After spending hours mowing, trimming, and planting to make your garden look beautiful and relaxing, the sight of weeds popping up can drive you crazy. If you’re struggling to get rid of these pesky intruders, here are some of the best methods to eliminate them for good.
Let us know if you’ve tried any of these tactics to keep unwanted guests out of your garden.
1. Use Baking Soda
Baking soda is a safe and effective way to keep weeds out of the cracks in your walkways and patios without introducing toxins into the environment. Simply sprinkle a few handfuls onto the walkway and sweep it into the cracks, as suggested by Reader’s Digest.
2. Salt Them Away
Bring a mixture of two parts water and one part salt to a boil. Pour the solution directly onto the weeds. Alternatively, you can sprinkle salt on the weeds growing in your pathway and spray a little water over them.
3. Give Them a Boozy Goodbye
Alcohol can be incredibly dehydrating (which might explain why you’re so thirsty after one too many drinks). This dehydrating effect works wonders for getting rid of weeds. Mix 1 ounce of vodka with 2 cups of water and a bit of dish soap. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and generously spritz the weeds. You’ll get the best results by spraying in the middle of the day when the sun is at its peak.
4. Add a Little Flavor
To tackle weeds, mix 1 cup of salt with 1 liter of vinegar, a few drops of dish soap, and some citrus oil. Spray the mixture directly onto the weeds.
5. Prevent Them from Sprouting
You can significantly hinder weed growth by sprinkling a bit of cornmeal. Cornmeal makes it difficult for weed seeds to germinate. While it won’t kill existing weeds, it’s an excellent preventative measure.
6. Smother the Pests
It may not sound particularly humane, but weeds that ruin your beautiful garden deserve what’s coming to them. To naturally eliminate weeds, cover the affected area with at least four sheets of newspaper. The paper blocks sunlight, preventing weeds from thriving. Weigh down the newspaper with a layer of mulch.
7. Grow a Healthy Lawn
One of the best ways to keep weeds at bay is by fertilizing your lawn. Thick, healthy grass takes up a lot of ground space, making it difficult for weeds to sprout, according to This Old House. But be careful: too much fertilizer (even natural ones) can damage your lawn.
8. Pull Weeds by Hand
It’s not the most fun task, but it’s certainly effective. The best way to get rid of weeds and keep them from taking over your garden is by pulling them out by hand. Catch them early. Use a sharp tool to pull out the entire weed (roots and all). Immediately reseed the area with grass to encourage lawn growth and crowd out any remaining weeds.
9. Boiling Water
It’s safe. It’s simple. It works. Just pour a pot of boiling water over a weed and watch it wilt and die.
