As a gardener, you could spend a lot of time and effort on nurturing your lawn. While helping it reach its optimum potential, on the dawn of your contentment, you notice the presence of weeds, which seem to be thriving. Weeds are not as friendly as they could disturb the growing process of your grass.

So in this article, I will tackle the techniques you must use to get rid of weeds naturally without killing grass. And this outstanding initiative can help you save more by using the resources you already have at home.

Pull the Weeds by Hand:

The fastest way to organic lawn care is to remove weeds by hand. The primary task at hand is to distinguish between your grass and the undesired plants. To make it easier, apply some water before you start to remove so that the soil becomes moistured. In this way, you are sure of a successful weed riddance initiative and if you remove by the roots.

When pulling by hand, take caution to not accidentally remove your grass as some may have their roots almost tangled. Although you can remove weeds by hand, you can also use a gardening tool. A gardening tool has the edge over pulling by hand as it also provides soil aeration.

Furthermore, do not leave the pulled weeds on the lawn. Instead, throw them in the trash or add them to your compost heap. Gradually, your lawn will become almost weed-free and undoubtedly easy to maintain.

Reseeding Your Lawn

Previously we explored the issue of lawn cultivation as something not to be done frequently. The prevalence of weeds is also a result of infrequent maintenance, so it’s best to keep it average. Lawn maintenance involves lawn mowing and providing necessary nutrients sited by soil testing.

When pulling by hand, take caution to not accidentally remove your grass as some may have their roots almost tangled. Although you can remove weeds by hand, you can also use a gardening tool. A gardening tool has the edge over pulling by hand as it also provides soil aeration.

Furthermore, do not leave the pulled weeds on the lawn. Instead, throw them in the trash or add them to your compost heap. Gradually, your lawn will become almost weed-free and undoubtedly easy to maintain.

Spray with Lemon juice

The sour juice you get from lemons is, without doubt, a natural acid killer for weeds. Simply squeeze the liquid into a spray bottle and spray directly on the undesired plants. Combining it with vinegar also derives a similar result. The protective layer gets stripped down, and the plant is exposed to burn.

You need not purchase unique ingredients on this one, just use those you have at home already. Caution is required while applying this mixture so as not to burn your grass. Some may dislike the concept due to the stinking nature of vinegar.

Cultivate the soil when necessary

While tilling your piece of land provides lawn aeration, there are some adverse effects to overdoing it. Weeds lie dormant in the soil, and they thrive at the first glimpse of sunlight. The chances of weeds appearing or germinating heighten when you dig up the ground.

The result of frequent cultivation is optimum growth for both the lawn and weeds. Digging the soil less is a safe weed killer as it prevents weeds from ever sprouting. In addition, no harm comes to the desired grass.

Apply corn gluten

Corn gluten stops seeds from germinating, weeds, and grass seeds alike. It has an oily coating that prevents weeds from developing roots. It is best to apply after your desired plant has sprouted and taken hold in the soil. Besides being a cheap by-product, corn gluten contains high nitrogen content, useful as a fertilizer for lawn growth.

However, corn gluten only tackles weed elimination before they can grow and is ineffective in handling already grown weeds. In addition, its application has to be regulated since too much nitrogen burns your lawn.

Cover weeds with cardboard or newspapers as mulch

Covering weeds with cardboard or newspaper solves the weed problem as lack of sunlight causes them to wither and die. The prerequisite is wet soil so that the damp newspaper or cardboard can easily stick and block sunlight penetration. Newspapers do not only stop weeds from thriving, but they also prevent weed seed from germinating.

Some resilient weed types may pierce through the fore mentioned material, so stack plenty when need be. Over time, the newspaper, being biodegradable, decomposes and adds fertilizer to the soil, a fruitful disposal method. On the other hand, it is harder to administer on individual weeds and easier for killing weeds on large potions. For a fact, place the covering properly for it to work since it can kill grass if placed over it.

Spray vinegar on the target portion

Vinegar contains an active ingredient, acetic acid, which can handle weed by dehydrating it in just a day. The 5% concentration in household vinegar is more powerful towards young weeds. You can either apply the household vinegar multiple times or purchase vinegar with a higher dose for the older ones.

Applying it on the weeds dries them from the top, continuously providing better results with time. This method may not kill weeds indefinitely, but it weakens the weeds making it easier for you to remove them. Vinegar is best suited for individually growing weeds as it is effective and non-selective, meaning it kills everything it touches.

Vinegar can serve the purpose of a natural weed killer that won’t kill grass in two ways. Your first option would be to cover the lawn, leave the weeds exposed, and spray them. A second alternative is covering the weeds instead with a soda plastic bottle open at the bottom. Gently spray into the bottle mouth and observe the results.

Mix vodka with water and soap

Although a bit expensive to spare, vodka mixed with water and soap dries out the unwanted plants off your lawn. An ounce of vodka mixed with 2 cups of water and a few drops of soap is the recommended dose. Since this mixture cannot tell the difference, take caution in applying so as not to dry out your lawn. In addition, the above mixture works best on sun-loving weeds and less efficiently on weeds that grow in shades.

Pour boiling water

Pouring boiling water on your weeds to kill them is easy, and you need not add any chemicals. Simply boil the water in a kettle and slowly pour directly on the weeds. Be careful not to burn yourself in the process. You can also increase the chances of getting rid of weeds by adding a tablespoon or two of table salt.

Although this method is instantly effective, the results are, however, temporary. Also, since boiling water kills from top to bottom, the roots will less likely be affected. Continuously applying to the weeds may be a solution, but be careful not to pour on the grass and the soil. Accidentally doing so will wither your plant. Also, water may prove a hazard to the soil if used for a prolonged time, so do with caution.

Spray Liquid dish detergent

The oily substance mixed with water may be a solution to your weed problems. It does not only kill the unwanted plants but also gives a shiny appearance to them. And this helps a lot in telling where you have and haven’t sprayed on your lawn. As a bonus, humans, and pets are free of harm from dish detergent.

On the other hand, however, dish detergent is needed in strong concentrations, but it is expensive. While it is the right tool for the job, bear in mind that applying it on grass kills it.

Apply Salt

Trusted and passed on from past generations, salt or chemically known sodium chloride is a relentless weed destroyer. It is applied directly onto the plant in its solid form or mixed with water and is readily available. Use table or rock salt because other salt brands like Epsom may add nutrients and cause weed growth.

Salt sucks out the moisture and nutrients from the plant it is placed onto. Also, a compelling mixture is derived from mixing some of the components, as mentioned above, to salt. Its relentless nature means it has to be applied directly; otherwise, it will kill your grass. Furthermore, if used in large quantities, it may run down to the soil and render it unusable.

Sprinkle Baking soda

Baking soda works like vinegar as it dries out a plant. Moisten your lawn first. Next, sprinkle a teaspoon of baking soda to weed plants on the leaves up to the soil surrounding the plants. This method is easier for weeds that exist on more extensive patches so as not to apply on your desired grass.

If you notice little progress, sprinkle some more baking soda in a month. Baking soda works as efficient on weeds as it does on grass, so take caution not to burn your lawn. It also works best on soils with average salt content than soils with higher ones.

Burn the weed down

The fastest and easiest routine to weed elimination is burning it down with the use of fire. If you noticed earlier, some of the methods, we looked at burn plants in their execution. You simply torch it down and get instant results.

While propane torch use is slowly becoming popular, it is difficult to focus on one weed plant. The chances you may burn up your lawn in the process are very high, especially for dry plants. Keep a garden hose nearby if you unexpectedly do so. Burning is also natural for weeds that appear in a concentrated pattern.

Let livestock handle it for you.

In the Western parts of the globe, the use of goats is slowly getting adopted in weed control. Studies have shown that this species prefers weeds to grass, so it starts with munching off the former. Some may also prefer chickens to make their weed killing for them as they also consume seeds.

However, it is difficult to control the animals as they may begin with consuming the lawn itself. If you choose to your livestock, eat the weeds, check whether you applied any chemical to the lawn. Some of the compounds may be harmful and result in the death of your goats or chickens.

FAQs

Are there any adverse effects of mixing, say vinegar, salt, lemon juice, and dish detergent?

Mixing the fore mentioned products provides a more robust solution as you exploit all the strengths of each component. Any negatives you would expect is by accidentally spilling on your lawn instead of the weeds.

Can I get rid of weeds on my lawn permanently?

Since weeds exist in the soil, it is hard to say they can get killed permanently after you have successfully destroyed any plant more lawn in the empty spaces to lessen the chances of weeds germination on that area. Making use of both options to outcompete and to remove any surviving weeds amounts to a beautiful lawn eventually.

Why is organic weed control for lawn is preferable than not a chemical way?

Organic lawn care is preferable because it doesn’t contain the toxic elements in chemical methods. Experimenting with organic techniques may prove unfruitful for some, but using chemicals can kill the lawn for good.

Conclusion

Overall, it’s best to combine components to kill weeds in your lawn successfully. The absence of toxic material means you have several chances to try them out to see which works for you. These may allow you and your kids to play on the lawn without worrying about being about affected by chemical components.

These organic weed control for lawn techniques won’t disappoint. So get rid of those unwanted plants on your lawn and add them to your compost heap. You’ll benefit on both, a good-looking lawn and an abundant supply of manure.