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It’s the classic gardener’s dilemma—you want nice, fertile soil for your plants to grow, but it never fails that weeds shoot up right alongside your precious sprouts. Weeds are arguably the most prevalent garden nuisances, and they will single-handedly destroy your plants unless you take swift action to rectify the situation.
If your plan is to cultivate an organic garden, then harmful pesticides are simply not an option. Luckily, there are other ways to win the war on weeds without using chemicals.
Control Weeds with Physical Barriers
The best way to keep weeds out of your garden is to use some form of weed barrier. Weed barriers prevent weeds from growing and will help you keep your precious flowers from being suffocated.
A popular weed barrier is landscape fabric. It’s a biodegradable sheet you can cut to fit your garden’s space. Stretch it over the length of your garden and slit holes to guide your plants carefully through the material. Then, use a rake to smooth the fabric. This creates a physical barrier that blocks weeds from sprouting while maintaining the integrity of your plants.
Another commonly used weed barrier is mulch. Select organic mulch and add it to your garden very cautiously to prevent your plants from harm. As you spread the much, remove any rocks, debris, or weeds you discover along the way.
Till Your Garden’s Soil to Protect against Weeds
Tilling your garden is a necessity for healthy plants. Till early and often to encourage your seeds to sprout. This will also properly oxygenate your soil. After tilling, water thoroughly to give your seeds a good foundation for sprouting.
Keep a close eye on your garden for the next few weeks as you wait for your plants to sprout. Then, once they do, use a good garden rake to extract any weed roots you find growing near your new seedlings. Till again at this point – but this time, do it more gently, taking care to keep your digging shallow.
Home Remedies for Weed Infestation
Boiling water kills plant life. It’s also an effective tool to fight weeds – if you’re extremely careful. Pour boiling water directly on the weed to kill the roots and eliminate the weed from your garden. Use extreme caution, however. If you get the water anywhere near your plants, you risk killing them, too.
Vinegar is another great alternative to harmful chemical weed killers. Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spray the weeds in your garden. This will kill them at the root as well, but similar to boiling water, use great care. Vinegar can kill your plants if you get it anywhere near them.
It is possible to win the battle against weeds without resorting to chemicals. Perseverance and vigilance are your main weapons, so check your garden every day and remove weeds before they grow out of control. In time, you will have a beautiful weed-free garden to show for all of your efforts.
