Weeds are unwanted plants that often grow in outdoor gardens. Weeds prevent desirable plants from growing to their full potential. Luckily, there are various weed removal techniques you can use.
So, you can always get rid of weeds from your garden. Unfortunately, weeds grow back, even after being removed from the garden. But you can always prevent weeds from re-growing through various methods.
How to stop weeds from growing back again
Below, we will discuss some of the ways to prevent weeds from coming back to your garden.
Avoid tilling and cultivate with caution:
If you are a beginner, try as much as possible to avoid tilling your garden bed. Undoubtedly, tilling can boost healthy plant growth. But it often encourages weed growth. Usually, weed seeds live underneath the soil.
Tilling brings them closer to the surface; they germinate after several days. It is therefore important to cultivate with caution. Keep in mind that dormant weed seeds are lying underneath the soil.
Gardening professionals advise tilling only once when you are starting the garden. Doing this will prevent your weeds from coming back.
Use pre-emergent herbicides:
Using herbicides is a great way to eradicate weeds and prevent them from coming back. Applying pre-emergent herbicides is even better since it will prevent weeds from growing in your garden.
Consequently, you won’t have to deal with large weed beds. Always make sure you apply the pre-emergent herbicides before the weed seeds germinate for the best results. More often than not, pre-emergent herbicides work well with water.
So, after applying this chemical, make sure you spray water on top. Nonetheless, note that pre-emergent herbicides contain toxic chemicals that can harm your plants and lower the quality of your garden soil.
Mulch your garden bed:
Another way to prevent weeds from growing back is through mulching. Mulching entails covering the base of the plants with a mixture of sawdust, straw, among other organic components, to enrich the soil.
Covering your garden bed with mulch prevents penetration of sunlight into the weed plants. Subsequently, they become weaker and die. Also, mulching can prevent the germination of weed seeds. The layer of mulch should be at least 2 inches thick.
Of course, you can always create your own mulch or buy colored mulch mixture from your local garden store. Note that inorganic mulch lasts longer compared to organic mulch. But organic mulch is much healthier for plants.
Grow plants near each other:
You can also grow plants close to each other to prevent weed growth. The majority of weeds love growing in open spaces with bright sunlight. So, when you grow crops close to each other, you prevent sunlight from penetrating the weeds. Again, it would be best to use the block spacing method when planting your crops.
Get rid of hitchhikers:
In most instances, young plants from nurseries can bring weed seeds to your garden. Weed seeds can easily plant themselves in the soil and germinate after a few days.
When transplanting your crops, conduct a thorough evaluation. Check to see whether these plants are carrying any weed seeds. Remove any weed seeds or abnormal plants anytime you spot them. Failure to do so can hinder healthy plant growth.
Get to Pulling:
Professionals also advise continually pulling out weeds from your garden. Pulling out weeds helps you get rid of the entire plant system.
As a result, it reduces the chances of weeds growing back in the same location. Take time to pull out weeds from your garden at least once every week.
Note that the best time for weeding is after a rainy day when the soil is moist. Because the soil is loose at this time, you can easily pull out the weeds. Pull out the weeds from the roots gently and slowly to remove the entire weed.
Create a Drought:
You can get rid of weeds from your garden by creating a drought. Stop watering the garden bed for some time to deprive the weeds of moisture. Use a soaker hose to invest in a self watering planter to water desirable plants.
When you don’t water your weeds, you make them dry up, and they’ll eventually die. Nonetheless, creating droughts in your weed areas is not an effective weed removal method. This is because it does not stop weeds from stealing nutrients from plants.
Using cover crops:
If you want to stop weeds from coming back to your garden, consider using cover crops. Cover crops prevent sunlight from reaching the weeds. Hence, they prevent weed growth. A good example of a cover crop is clover. Plant cover crops in your garden beds and stop the weeds from taking over.
As a gardener, you should know how to get rid of weeds. Of course, weeds will always be in your garden. But knowing how to control them changes the game for you. There are a wide range of weed management techniques you can use to eliminate weeds today. Choose the one that best suits your requirements.
What kills grass and weeds permanently?
Are you trying to get rid of grass and weeds from your garden? It can be frustrating to kill grass and weeds, especially if you don’t know the right techniques to use. Luckily, there are many weed removal techniques you can use to clear your garden.
As mentioned earlier, there are several techniques you can use to kill weeds and grass in your garden. However, the challenge is often to kill them permanently. If you want to destroy your weeds and grass permanently, it would be best to target attacking the roots of the plants.
Once you destroy the roots of unwanted plants, the chances are low that they will grow back. Note that it is advisable to use nontoxic techniques for removing weeds.
If you have a large garden, you can start by spreading wet newspaper or cardboard across the garden bed to smother it. Doing this prevents light from getting to the weeds and grass. As a result, it makes it easier for you to dig or pull out the roots.
Can you kill weeds using vinegar, salt, and dawn dish soap?
You can eliminate weeds and grass from pavers and patio bocks using salt. All you have to do is sprinkle a good amount of salt directly onto the weeds and grass. An alternative to salt is dish soap and vinegar. All these substances work effectively at getting rid of weeds without damaging other plants.
Killing weeds using vinegar:
You can use any type of vinegar to get rid of grass and weeds. It is advisable to use the cheapest vinegar you can find. However, don’t buy cooking vinegar; cleaning vinegar is the best for removing weeds. The higher the level of acid in the vinegar, the better. Vinegar with higher quantities of acid will work faster in removing grass and weeds.
How does vinegar work? Vinegar takes up moisture from the weed plants. Thus, the weeds wither and eventually die. Thus, vinegar is an effective yet cheap weed killer. Besides, it contains nontoxic ingredients.
Consequently, it does not harm other plants. Nevertheless, you have to spray vinegar at midday or early afternoon. This weed killer works best when the temperatures are high. With vinegar, you may have to repeat the application to make sure all the weeds are dead.
Once you spray vinegar on your weeds, expect to see the results only after a few days. The weed plants automatically die after some time. When this happens, take time to pull the weeds off of the ground, lest they hinder healthy plant growth.
Pulling out dead weeds is much easier than pulling out live weeds. However, note that vinegar may not kill all weeds, especially if you are dealing with large and aggressive weeds. When pulling out the weeds, try as much as possible to begin at the roots. Pull the weeds gently and gradually to ensure the entire weed is out of the garden.
Killing weeds using salt:
Using salt to kill weeds is one of the cheapest weed removal techniques. You can either use unionized or iodized salt. Both deliver excellent functionality.
Dishwashing liquid:
You can also use dishwashing liquid to eliminate weeds and grass from your garden. Dishwashing liquid focuses on breaking the surface tension of the vinegar on the weeds. A few drops of dishwashing liquid is often enough. Also, note that you can use any type of dishwashing liquid.
Does bleach kill weeds permanently?
Contrary to popular belief, bleach is not an effective weed killer. Bleach can kill smaller weeds but may not work for large and aggressive weeds.
Besides, bleach destroys the quality of the soil. And you may not be able to plant again in that area for some time.
Generally, bleach is not eco-friendly. So, gardening experts discourage using bleach in your garden. Instead, if you want to use bleach, apply it to the weeds and grass on your pavers and patio areas.
Herbicides are effective weed killers
The best way to prevent weeds from growing is using herbicides. Herbicides are specially designed to kill weeds and prevent them from growing back. Using post-emergent and pre-emergent herbicides at the same time will keep your garden free from weeds.
Therefore, consider using these chemicals. Nevertheless, most herbicides contain toxic ingredients that can harm desirable plants. Therefore, it is always advisable to purchase nontoxic chemicals.
Top tips for preventing weeds from coming back
- Focus on destroying the root system of the weeds. Doing this destroys them permanently and prevents them from growing back. Start pulling out the weeds from the roots gently and gradually.
- Keep on mulching using the right inorganic/ organic mixtures. Mulching does not give weeds a chance to grow since they hinder the penetration of sunlight.
- Pull out weeds when the soil is wet. This way, it will be easier for you to get rid of the entire plant system.
- Grow your plants from seed and close to each other to prevent weeds from taking over the garden.
Conclusion
Weeds can be a nuisance in your garden. So, you have to find the best ways of removing these harmful plants from your garden. Nowadays, there is a broad spectrum of techniques you can use to stop weeds from coming back. However, before settling for a specific technique, carefully evaluate your requirements first.