Weed are unwanted plants that grow in your gardens and lawns, along with plants, and compete with them for nutrients. Sometimes our plants do not get sufficient nutrients from the soil because they are surrounded by a lot of weed. Weeds can grow rapidly with little sunlight. Soon they keep multiplying until they cover an entire section of your lawn. You’ve spent time and money keeping the lawn cut and trimmed, so what can you do?
Due to weeds growing in your garden, which is supposed to be filled with smooth green grass, begins to feel coarse and fuzzy. These are weeds that grow thick and as rampant as any other fast-growing plants in our gardens.
If you’re looking for ways to prevent weed growth, then check out our article, which will provide you some valuable tips on how to kills weeds and save the greenery of your beautiful garden grass.
What Product Kills Weed but Not Grass?
Herbicides, both commercial and homemade ones, are good for killing weeds. Choosing a conventional herbicide is important. Herbicides differ in composition; they all contain some key components which help to kill weeds but does not harm your garden’s grass.
In the market, you will find natural weed killer products; selective, non-selective, broad-spectrum weed killing products and many more.
- 4-D, MCPA, and Carfentrazon-ethyl are a few non-selective weed killers’ components that help to keep your grass and plants safe and kill weeds only. Broad-spectrum weed killers kill different types of fast-growing weeds, regardless of species and types.
- Other commercial weed killers which you will easily find in departmental stores include Gordon’s 652400 Speed Weed Killer, Monterey LG5518 Turflon Ester Weed Killer, Spectracide, etc.
What are Some of the Natural Ways to Kill Weed?
It is not always possible for many of you to rush to your departmental or local store to buy herbicide for your garden. Natural herbicides that are homemade can be quite effective as well. You can prepare them with little or no difficulty, but the process of making them can be slightly time-consuming.
Some of the few homemade environment-friendly herbicides are mentioned below:
Boiling Di-hydrogen Monoxide
Boiling di-hydrogen monoxide is highly effective in killing weeds. You need to carefully spray it over your garden weed. Di-hydrogen monoxide does not have any harmful effects and does not stay in the soil for long. It is fast and can kill any sort of weed instantly. You just have to be careful not to spray it over a large area of land. Since the chemical would be boiling, it can very well damage your crops.
Sodium Chloride Douse
Sodium chloride is the table salt that we use at our dining table or eat with regular food. I am sure sodium chloride or salt is available in every household. Salt is good for killing the weed. Firstly, you need to dissolve one part of sodium chloride into eight parts of water. The salt should be in diluted condition and not too concentrated. Next, add one part of soap water or liquid dish soap to the solution. Pour the mixture into a spraying bottle and spray it in the weed and its leaves.
You will soon see how effective the solution is for killing weeds without killing your grass. Remember to keep the dosage right. If your mixture gets too salty and concentrated, then there is a high possibility that it will end up damaging your soil.
Vinegar
Vinegar is another useful and commonly available household item and available in every grocery store or local market. Vinegar is acetic acid which you all probably already know. In industrial vinegar, the amount of acetic acid found in the bottle is 26% concentrated, which can be harmful to your eyes, skin, and nose. Thus, we suggest you use the household vinegar which consists of 6% acetic acid. Spraying vinegar in weed helps to kill them effectively and prevent its rapid growth rate.
Will Lighting a Fire Prevent Weed Growth in My Garden and Keep My Grass Safe?
We would advise you not to light a fire. A fire can spread quickly and eventually burn your entire garden. This will be detrimental for your crops, flowers, and entire lawn, as well as yourself. You might burn your hands or clothes in the process.
Although a fire can help burn weed and prevent long term growth of broad-spectrum weed in your garden, it is still unsafe. In case you do not have any herbicide at home or any of the other essential products that will act as a natural remedy to kill unwanted weed from your garden, we suggest you use a flame weeder.
A flame weeder is similar to a wand that is connected to a tank that consists of volatile compounds such as propane. You can put the flame weeder over your weed and kill them one by one. Using a flame weeder consistently will prove to be effective, but it can become a tedious task.
Can Corn Gluten Meal be Used as an Effective Weed Killer?
Corn gluten meal is a powdery substance, which is often produced during corn milling processes. Corn gluten meal helps to prevent the germination of weed seeds and thus helps unwanted plants from sprouting on your lawn. Many farmers use corn gluten meal to clean weed which covers a large area of land.
Since corn gluten prevents germination, it will protect other plants and crops that grow in your garden. Try to use this powder only when you have weed covering a large portion of your wall or a big section of your farm.
Will Planting Ground Cover Plants Help to Prevent Weed and Keep My Garden’s Plants Grass Safe?
Ground cover plants are usually planted to prevent drought and protects topsoil from erosion. Ground cover plants, as the name suggests, fill the ground and covers a large area of land. You can plant them as a substitute for grass on your lawn. Ground cover plants form a layer of vegetation below the herbaceous layer or shrub layer.
Planting ground cover plants are an excellent way to combat weed growth. These plants compete for sunlight, nutrients, water, and other necessary elements needed for plant growth. As they use up a vast amount of nutrients, weeds do not get their sufficient fill and die out. Also, ground cover plants have long roots that spread out, thus making it a difficult task for most weeds to find their way down into your flower bed’s ground.
Are Essential Oils Good for Reducing Weed? Do They Have Other Side Effects?
The essential oils are organic compounds obtained from various flowers, leaves, and naturally occurring components. Using only a single type of essential oil may not work on weeds. You need to use a combination of essential oils, along with vinegar to affect weed. They do not harm the grass or other crops if not sprayed too vigorously.
The essential oil of cloves, wintergreen, cinnamon, and oranges are great for killing the weed. You could extract these essential oils yourself or buy it from your local departmental store and mix them all. Add ¾ cups of vinegar to the mixture, as well as ¼ cup of any liquid soap you have at your home. The final mixture is effective and has long-lasting effects on weeds.
Can Mulching and Watering Plants Reduce Weed Growth?
Mulching involves adding compost, wood chips, dust, bark, and other dry materials around your plant. If you want to reduce weed growth only in a few particular areas, mulching would be a good option. You could apply mulch around flower pots near the base of your lawn. But it is not suitable if you plan on getting rid of weed which has grown all over your garden or lawn wall. For that purpose, you need to use herbicide or any of the homemade components for killing the weed.
Watering less or changing watering habits may not be a good idea either. Plants need water to photosynthesize and there is no guarantee that it will prevent weed growth, as some weed are persistent and can adapt to a changing environment.
Bottom Line
Now that you have read the article on how to kill weed without killing your grass, you sure have a better idea of which products and natural homemade components are good for killing weed and which ones are bad for your grass and other garden crops. Weeds are troublesome plants; they are persistent but not impossible to prevent. Hopefully, all your queries have been answered and you will have an easy time planting crops and farming in your garden all day long with ease, without worrying about weeds.
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