Tips To Kill Dandelions And Other Weeds Organically
Sometimes it can feel like fighting a losing battle trying to keep your garden free of weeds. No sooner have you cleared a patch of dandelions away than they crop up somewhere else. It’s also especially difficult if you want to try and get rid of weeds without having to resort to any harmful chemicals or herbicides.
Check out our list of our favorite natural methods to help you keep your garden weed free.
Pull them out
One of the most effective – but also most labour intensive – method for removing dandelions and other weeds is the old fashioned way: by hand. This method is extra useful if you have weeds growing close to flower beds or plants you care about, as it allows you to get rid of the weed without damaging anything nearby.
To remove dandelions, make sure the soil has been watered and then cut into the soil with a garden spade and loosen the taproot, then pull the whole plant out of the ground.
Keep a thick lawn
A good method to stop weeds from being able to take root in your garden is to give them no room to grow. Keep your lawn thick by mowing it at a high setting and following a regular feeding program. This is great for keeping dandelions and similar weeds away from your lawn by taking away the space they need to grow in the first place.
Corn gluten meal
Corn gluten meal is a natural by-product of processing corn and has long been used not only as a fertilizer but also as a pre-emergent herbicide. If corn gluten meal is spread over your lawn both before and during growing season it will attack the seedlings and prevent them from taking root.
Salt
Who among us doesn’t have a stash of salt in our kitchen? Not only is it great for seasoning your food, but it can also be used for dealing with pesky dandelions. Simply spread some salt around the base of the dandelion and leave it for a few days, then return and remove the dead weed.
Newspaper
If you’re the kind of person who always has spare newspaper in your house, then this tip is for you. Cover an area of your lawn that is blighted by weeds with a layer of newspaper ten sheets thick. Make sure to dampen the newspaper to keep it in place then cover with a layer of mulch. The newspaper starves the weeds of daylight and stops them growing, and will eventually be absorbed into the soil along with the mulch
Hot water
When you next have some leftover hot water from boiling pasta or making some tea, don’t just pour it down the drain like you usually would. Instead, pour the water over any weeds you have growing through cracks or gaps on your driveway and walkway in your garden. The boiling water will scald and kill the weeds but cool down before it damages any other nearby plants.