The thriving of unwanted plants in the garden can of course be suppressed by using certain home remedies against weeds. More and more experienced gardeners and novice gardeners these days would prefer not to use dangerous herbicides. If you are one of them, you can learn more about some of the most common chemical-free methods below. Try alternatives that are both more environmentally friendly and better suited to children and pets. So you can keep annoying plants in check with home remedies for weeds in the lawn and garden beds without much effort.
How can you prevent damage in the garden with home remedies against weeds?
When it comes to effective methods of controlling weeds in the garden, it is advisable to use gentle weed killers. Additionally, there are plenty of options available to you before you would consider more extreme measures. This prevents the use of harmful herbicides in close proximity to useful garden plants. A disadvantage of using chemical weed killers is the risk of contaminating the groundwater and causing damage to the garden soil in vegetable gardens.
There is ample scientific evidence that such chemicals remain in garden soil, which can lead to the extermination of beneficial insects and microbes. However, this microcosm below the soil surface is essential for soil health. Although modern chemical-based weed killers are gentler than those of yesteryear, they can still endanger people, animals, plants, garden soil and biodiversity. Instead of such an approach, you can use natural home remedies for weeds in the bed or on lawns to keep them away. Here are some suggestions that lend themselves to such an approach.
Act preventively and eliminate weeds yourself
The key to preventing weeds in the garden is to take preventive measures in a timely manner. For example, to prevent weed seeds from spreading so quickly, a natural solution is to tear down the weeds yourself. At first glance, this seems like a tedious gardening job. However, if you do this regularly by hand or with a lawn mower, you will keep weeds away from garden plants. However, it is also important to know that weeds with perennial roots cannot be eliminated in the long term by mowing once. Some of the annual plant varieties will certainly regrow and try to flower again, so it’s not a permanent solution.
However, try to stay alert to keep track of what’s going on in your yard. Spend a little more time getting rid of weeds the old-fashioned way, by hand-pulling them. In this case, it is advisable to put on gardening gloves to avoid accidentally transferring weed seeds to your garden beds. Otherwise, you can use any gardening tool, such as sharp trowels, to loosen the roots of weeds from the soil. It’s only when you pull out a weed by the root that you make sure it doesn’t come back.
Use cornmeal as a home remedy for weed control
It’s important to note that homemade weed killers are generally non-selective solutions, as they can also affect other crops in the area. In addition, the soil conditions may change with repeated use. For example, the effects of corn gluten are very similar to seed birth control. However, with this you can suppress weeds rather than destroy them. But if you use it correctly as a home remedy, corn gluten meal inhibits the formation of the first roots that sprout grass seeds after germination. To do this, you should consider the following factors and steps:
- It is best to apply corn gluten only when germination of the grass is occurring.
- Corn gluten meal should also be used during a dry period.
- It is a bio-product that remains as a powder after corn has been milled.
- Sprinkle the flour on exposed garden areas to prevent weed seeds from germinating and growing into plants.
- Corn gluten meal can also prevent other seeds from germinating, making its use in the vegetable garden worthwhile only after the plants are established.
- Simply spread the powder over the garden soil and water after application to help it penetrate.
Treat weeds in garden beds with rubbing alcohol
One of the most effective home remedies for weed control, the substance in rubbing alcohol draws moisture from the weed leaves. This can permanently get rid of the unwanted growths if you use the method correctly.
- First, dilute two tablespoons of rubbing alcohol in a liter of water.
- Then transfer the homemade weed killer solution to a spray bottle for easier application.
- It is best to spray weeds with it on sunny days and aim directly at the corresponding plants.
- Also make sure to keep the home remedy away from other garden plants.
Grow cover plants to control weeds
You can also use the method known as “green manure” using cover plants to suppress weeds. This is best done in the fall season to allow the seeds to grow through the winter. This strategy is similar to that of ground covers in their ability to reduce weed growth. Another benefit of this approach is improving soil health. When spring comes, these are plowed up or plowed under and the plants incorporated with their nutrients into the garden soil.
Although this is an agricultural practice, it can also work well in home gardens, especially off-season vegetable gardens. Cover plants suitable for this purpose come from the legume, grass and grain families. The best of these are winter wheat, certain types of clover, and rye. Opting for native and low-maintenance plants usually contributes to the best results.