All homeowners want a yard fit to be published on the cover of ‘Architectural Digest’ or ‘Better Homes and Gardens’. A stunning yard is a thing of beauty and elegance. It’s a thing homeowners can take pride in and enjoy. However, one thing homewners gnash their teeth over is weeds.
No matter how pretty the flowers on the weeds, they choke off grass and real flowers. Their seeds spread by wind and on the clothing and shoes of those passing among them. They’re stubborn and hard to kill. Pulling them by hand is effective, but it plays havoc with the lower back. What’s a homeowner to do? We’re glad you asked.
A word about methods
Before you buy a spray bottle, make sure it has a stream as well as a spray mechanism. The natural weed killing recipes kill weeds, but some of them also kill the grass and flowers. Make sure you can zero in on pesky weeds. Always spray your weeds on a warm, sunny day.
Why natural weed killers work
The two main ingredients in natural weed killers are white vinegar and salt. Vinegar dries up the leaves and stems of weeds. Salt just kills everything organic. This is why it’s important to only aim your spray bottle at the weeds and not other plants.
Spraying areas not organic
Weeds need no fertilizing, no water, and they grow anywhere. When you want to clear your parking area, walkways, or patio, mix one gallon of white vinegar with one container of plain table salt. Shake well and spray. It will take several hours for the weeds to die, but die they will.
Boiling water
This is the simplest way to kill weeds. Pour the boiling water on the growth. Make sure it doesn’t splash back on you and burn you. The plant will absorb the water. The heat will kill the roots. You might have to repeat the procedure a couple times, but it works.
Vinegar and salt
Into your spray bottle, mix one cup of white vinegar, two teaspoons of plain table salt, and two to four drops of dishwashing liquid. The dishwashing liquid kind of glues the vinegar to the leaves and stems so they are dried out and die.
Newspaper
Newspaper began as an organic entity, so it won’t do any harm to the environment. Gather several newspapers or enough to lay down two layers of newsprint. Wet the soil in your garden very well. Then lay down two layers of newsprint over the weeds. Leave at least four to six inches of bare soil around your plants, so they aren’t covered with the newsprint.
Water the newspaper very well, so it won’t blow away in the wind. The last step is to put mulch on top of the newsprint to hold it down. In time, the newspapers will disintegrate to add nutrients to the soil. The weeds, however, will be cheated of sun and water and thus will die.
