We all get weeds in our gardens. Here are some natural ways to deal with them that does not involve herbicide, making your garden and environment a healthier place.
Natural weed spray
Here is a natural weed spray that can be made from home supplies, derived from Hometalk:
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon white vinegar
- 1 cup salt
- 1 tablespoon dish soap
Method:
- Mix the ingredients and pour into a spray bottle
- Spray weeds with mixture – get close and spray the whole plant. This works best on a dry, sunny day.
- 1-2 days later you will see the plant turn brown and die.
Eat the Weeds!
Some of the most nutritious plants are actually weeds! Here are some common garden weeds that you can enjoy eating instead of tossing:
Galinsoga
Chickweed
Dandelion
Dead Nettle
Bittercress
Lambsquarters
Purslane
Yellow Wood Sorrel
Learn about your soil from your weeds
The type of weeds in your garden can tell you a lot about your soil nutrients (or lack thereof).This is a helpful guide to use weeds to better understand your soil nutrients.
Picking and Composting
Did you know you can cut your weeds back and leave the roots? Leaving the roots in place protects soil and most plants will be damaged enough to not regenerate. You can drop the weeds right back into your garden bed or toss them into the compost bin.
Make sure to take care of your weeds before they go to seed and spread! Do not put them in the compost pile if they have seeded.
There are many great ways to manage your weeds without using harmful chemicals. Shifting your mindset to thinking of weeds as a tasty friend, rather than foe, is better for all!
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