch the lawn or garden, as it can kill them as well.
The heat of a flame can also effectively wipe out weeds. It is not necessary to start a fire, all that's needed is a hot flame passing over weedy areas to dry them up from the inside out so they wither and die. A general-use blow-torch or a specially designed weed scorcher powered by propane will do the trick.
The design of an ornamental flower bed can be planned in such a way that is not weed-friendly. Some species of ground covering plants naturally keep them from sprouting up and prevent them from getting sufficient water, nutrients, and sunlight. Some examples are Walker's low catmint, Majestic lilyturf, and creeping thyme to name a few.
In order to prepare beds for fall planting, a method known as "solarizing" can be used in the summer. It kills weeds and prevents future growth. The soil must first be tilled and raked to remove debris, then an 8-inch deep trench must be dug around the bed's perimeter, next a clear, thin sheet of plastic will be laid over the bed, with its edges placed in the trench and covered up with soil. After 4 to 6 weeks, this plastic can be removed, the soil fertilized, and used for planting.
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