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Tips On Chemical-Free Weed Control

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You may prefer not to use chemicals to control the weeds in your garden, especially if you have kids and pets or if you would like wildlife and birds to be safe in your outside space.  A good landscape gardening service will be able to accommodate these requirements. 

However, weeds tend to grow rapidly during the spring and summer months, and may need controlling between gardening service visits.  Here are some tips on how to control weeds without using chemicals.

Good old-fashioned weeding!

Pulling weeds out by hand is something of an art.  Shallow rooted weeds come up very easily, but those with long taproots, such as dandelions, can be extremely stubborn to shift.  If your lawn is blighted by these tough-to-shift weeds, invest in a dandelion puller from your local garden centre. 

This claw shaped tool is perfect for grasping, twisting, and removing taproot weeds in one simple movement.  You can make the job even quicker by watering the weeds thoroughly to soften the soil around them, making it much easier to lift the taproot out.

Suffocate ground covering weeds Weeds that tend to grow over the ground in a blanket of cover can be dealt with effectively by suffocating them.  To do this, simply place a thick layer of newspaper over the weeds and then cover the whole thing with a few centimetres of bark mulch.  This cuts off the sunlight and air and quickly kills the weeds.

Salt If you have weeds growing through your paving or gravelled areas, you could kill them off by using a dressing of rock salt.  Simply sprinkle a few handfuls of salt over the weeds and let nature do the rest.

Scald weeds with recycled water A very effective way of killing weeds is by scalding them with very hot water.  Try pouring leftover cooking water onto weeds that spring up through cracks in paving and gravel.  The scalding water trickles down to the weed's roots, effectively killing the plant.  Wait a day or so until the plant has shrivelled up before simply pulling it out of the ground by hand.

Crowd out weeds Weeds thrive in scantily planted areas.  You can effectively crowd out weeds by using decorative, ground covering plants that will gobble up all the nutrients in the soil and prevent sunlight from reaching those pesky weeds.  Ask your gardening services contractor for advice on the best species of weed-controlling ground cover to grow in your beds.

In conclusion

You can keep your garden weed-free between your gardening service company's regular visits without using chemical weed-killers by following the above tips.  Ask your landscape contractor for more information and advice about controlling garden weeds organically.


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