The growth of unwanted plants in the garden can of course be suppressed by using certain home remedies against weeds. Nowadays, more and more experienced gardeners and beginners in gardening would prefer to avoid dangerous herbicides. If you're 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 for children and pets. So you canannoying plants with home remedieskeep weeds in check in the lawn and garden beds without much effort.
How can you prevent damage to your garden using home remedies for weeds?
When it comes to effective methods to control weeds in the garden, it is advisable toUse gentle weed killers. Additionally, there are numerous options available to you before you would consider more extreme measures. This prevents the use of harmful herbicides in the immediate vicinity of useful garden plants. A disadvantage of using chemical weed killers is the risk of contaminating 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 eradication of beneficial insects and microbes. However, this microcosm beneath the soil surface isessential for soil health. Although modern chemical-based weedkillers are gentler than those of the past, they can still endanger people, animals, plants, garden soils and biodiversity. Instead of such an approach, you can use natural home remedies for weeds in beds or lawns to keep them away. Here are some suggestions that are suitable for such an approach.
Take preventive action and eliminate weeds yourself
The key to preventingWeeds in the gardenlies in taking preventative measures in a timely manner. For example, to prevent weed seeds from spreading so quickly, a natural solution is to pull down the weeds yourself. At first glance, this seems like tedious gardening work. However, doing this regularly by hand or with a lawnmower 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 grow back and attempt to bloom again, so it is not a permanent solution.
However, try to stay vigilant to keep track of what's going on in your garden. Invest a little extra time getting rid of weeds the old-fashioned way by pulling them by hand. 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 garden tool such as sharp trowels to loosen the roots of weeds from the soil. Only by pulling out a weed by the root can you ensure that it will not return.
Use cornmeal as a home remedy against weeds
It is important to note that homemade weed killers are generally non-selective solutions as they can also affect other vegetation in the area. In addition, repeated application may also change the soil conditions. For example, the effect of corn gluten is very similar to birth control on seeds. However, this can suppress weeds rather than destroy them. But if you use it correctly as a home remedy, corn gluten flour inhibits the formation of the first roots that sprout grass seeds after they germinate. To do this, you should consider the following factors and steps:
- It is best to only apply corn gluten when grass germination is occurring.
- Corn gluten meal should also be used during a dry period.
- It is an organic product that remains as a powder after grinding corn.
- 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 only after the plants are established.
- Simply spread the powder over the garden soil and water after application to help it penetrate better.
Treat weeds in garden beds with rubbing alcohol
As one of the most effective home remedies for weeds, the substance in rubbing alcohol removes moisture from the leaves of the weed. This can permanently eliminate 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 to a spray bottle as a solution for easier application.
- It is best to spray weeds on sunny days and aim directly at the relevant plants.
- Also make sure to keep the home remedy away from other garden plants.
Grow cover crops to combat weeds
You can also use the method known as “green manuring,” using cover crops to suppress weeds. This is best done in the fall season so that the seeds can grow during 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 and their nutrients are incorporated into the garden soil.
Although this is an agricultural practice, it can also work well in home gardens, especially in off-season vegetable gardens. Cover plants suitable for this come from the legume, grass and grain families. The best of these are winter wheat, certain types of clover and rye. Choosing native and easy-care plants usually contributes to the best results.
