Weeds Out of Control? Vanquish Them Organically!

Weeds are every gardener’s biggest nightmare. It seems like no matter how hard you try, you can never get rid of the weeds that threaten to overtake your garden, your flower beds and your yard. While the quick and easy solution is to pour some harsh, poisonous chemical on the pesky weeds and move on with your day, easy is not always better. In fact, the easy way may make you very sick as well as your children and your pets. If you want to get rid of weeds without risking the health of your family, you need to consider organic weed control. At Greenwood Hardware, we understand the desire to eat food that isn’t laced with poisonous chemicals. Check out some of these tricks to keeping the weeds out of your garden, without risking chemical exposure.

Dawn Dish Soap and Vinegar

Yep, you read that right. Dawn dish soap mixed with vinegar in a sprayer can help you cut down your weeds. The properties in the soap suffocate the weeds without using any harsh chemicals. Mix 1 tablespoon of soap into a gallon of vinegar and spray on those pesky weeds. You should start to see the weeds dying back within a day or so. This method works best on young weeds. Large, tall weeds may not be quite as susceptible to this method and hand pulling is about your only option. You can skip the Dawn and add a tablespoon of lemon juice to create an acidic solution that will burn the weeds and effectively kill them.

Organic Herbicides

Fortunately, there are plenty of companies out there who recognize the desire to kill weeds without harming our families. You will find a variety of products that are safe to use here at your local hardware store. Each of the herbicides is designed to work in the same way. Actually, the vinegar method is the same, too. The solution destroys the waxy cuticle that protects the weeds’ roots. It is important you don’t get these organic herbicides on the plants, trees and flowers you are trying to grow. Use a small spray bottle for the best control over the spray. Do not spray on windy days.

Hoeing and Tilling

Of course, there is the old-fashioned way of using a hoe or a mini-tiller between rows of plants to get up all those pesky weeds. This is labor intensive, but it is one of the surest ways of getting rid of the weeds and their roots that threaten your plants. Invest in one of the rolling tillers that can be run along plants with ease. You won’t have to bend over or do anything more vigorous than push the tiller through the rows.

Hand Pulling

While this method is very labor intensive, it is effective and sometimes the only option when dealing with the weeds that pop up right next to your plants. Hoeing, tiling or herbicides are not an option because the plant is too close.

Weeding is one of those things that every gardener has come to accept. Staying on top of the weeds and doing a little everyday can help keep the small weeds from growing into large weeds that threaten to overtake an entire space. Head down to Greenwood Hardware and check out the variety of organic weed control options. You are sure to find one or several that will help keep your garden beautiful and weed-free. And if you have questions, we are here for you. Come on in, or contact us online.