(life123.com)
Our backyard is looking a little overgrown lately. The grass is fine but the weeds grow way too fast to keep at bay. Are you tired of trying to get rid of all those weeds without harsh chemicals? Try some of these ideas. I got this information from thedailygreen.com. Some I will have to try, others I have...
1. Master the Art of Weed-Pulling
The funny thing is I actually heard about this today while my son was watching a cartoon with bunnies called Max and Ruby. Completely logical, I guess I had just never thought about it before.
It sounds simple, but if you've ever tried it, you know that some weeds are much tougher to pull than others. Particularly dandelions and other weeds of the taproot variety have a mighty grip when you go to pull them. Try watering the area directly around the weed or pulling weeds after a rainstorm, when the ground is softer. Also, insert a knife blade, screwdriver, or "dandelion puller" alongside the deep root and pry it loose a little before pulling.
2. Pour Boiling Water On Them
I have tried this without much luck. I think it killed a few, but not many. If anyone had better luck, please let me know.
When I boil potatoes or pasta during the gardening season, I repurpose the boiling water by draining the pot directly onto the weeds that like to invade my backyard herb garden and patio. A splash of scalding water will shrivel even the toughest weeds in a couple of days.
3. Smother Them
I tried this as well with a tarp, but it didn't do any good. It just got worse. I guess I didn't have it completely sealed on the ground enough. I will have to try it again.
Cover low-growing weeds like clover and crabgrass with several layers of newspaper and eventually the lack of sunlight will exterminate them. Similarly, putting down layers of newspaper (remember, it's biodegradable) and then covering it with mulch is a highly effective way of keeping weeds from sprouting up in the first place and it helps to retain ground moisture.
Cover low-growing weeds like clover and crabgrass with several layers of newspaper and eventually the lack of sunlight will exterminate them. Similarly, putting down layers of newspaper (remember, it's biodegradable) and then covering it with mulch is a highly effective way of keeping weeds from sprouting up in the first place and it helps to retain ground moisture.
4. Salt Them
This sounds like a good idea if you can manage to keep it away from anything that you don't want to die.
I stock up on discounted rock salt at the end of the snowy season and sprinkle it on my gravel garden paths to keep weeds from coming up in the spring (pool salt or regular table salt works as well, but it's more expensive). Salt also makes a good weed barrier along lawn edgings and other places you can't reach with a lawn mower, but apply it carefully, since it will erode concrete surfaces and can leave the ground barren for a protracted period of time.
5. Divide and Conquer Them
This sounds like something you would need for large amounts of out of control weeds, not for a regular yard but it would definitely work.
Never underestimate the value of installing physical barriers like lawn edgings and retaining walls to keep unwanted weeds from invading your lawn or flower beds. Acting just like a fire-break, physical barriers are a long lasting solution for keeping weeds at bay. I make a simple – and cheap – lawn edging out of scraps of pressure treated decking lumbers, cutting it into 8-inch "pikes" and hammering them into the ground next to each other to form a continuous edging.
Never underestimate the value of installing physical barriers like lawn edgings and retaining walls to keep unwanted weeds from invading your lawn or flower beds. Acting just like a fire-break, physical barriers are a long lasting solution for keeping weeds at bay. I make a simple – and cheap – lawn edging out of scraps of pressure treated decking lumbers, cutting it into 8-inch "pikes" and hammering them into the ground next to each other to form a continuous edging.
6. Out Number Them
I guess we really should work on getting a nicer, thicker lawn and that might help solve our problem.
Gardening is all about a competition for resources, where the strongest not only survive but thrive. By choosing ground covers, flowers, and garden crops that will naturally out-compete weeds for sunlight, water, and soil nutrients, you can dramatically reduce the number of weeds you'll need to contend with. The same principle applies to controlling weeds in a lawn: by maintaining a thick, health lawn, the fewer weed-invaders you'll have.
Gardening is all about a competition for resources, where the strongest not only survive but thrive. By choosing ground covers, flowers, and garden crops that will naturally out-compete weeds for sunlight, water, and soil nutrients, you can dramatically reduce the number of weeds you'll need to contend with. The same principle applies to controlling weeds in a lawn: by maintaining a thick, health lawn, the fewer weed-invaders you'll have.
7. Pour Vinegar On Them
I will definitely be trying this out as soon as I can. Great advice to just use left-over pickle juice! Everything can be re-purposed if we look hard enough.
Douse weeds with vinegar or a mixture of half water/half vinegar (or better yet, the leftover vinegar from a jar of pickles) and they'll be DOA a few days later. This is a good method for exterminating weeds with long taproots, including dandelions, dock, and plantain.
8. Torch Them
Piro fans would love this method...i.e. not for me!
You don't need actually set weeds on fire to kill them; quickly running a flame over them will usually cause them to wilt and die within days. You can buy a propane powered flame-thrower type weed scorcher at garden supply stores designed specifically for this purpose, or just use a handheld blow torch, depending on the volume of weeds you're dealing with. Be careful though not to torch poison ivy, since coming in contact with its smoke can trigger an allergic reaction just like touching it.
You don't need actually set weeds on fire to kill them; quickly running a flame over them will usually cause them to wilt and die within days. You can buy a propane powered flame-thrower type weed scorcher at garden supply stores designed specifically for this purpose, or just use a handheld blow torch, depending on the volume of weeds you're dealing with. Be careful though not to torch poison ivy, since coming in contact with its smoke can trigger an allergic reaction just like touching it.
9. Eat Them
I was at a salad bar one day and after I was about half-way through the salad I realized that what I was eating looked exactly like some weeds in our yard I had just pulled. Needless to say I didn't finish, but I guess they didn't taste too bad.
Many so-called weeds are edible and/or have medicinal uses. The young greens of dandelions, dock, chicory and other common "weeds" can be eaten raw in salads or cooked like fresh spinach. Chicory root is often added to coffee to enhance its flavor. Pick up a copy of the classic wild-foods field guide Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons ($12 at amazon.com), and you may find yourself having weeds for dinner.
10. Learn to Love 'em
My little guy just loves the dandelions. He picks me the "flowers" on a regular basis. Maybe I should enroll him in the "appreciation society."
One man's weed is another man's rose. If you can't beat ‘em, maybe you should just join ‘em, and appreciate weeds for the beautiful wonders of nature they truly are. Many weeds are native plants that Mother Nature intended to thrive in your area – that's why can be so hard to kill. Learning to love weeds is just a matter of expanding your cultural horizons. For example, in Japan, moss is cultivated and prized for use in landscaping, while in the U.S. and elsewhere, moss is commonly eradicated with chemical pesticides. And check this out, there's even a Dandelion Appreciation Society.
One man's weed is another man's rose. If you can't beat ‘em, maybe you should just join ‘em, and appreciate weeds for the beautiful wonders of nature they truly are. Many weeds are native plants that Mother Nature intended to thrive in your area – that's why can be so hard to kill. Learning to love weeds is just a matter of expanding your cultural horizons. For example, in Japan, moss is cultivated and prized for use in landscaping, while in the U.S. and elsewhere, moss is commonly eradicated with chemical pesticides. And check this out, there's even a Dandelion Appreciation Society.
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