Written by Jasper Boekelman and published on https://www.growgardener.com/
The worst part about weed control is that it never seems to stop. Once you remove one series of stubborn lawn invaders, a whole new fleet is ready to spring into action. So, what kills grass and weeds permanently without the need for pulling them loose week after week?
There are many excellent weed-killing solutions to choose from, though the key to mastering the absence of weeds comes down to consistency and utilizing numerous strategies. Another question you may be asking is, will vinegar kill grass and other weeds? Are there natural ways to rid your yard of weeds and invasive grass without damaging the lawn itself?
What Kills Grass and Weeds Permanently?
If you are into gardening, you know how important it is to kill grass and weeds to keep your garden safe and clean. It is especially important to kill grass and weeds permanently to keep them from growing back from time to time creating nothing short of a menace for you! When you are facing such a problem and happen to mention it at a gardening store, it is likely that the salesman will recommend some quick kill grass and weed killer in some chemical or pesticide format.
Needless to say however that it is going to cost you money. What’s more, if you use it once, it will become a recurring expense because the effect of such chemicals will wear off sooner than you can imagine. What then is the way to kill grass and weeds naturally you wonder? We are here with some easy to implement inexpensive solutions for you today. The first thing you need to know when you are planning to kill grass and weeds naturally is that you need to attack at the roots. This is the only way to kill grass and weeds permanently.
Best Ways to Kill Grass And Weed Naturally?
An effective and inexpensive method to kill grass and weeds that are just sprouting (if you are maintaining your garden or vegetation area regularly) is simply spreading salt onto them. You can also consider putting salt between your patio bricks or blocks if you find unwanted grass coming up between them. This is however effective right at the beginning when you notice that grass and weeds are just coming up.
However if the grass and weed problem is a recurring one, you need to do something effective to kill the grass and weeds permanently. For this, you can consider making a homemade weed killer. Let us tell you how you can go about making one. For this, you will need the following ingredients.
- 1 quart of vinegar – You can use the cheapest vinegar you can find for this purpose. You may want to pick up the vinegar from the cleaning aisle rather than the cooking aisle for it is fairly cheaper. Not just that, it has a higher acidic content that makes it more effective.
- 1/4th cup dish wash liquid – You need not stress about the brand or quality of this. Any leftover dish washing liquid at your kitchen sink will do. The purpose of using the dishwashing liquid is to break the surface tension of the vinegar, so it sticks to the weeds.
- A couple of cups of Epsom salt – While you can use regular table salt for kills grass and weeds permanently, you can use Epsom salt to make you grass and weed killer more effective.
- A spray bottle for application.
How to prepare your natural grass and weed killer
- Take the vinegar in a pan or a wok and heat it (it should not come to a point of boiling).
- Add the Epsom salt and whisk it up so that it completely dissolves.
- Let the mixture cool down to the point that it is still warm but cool enough for you to handle.
- Add the dish wash soap into the spray bottle and slowly pour in the vinegar mixture
Using your natural grass and weed killer
Wait for hot and dry weather to use your homemade natural grass and weed killer so that it the grass and weeds dry and wilt up within a few hours of application. When you spray this application, you will have to be a bit careful not to spray on the flowers or plants you want to save.
Within a few hours, these grass and weeds will wilt up within a few hours. All you have to do then is to uproot them manually. You may argue that it is still a lot of work, but it is certainly easier to do so when the grass and weed is dead, rather than the time it is live.
For best results, you may want to spray another fresh batch of this same liquid after 15 days or a month, depending on the extent of the problem. This should kill grass and weed permanently from your vegetation patch.
The good thing about using this homemade natural grass and weed killer, is the fact that it is not only inexpensive and effective, but it is natural and non-toxic as well.
Other methods to kill grass and weed naturally
Soil solarisation:
If you have a large vegetation patch where you need to kill grass and weed naturally before seeding, you can use the method of sun solarisation. As is evident, this method has to be implemented when the summer is at a peak. All you need to do is find or purchase a clear plastic sheet that will cover your vegetation patch entirely. Simply, cut the grass to a very short height an cover the grassy area with clear plastic. After about two months, the grass and weed will die permanently due to the increase in the temperature of the soil.
Mulching
Another way of killing grass and weed effectively is through mulching. Using organic mulch will smother the weeds even before they get a chance to grow. You can use anything from bark, compost, hay or straw or dried leaves for creating this organic mulch. Add a thick layer to the soil and leave it on for a while. Mulching is not only effective in killing grass and weed naturally, it will also make the soil fertile and rich in nutrients.
Boiling water
A temporary and a quick fix solution to weeding, is simply pouring hot water over it. However, do bear in mind that it is only a temporary solution and the grass and weed may regrow. Besides you will have to pour boiling water multiple times before the grass actually dies.
Organic weed killer
If you want a fast and effective solution to kill grass and weed naturally and are short of time, you may consider using an organic herbicide. Organic herbacides are mostly lemon or orange based and also serve the purpose of fertilization of soil.
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