Weeds are a problem every home owner has to deal with. They always seem to find a way to come back. Here are some idea on ways to keep within your budget when dealing with weeds.
Hand Tools
Many home owners want to hand dig up the weeds. By using just your fingers you will not be able to get all the roots. By not fully extracting the roots the weeds will regrow and possibly spread. If you want to remove them by hand you should use some type of hand tool. A small hand held shovel or hoe will work to help you scoop more of the root. This can be time consuming, but it will cost you little to nothing if you already own the tools. Be sure to wear gardening gloves to protect yourself from harm.
Hire a professional
By hiring a professional you can save the sweat from your brow. Outsourcing the job to an experienced lawn care company is simple and not too costly. They can come to your home and use their professional supplies to really get the job done right. When you hire a crew they will personalize your treatment and focus on removing the problem issues. This is a reliable and honest way to eliminate weeds.
Corn meal
By using corn meal you can so eliminate weeds. The corn meal will kill all seeds in the area. So, if you are also planting new grass, this is not going to be effective. You can find corn meal typically at your local grocery store.
Vinegar
Vinegar is probably in your kitchen pantry as you read this. Find an empty spray bottle and fill it with vinegar or a vinegar and water combination. Spray directly on the weeds you are desiring to remove. Make sure to get very close to the weeds as avoid spraying any other plants you want to stay alive. You would hate to accidently kill your vegetable or flower garden with vinegar. If the straight vinegar solution isn’t working try adding salt and some household dish soap. This trifecta works great!
Old newspaper
If you are planting a new garden and wanting to try to avoid weeds in the future then consider using newspaper or cardboard. If you don’t have any want until you get your next Prime delivery from Amazon. Save the box, remove all the tape you can and break the box down so it is flat. Worms will love this environment! When the paper or box starts to break down into compost it will attract worms. Worms can help create healthy soil environment for your garden.
Salt
While I mentioned adding salt to your vinegar, some people find using salt by itself the most effective. You will need to sprinkle the areas with salt and then hope for rain. Water will break down the salt and will allow it to start to work at breaking down the environment. It will damage the roots, which is the part of the weed you need to kill. The salt will mess with the water in the roots, that is how salt works in killing the weeds. It will work over time, but this is not the fastest solution.
Weed Torch
A weed torch is a tool used to warn the water into the weed and plant and therefore killing it. You want to use this tool on areas like your driveway and sidewalk. If you use it in the garden or grass it will also kill the area around the weeds. This is ideal for when you get weeds growing in the cracks around your driveway. Never use a weed torch on poison ivy or poison oak. The heat will make the poison release from the plant and it will get into your eyes and throat!
Landscaping fabric
When you are creating a new garden you should consider laying down landscaping fabric first. According to Bob Villa, using polypropylene or linen, woven landscape fabric is the most common weed barrier best suited for flower beds and areas around trees and shrubs. This is ideal if you are going to use rocks or pebbles for the garden. The weight of the rocks will help keep the fabric in place. However, you should consider also using stakes around the edges to have it stay in place. The fabric will block the sun from the weeds, creating an environment they cannot survive in.
Herbicides
Herbicides can be selective and non-selective. This means they have the ability to target specific types of plants. Non-selective will kill anything it touches. Selective is when it will kill certain types of weeds and not others. Glyphosate is extremely common. It’s found in products like ‘Round-up’. Most people consider this the most powerful weed killer on the market. While it’s effective you do need to be persistent. It needs to be reapplied every so often. Even when the weeds look dead you should reapply so that you are sure the roots are fully dead.
Bleach
I would consider using bleach as a last option. It is powerful and will cause harm not only to the weeds but the surrounding area too. The bleach will cause the pH levels to change, thus killing the weeds. Bleach is hazardous and can hurt humans. It should never be in contact with your skin, hair, clothing or being breathed in.