Nothing ruins a lawn quite like weeds. Not only are they unsightly to look at, but they are also very difficult to get rid of. Fortunately, there are ways to remove these invaders while leaving your lawn in good shape.
Apply Some Much: In short, mulch is simply a layer of materials applied to the surface of soil. By placing a layer of mulch on your yard, you can deprive weeds of the sunlight and oxygen needed for their growth.
Boil the Weeds: This might sound strange, but you can destroy persistent weeds by pouring boiling water on them. Aim for the crown of the weed; make sure you do this very carefully, since you don’t want any of the water to land on your body. Hitting a weed with boiling water will burn up the plant’s entire root system, making it impossible for the weed to grow back. However, you might have to try this approach a few times before you kill the weeds off for good.
Douse them with Vodka: Yes, vodka. This alcoholic beverage can be used to dry up weeds in your garden. Just make sure not to get it on the plants you actually want to keep! Simply pour an ounce of vodka into a spray bottle, followed by two cups of water. Add a few drops of dish soap to the mix and you’re good to go!
Add Some Newspaper to Your Mulch: Why newspaper? Because not only does it help prevent weeds from getting sunlight, it also has the added benefit of providing nutrients to the soil once it disintegrates.
Use Some Salt: It can be a bit risky to use salt to remove weeds, since salt is very bad for soil. On the other hand, salt water can be a very effective tool against these ugly and harmful intruders.
One option is to mix salt and water in a spray bottle at a ratio of one to two. If that fails to work, you always strengthen the mix by reversing the ratios, putting in twice as much salt as water.
Pull Them Up: It may take quite a lot of time, but if all else fails you can still get rid of weeds the old fashioned way – by pulling them up from the ground. A good tool for this job is known as (appropriately enough) a weed puller. This contraption will not only yank out the flowering part of the plant, but should also grab the root system as well, which will help ensure that the weed is gone for good.
Mow ‘em Down: If you don’t have the time to pull weeds out by hand, or simply don’t want the hassle, a shortcut for destroying these lawn-ruiners is to just mow them over. While this option won’t touch the plant’s root system, it will chop up the flowering portion visible above ground. If you catch them early enough, you can prevent these plants from spreading their seeds around, thereby stopping them dead in their tracks.
If you go this route, make sure to use a lawn mower with a basket attached. If you don’t trap the clippings in a bag, they will scatter across your lawn, which may actually allow the sliced up plant’s seeds to settle down in brand new locations.
Hit ‘em With Heat: Ever hear of a heat gun? No, it’s not a toy or a science fiction prop; it’s actually a sort of gardening tool that is designed to kill off weeds. Heat guns achieve this by immersing weeds in a blast of high temperatures, causing their leaves to wilt and crumble. With their leaves gone, these weeds can no longer absorb sunlight, meaning they’ll soon die off.
