Plants, gardens and flowers are the greatest addition to every home. Unfortunately, maintaining the greenery both in and outside the house can be such a nightmare, mostly because of weeds. They can grow in all shapes, sizes, varieties and vigor, and can appear either seasonally or through the year, so keep an eye out!
While some weed plants can be harmless, there are many that can be extremely aggressive and destructive to your plants and garden. Weeds, like dandelions, can also be a major contributor to allergies and aggravate preexisting health conditions like asthma. So those weeds have got to go, and these 7 tricks will help you do it in a jiffy!
1. Let the Water boil!
Who would have known that something as simple as boiling water can be so effective at removing weeds. As a matter of fact, using boiling water on your weeds is much more effective than store-bought packaged weed killers. Just think of it as cooking your weeds straight from the soil.
It’s a great way to kill those pesky weeds without much cost or effort. Just remember to be careful while pouring the boiling water, because it can have the same effect on your lovely plants as it does the weeds.
2. Leave Them Thirsty
On the other hand, another seemingly simple way of getting rid of your weeds is to simply deprive them of water. The best way to do that is through various forms of drip irrigation directly over the plants, and away from the weeds, or even implant soak hoses underneath the mulch of the plants.
Without water, germination of weed-seeds is heavily reduced. However, forms of drip irrigation beneath the mulch can be risky and lead to the growth of perennial weeds like nutsedge and bindweed. So keep an eye out for those growers, and make sure to pull them out.
3. A spoonful of Salt
Salt is a necessity in every kitchen. It has been used for various purposes throughout history, though I bet you don’t know it’s more nefarious uses. In fact, salting the earth is still considered a severe crime in several countries. The sole reason is because even just a pinch of salt can kill plants and makes the ground in the salted area unsuitable for future growth.
Of course, this means that if you’re using salt to get rid of your weeds, make sure your aim is precise. A small amount of salt effectively kills the plant and then is washed away without a trace by the next few bouts of rain. However, with large amounts of salt, the damage to the Earth can be so severe, it's considered a form of vandalism, so be very careful!
4. Wet means Pull, Dry means bring out the hoe
The wet seasons are the best time to equip yourself with gloves and tools necessary for pulling out the weeds. If you’re going after a big weed plant, you can use a fishtail weeder to pry up tap-rooted weeds, like dandelions.
During hot and dry seasons, pulling the weeds out directly will probably not be an option. However, by using a hoe, you can slice off the weeds just underneath the soil line. This will cause the remainder of the plant to dry up and expire. Steak cutters can also be used to slice the weeds.
5. Make some shade with newspaper
If killing the weed using boiling water, vinegar or salt isn’t your forte, the simplest way to stop nasty weeds from invading your pretty garden would be to lay newspapers on them.
Just cover up your unwanted weed plants with all the newspaper you can find. This essentially cuts off the plant's supply of sunlight, which will ensure that no further seeds will be able to sprout.
6. Off with its head
Removing tiny weeds, especially those with bigger roots, can be difficult and tedious. So for these stubborn plants, the only answer is: chop those heads off! Cutting the head of the unwanted plant reduces reseeding and forces the plant to to use up all of its stored energy, which isn’t great for its longevity.
Pruning tools can be used to easily “decapitate” your most severe weeds, and even slice off the thorny edges. Of course, there are many ways you can cut your weeds, which is a big advantage because the more you cut the plant, the lower the chances of the plant of reseeding.
7. Pour Some Vinegar
Vinegar is a common household product. Lucky for us, this easily available item can be used to kill even the most persistent weeds and in such an effective matter. Vinegar contains acetic acid which works at killing the leaves, while leaving the roots healthy and intact.
The downside of vinegar is that it only kills the leaves and not the root of the weed. That’s why vinegar works best on young weed plants because they do not have enough energy stored up in their roots to re-grow the leaves. In fact, frequent application of vinegar to bigger weeds can completely drain any and all of the stored energy in the plant roots, causing it to perish.
