Organic Weed Killer: Get to the Root of the Problem
Organic weed killers can help rid your lawn of weeds without the potentially harmful side effects of herbicides.
Ward Off Weeds with Organic Weed Killer
Quackgrass. Bentgrass. Dandelions. Crabgrass. These are the awful sounds of… weeds! (Insert gasp here.) Weeds have a surefire way of invading your lawn, and the typical cure is herbicide. But herbicide often contains toxic chemicals that can wreak havoc on your lawn later down the road, not to mention their harmful effects on the environment. While organic weed killer methods are not quite as effective as synthetic ones, you will have peace of mind that you’re eradicating weeds the healthy way.
Aside from organic herbicides, there are other popular practices of organic lawn weed killer, including mulching, soil solarization and cultivation. But first let’s define the meaning of weeds. In short, weeds are unwanted plants. What makes them unwelcome is they compete with the healthy plants and grass in our lawns for sunlight, nutrients and water. Weeds spread quickly throughout a lawn, as well as yield an ample amount of seed, which is why they are often difficult to kill.
Some weeds can be poisonous or thorny, while others are not harmful but purely unattractive. In fact, some weeds are used for medicinal purposes and provide shelter and food for certain organisms. But if all you want to do is stop weed growth in your lawn with organic weed killer, read about the aforementioned methods of destroying weeds the natural way.
Mulching
If you consider yourself a diehard organic gardener, organic mulch is a reasonably effective organic weed killer. Laying mulch made up of organic matter (i.e. wood chips, leaves, grass clippings and straw) prevents weed growth by keeping out sunlight that helps seeds to germinate. If you decide to lay organic mulch, a sufficient amount is approximately 2-4 inches, and it must be replenished on a regular basis since the organic material will eventually break down.
Soil Solarization
Soil solarization is an organic weed killer; it seizes the sun’s radiant heat energy when transparent polyethylene plastic is placed on moist soil in the summer months. The heat produced from this process produces a biological, physical and chemical change to the soil, and is lethal to numerous weed seeds and seedlings.
Cultivation
The process of cultivation utilizes equipment to uproot weeds and get rid of them, thus being an organic lawn weed killer. Most homeowners use a hoe or something comparable to cultivate weeds. It’s important to note that cultivation is best when the weather is hot, the weeds are small, and the soil is dry.
