As a landscaper with over a decade of experience, I have spent a lot of time on my knees, weeding garden beds, driveways and sidewalks. I personally know how big of a pain by hand can be.
Weeding is one of the most important tasks to maintaining healthy lawns and gardens, but it isn’t easy. It’s time consuming, and never ending. Many people have turned to weed killers such as Roundup to ease their struggles. However with the growing concerns surrounding Roundup exposure, many people may want to opt for an alternative method.
In my experience, these 7 tips are the best ways to eliminate and prevent weeds without using Roundup or chemical based weedkillers.
Tip 1- Use a Hoe
In the modern age powertools are all the rage. Yet, when it comes to removing weeds around your precious flowers or shrubs, in the middle of your driveway, or lawn, weed eaters and other powertools just don’t make the cut.
Though hoes are often taken for granted they can save your knees and your back from long hours of work. The Warren or “Dutch hoe” is an excellent hoe for weeding. It is very similar to the paddle hoe, but has a triangle shaped head, excellent for removing difficult or deeply rooted weeds.
Another amazing, underappreciated hoe is the “Stirrup hoe”. This hoe has a stirrup shaped head which allows for removing wide tracts of weeds with ease.
Tip 2- Use a Torch
Have you ever wanted a reason to use a flamethrower? Haven’t we all? Well here ya’ go!
Here’s the deal, torches are an excellent (and fun) way to kill weeds. There are many handheld torches on the market, such as those offered by Red Dragon. With a quick pass over unwanted weeds, a torch will quickly handle your weed problem. Best of all this method of weeding also sterilizes any seeds which are around the treated area.
Tip 3- Use an Organic Weedkiller
Not all weed killers use synthetic chemicals. In fact there weed killers available on store shelves. Bear in mind that some of these weed killers work better than others when it comes to certain weeds.
There are many brands which produce organic weed killers, most of them use a strong vinegar or citric acid base. But I also have a weed killer solution you won’t want to miss.
Tip 4- Make Your Own Weed killer
One of the greatest weed killers I have ever used was one that anyone can made at home. One of my clients had a very large stone driveway.
And as you can imagine year after year I would weed it by hand, but one day I came to do some work in his gardens and saw all the weeds in the driveway were dead. I noticed a pump sprayer by the garage door, and assumed he broke down and decided to use Roundup.
This is crazy, when I asked him what he used. It wasn’t Roundup! He told me an old man gave him a recipe for homemade weed killer, and here is the recipe:
- Distilled White Vinegar 5% (2 Gallons)
- Epsom Salt (2 Cups)
- Dish Soap (1 Cup)
Simply mix in your favorite pump sprayer and apply liberally. For a one gallon container simply split the measurements in half. This recipe is very effective and will kill most weeds within 24 hours.
Tip 5- Do it the Old Fashioned Way
Of course, if all else fails, pull up the weeds by hand. You may want some knee pads, but it’s time well spent. Just be sure to get the roots so those pesky weeds don’t come back. Use a trowel or handheld hoe to help you win the battle.
But once you are done, use these next two tips to keep weeds away.
Tip 6- Mulch
Mulch isn’t just for aesthetics, it is also a strong preventative for weeds. Applying a thick layer of mulch will greatly reduce the number of weeds in your garden beds. You will still have to weed, but not nearly as often.
Tip 7- Use Corn Meal
Most people don’t know this but Corn gluten acts as a pre-emergent herbicide, and prevents new seeds from sprouting. Applying corn gluten after weeding can prevent you from having to re-weed your garden sooner than you have to.
What’s the Bottom Line?
As you can see there are many ways to eliminate, and prevent weeds from growing your lawn and garden without using synthetic chemicals.
Use any one or several of these techniques to eliminate weeds safely, and share your favorites with your friends!
Author Bio:
Douglas Dedrick is a professional landscaper and a writer in the fields of natural health, agriculture, and law. You can find more of his writing at HealingLaw.com