Learn how to control weeds with natural weed killers that work - without chemicals!

 
Finding natural ways to fight weeds in your garden has become a growing interest amongst homeowners and gardeners alike. And with so many adverse side effects from using herbicides or chemicals to kill weeds, it's no wonder this is a trending topic!

Read on to find out why you should consider a natural weed killer over a chemical option and discover some natural ways to fight weeds in your garden.

Why choose a natural weed killer?

Although the herbicides or chemicals used to kill weeds are typically EPA approved, improper use, overuse, or unmonitored use can cause drastic and sometimes deathly occurrences - this is especially true when children or pets are likely to be in the area.

For example, touching herbicides, pesticides, or chemicals in your garden beds have been known to lead to skin rashes. While inhaling these chemicals can also lead to throat irritation.

In severe cases, close proximity to these weed killers has also been linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cancer, Alzheimer's Disease as well as congenital disabilities, and much more. Scientists have traced these instances back to common properties found in these chemicals such as 2,4-D, dicamba, and or glyphosate.

Additionally, homeowners and gardeners have been moving more towards natural weed killers or DIY weed killers because EPA-approved herbicides and pesticides are dangerous for the environment. Aside from contributing to air and water pollution, spraying these chemicals into the ground also causes soil pollution.

When soil becomes polluted, it can travel into waterways. This can negatively affect or even kill aquatic life. It can also cause danger to any nearby animals that may drink from that body of water.

It’s no wonder that homeowners and gardeners are turning away from herbicides and chemicals more and more when it comes to keeping weeds out of their gardens. Luckily, there are many alternate and successful ways to keep the weeds at bay while using organic methods.

Natural weed control

After choosing to stick to natural weed control and stay clear from herbicides and other chemicals in your garden, you may feel a bit overwhelmed on how to commit to this. But what's great about a DIY weed killer is that most of what you need is already sitting around your home.

Vinegar

Many homeowners already have a bottle of household vinegar or white vinegar in their homes for one reason or another. Now, you can make even more use of this by utilizing it for your garden!

As a natural herbicide, vinegar can be used on its own to keep weeds at bay. However, we suggest purchasing a spray bottle or pump sprayer so that you can more accurately spray the vinegar on the areas intended and avoid any nearby plants or vegetable gardens that may not need it.

Tip: make sure to use this on a day when no rain is expected. You don't want all your hard work to be washed away and have to do it all over again!

Boiling water

If you don't have vinegar, using boiling water is another safe bet to help get rid of unwanted plants! Just be extra careful as you take the pot outside and pour it out. You may need multiple trips with hot water for stubborn plants or weeds.

Herbicidal soap

Creating a natural herbicidal soap is a great homemade weed killer spray that some homeowners and gardeners like to use. With equal parts vinegar and dish soap, this concoction has proven highly effective.

To make it easier, consider putting the mixture in spray bottles or pump sprayers.

Note: Some homemade weed killer recipes make use of table salt in addition to vinegar and dish soap. While it is true that salt can effectively aid in eliminating weeds, salt can linger in the soil, making it unsuitable for plants for a substantial period of time. If you do elect to use salt, do so sparingly.

Mulching

While mulching may not technically qualify as a homemade weed killer, it can still be an effective, natural method! As a homeowner or gardener, you're likely to have mulch already on hand, which makes this option easy and more accessible.

Just apply up to a two to four-inch layer of mulch around your plants so that you're able to suffocate any optimistic weeds. And when utilizing mulch, make it worth your while by getting an organic one so that you can help your garden thrive without weeds even better.

Don't have organic mulch on hand? That's okay! Mulch is defined as anything that can cover or smother weeds, which means that organic mulch is only one option. You can also consider using other mulching techniques such as newspapers, ground covers, or things like a landscape fabric.

Smothering weeds: Newspapers, trash bags, and cardboard

Like all plants, weeds need sunlight to grow. Fortunately, you can use that fact to your advantage by depriving them of sunlight with a number of different methods.

Newspapers. With newspapers, all you'll need to do is get a thick stack of them all laid out. First, remove any existing weeds and then make sure to wet the soil that they grew from. After that, lay out the newspapers and soak the area again before considering your job done. You can then cover the newspaper with a layer of dirt or mulch to help it stay in place and hide the pages from sight. 

The newspaper effectively smothers weeds, denying them the light they need to grow. The best part is that the newspaper will easily degrade over time on its own, eventually becoming part of the soil itself. 

Tarps or trash bags. If you're short on newspaper, black plastic trash bags or tarps can work, too. Simply cover the individual weeds or the desired area with the bag and fix it in place. Make sure that the plastic isn't too thin, however, and be thorough in your coverage - you don't want even a small sliver of light to get in. 

Of course, the obvious downside to plastic bags or tarps is that they won't degrade over time on their own (well at least not in our lifetime). After the weeds have died off, you'll need to collect the bags and store or dispose of them properly. 

Cardboard. Lastly, you can use cardboard to cover and smother unwanted weeds in your yard or garden. Unlike newspapers, there is no need to wet the cardboard - simply cover the desired areas and fix it in place. If you have leftover boxes from your online shopping deliveries, they can be perfect for this purpose!

If you use a flat piece of cardboard, you can cover it with soil just as you would with a newspaper as cardboard will eventually degrade.

Ground covers

While ground covers may cost more upfront, these are a great option for natural weed control. It also fills up your garden and makes it (and your home) more beautiful to the eye!

While any plant that can grow over an area of the ground is considered a ground cover, there are some genuinely appealing low-maintenance options. Honeysuckles, Heucheras, and even the Creeping Phlox work well as ground cover plants.

Another type of ground cover to consider is cover crops. While cover crops like the Hairy vetch or buckwheat are mainly used to fight all types of weeds, other cover crops are used for more extensive issues like nitrogen promotion or pest control. Be sure to do some research on which may be best for you!

All in all, ground covers work like mulch in that they keep out the sunlight and prevent weeds from getting the opportunity to grow or sprout up in your garden. An added benefit to ground covers is that they also protect your topsoil from things like erosion and drought.

Landscape fabric

While in the past, some landscape fabrics were not so eco-friendly, most of today’s products are highly effective and also good for the environment.

When choosing a landscape fabric to keep out weeds, you'll want to focus on one that lets air and water through efficiently. You’ll also want to choose a fabric that can be used in areas that won't require too many modifications to the fabric itself (long plant beds, for example.)

Other natural ways to fight weeds

If none of the above ways sound appealing, there are still more natural ways to fight weeds!

By hand

Tackling weed growth by hand is a time-consuming option for homeowners. However, gardeners who like to get their hands dirty or enjoy spending as much time as they can in their gardens may appreciate this old-fashioned method!

All you'll need for this task is a pair of gloves specific for weeding so that you don't accidentally bring any weed seeds into other plants you may handle. To make the job easier, consider utilizing tools such as a claw, dandelion weeder, or sharp trowel to help you unearth the weed from the soil easier.

When using this method, you'll want to take every measure you can to make sure that you've dug up the weed in its entirety (i.e., from the root). That’s the only way to ensure that new weeds do not grow.

Flame torch aka flame weeder

Flame torch, aka flame weeders, use propane flames to remove the water inside the cells of a weed/plant, which then forces the weed to die by drying out the cell and causing it to explode. While this method may require some practice, it's another effective method of natural weed control.

You'll want to do this on a non-windy day and stay away from drought-prone areas. You'll also want to use extreme caution as anything flammable or producing such heat can be disastrous when not operated with care. It may seem obvious, but never use a flame weeder to burn weeds in your yard or gardens that are right next to your house or any other structure. 

Make sure you check with your local authority (such as the county fire department or sheriff) to ensure your area is not currently in a burn ban. You can also check with the Storm Prediction Center to see current fire weather outlooks. These maps assign a level of fire risk based on conditions such as low humidity and high winds. 

Solarizing

If you're interested in the method of using heat to address weed growth, but you are not comfortable with using a torch, solarizing may be an option for you! With solarizing, you use the heat of the sun to help you naturally kill your weeds.

This weed-killing option is best used during high heat times (such as summer periods). To get started, you’ll lay out a thin clear plastic across areas of your garden currently populated by weeds for up to 4-6 weeks and let the sun do its job. When the sun heats the ground, it drys out the weeds’ moisture, subsequently killing it.

With so many options to make natural weed control accessible to homeowners or gardeners like yourself, giving up toxic herbicides, pesticides or chemicals can be an easy transition. Whether you do it by hand or use any of the natural weed killer options listed above, you'll feel at peace knowing that your garden is tended to and that it's safe to have your children and/or pets in close proximity.

Corn gluten meal: A natural weed killing myth?

When searching for home remedies or DIY solutions of any kind, it never fails that you happen upon some methods considered to be controversial by experts. Although many people consider corn gluten meal to be an effective weed prevention solution when added to soil before weeds have had a chance to sprout, the science isn't necessarily settled.

Corn gluten meal was first discovered accidentally during research at Iowa State University. In the study, the researchers found that when the meal was added to soil, it prevented grass seeds from sprouting, as well as the seeds of common weeds. 

However, when the same study was attempted by researchers at Oregon State University, no such result was able to be replicated. In fact, because corn gluten meal contains nitrogen, it actually seemed to encouraged the growth of weeds! 

After the study, researchers admitted that they were not quite certain why the commercial corn gluten meal they used did not have the desired weed-preventing effect. Tom Cook, researcher and turf grass specialist from OSU, hypothesized that perhaps the product had a short shelf life. Unfortunately, more research is needed to be certain of any of it. 

Still, you can find commercially available corn gluten meal products at nurseries and home improvement stores across the country, all claiming to be effective and natural weed control products. 

Despite the uncertainty surrounding corn gluten meal, we've provided you with plenty other natural weed killer solutions for you to put to the test in your own garden this spring!



For 125 years, Germania Insurance has served Texans from our home office in Brenham - the heart of Texas Bluebonnet Country! For more information about Germania and our insurance products, request a free quote online, or reach out to your local Germania Authorized Agent today!