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When everything is green and blooming in the garden, you could enjoy the fruits of your labor if it weren't for the annoying weeds. It does not stop at flower beds and lawns, nor at joints between pavement or terrace slabs. But there is no garden without weeds. These plants are often very vigorous, which often makes removal difficult. One or the other home remedy can be very helpful in controlling these weeds.

vinegar, salt

Many people swear by salt and vinegar or vinegar-based cleaners when it comes to weed control. Make a solution of 1 part salt to 5 parts hot water and pour it over the weeds. The salt contained in the water draws moisture from the weeds, causing them to dry up and eventually die.

After about a week, the treated plants will have withered and can be removed. Bullrich salt from the pharmacy is often used instead of normal table salt. To make a similar vinegar solution, mix 15 parts water with 1 part vinegar and spray on the weeds. Commercially available vinegar cleaner is often applied directly to the plants, after which they die.

The use of home remedies such as salt and vinegar or vinegar-based cleaners can be very effective, but they should be used with caution, because they are considered pesticides by law and their use on non-gardening or sealed open spaces such as squares, driveways, paving and sidewalks around around the house is prohibited by law. Even if the use in the garden on beds, meadows or lawns is not expressly forbidden, it is not recommended there either.

This is because there is an increased concentration of these substances in the soil, which, if at all, can only be broken down with difficulty and only over a very long period of time. Vinegar acidifies the soil, while salt increases the salinity in the soil enough to kill microorganisms living in the soil and soon the effects can be felt in surrounding crops and ornamental plants.

In addition, the groundwater is polluted, which in turn leads to problems in the sewage system and sewage treatment plants. Even if it is relatively convenient to use vinegar, vinegar cleaner or salt to combat weeds, you should avoid it if possible, because there are other alternatives or home remedies that can be used to destroy weeds in the long term and which pose no risk to people or the environment .

weed weed

The best and most promising method of destroying weeds thoroughly and permanently is regular weeding. Depending on the type of weed, this can be very energy-consuming and time-consuming, but it is a lot more environmentally friendly than salt and vinegar. It is best to start weeding early in the year to keep it within limits later on. You should know that there are seed and root weeds.

Seed herbs include, for example, shepherd's purse, sow thistle, wood sorrel and knotweed. Root weeds such as ground elder, thistles, horsetail, dandelion, couch grass, white clover, bugle and stinging nettles are much more stubborn. They form dense underground root networks, stolons or taproots that overwinter in the ground, making permanent removal difficult.

  • Seed weeds have a rather weak root system
  • they should be plucked out before flowering
  • this prevents these plants from seeding and spreading
  • it allows permanent removal
  • at the time of weeding, the soil should be moist to wet
  • moist soil is looser, weeds are easier to pull out
  • Root weeds are more difficult to get rid of
  • this is due to their dense root webs or taproots
  • always remove the entire root of root weeds
  • Remnants of roots left in the ground will sprout again
  • loosen the damp soil beforehand with a rake, garden claw or hoe
  • Be sure to water dry soil first
  • then grab the plant close to the ground and gently pull it out
  • do not tear off the above-ground parts of the plant under any circumstances
  • Remove weeds with deep taproots with a root weeder
  • stick the root digger into the ground next to the plant and shake it back and forth several times
  • If the soil is loose, carefully pull out the weeds and their roots
  • difficult to remove plantain, goutweed, stinging nettles and field thistles
  • permanent removal only possible by excavating large areas
  • Remove unwanted vegetation between the paving and paving slabs with a joint scraper

Removed, non-flowering weeds can be left on the ground in the sunshine, causing them to dry up and decompose, returning to the soil as organic matter. No matter how careful you are, there is no guarantee that unwanted weed growth will not return next year. However, it should then be much smaller, and if you then stay on the ball, it can be kept well in check in the future.

Tip: The most important thing when weeding weeds is a thorough and careful approach. The fewer root residues left in the soil, the fewer weeds can grow back.

potato water

Another recommended home remedy for weeds of any kind is unsalted potato, rice or pasta water. Its effectiveness is based on the starch contained in the cooking water. There is nothing to consider when using it, you simply pour the hot water over the plants. The starch clogs the so-called stomata (pores in the lower epidermis of the plants), causing them to die. Presumably, pure boiling water without starch would have a similar effect.

The dead plant remains then only have to be removed. However, the whole thing is not very sustainable and must also be repeated regularly. In addition, depending on the area to be treated, water consumption can be relatively high. This home remedy can be used wherever there are no other plants, e.g. flowers, vegetable plants or ornamental trees. It is particularly effective on paving stones and in joints, but be careful, the hot water can cause damage on sensitive substrates. It is therefore always better to test in a place that is not immediately visible.

Tip: Adding soft soap to this starchy water can increase its effectiveness.

nettle manure

Anyone who owns a garden usually also has nettles, which can be used as a very effective and versatile natural remedy against weeds. Not only can they be used to make a good fertilizer and an effective spray against aphids and whiteflies. Various types of weeds can be controlled with liquid manure from these plants, which actually also belong to weeds. This manure is very easy to make.

  • you need about 1 kg of fresh nettles, 10 liters of water and a large container
  • Roughly chop the stinging nettles, place in the container and pour over the water
  • then cover the container
  • let the whole thing ferment in a sunny spot for about two weeks
  • when fermenting, an extremely unpleasant, acrid odor develops
  • on the other hand, primary rock flour, which is mixed in when preparing the liquid manure, helps
  • Primary rock flour neutralizes unpleasant odours
  • about 500 rock dust is sufficient for this quantity
  • stir the mass once a day
  • after about two weeks the liquid manure is ready
  • it can be poured over the unwanted herbs
  • best given undiluted
  • is also very effective in a diluted form (1:10).

The manure is poured or sprayed directly over the leaves of the weeds. The acid it contains burns the leaves and damages the plants so badly that they eventually die. In order to combat or destroy them permanently, the treatment must be repeated several times.

Tip: When using stinging nettle manure, garden owners with their own garden or drinking water well should ensure that no manure is spread within a radius of approx. 10 m around the well. Otherwise foreign matter could get into the water and contaminate it.

flaming

Another environmentally friendly and non-toxic home remedy for weed control is the gas burner, which is used to burn the plants. Due to the high temperatures, the proteins in the cells of the plants coagulate. In this way, above all, the above-ground parts of the plant can be destroyed. However, the roots are largely spared and will sprout again after a certain time, so that the whole thing has to be repeated regularly.

This method of controlling weeds should only be used on paved surfaces such as patios, driveways and sidewalks. A dry and windless day should be chosen for the implementation and the affected area should first be freed from dry twigs and leaves with a broom. After flaming, the burned remains can be removed with a broom.

high pressure cleaner

If available, a pressure washer can also be a very effective tool for controlling weeds. Its use is particularly useful on sealed surfaces, with a high-pressure cleaner being particularly suitable for removing moss coverings. But weeds can also be pulled out of the joints or flushed with it. However, the joints are severely washed out in the process, so that they then have to be filled up again with suitable joint material.

You have to go over the joints several times with the water jet. To avoid washing out too much, the angle of impact of the water should be about 45 degrees. After that, even weeds with slightly longer and stronger roots can be easily pulled out. Smaller grasses are usually washed out with it. This form of weed removal usually only makes sense if you own a pressure washer and don't have to buy it or rent it for a fee.

baking powder

Like salt and vinegar, baking soda can be found in every normal household, where it serves well in many ways. So it should also be a good home remedy for weed growth and without any side effects. It is administered via the irrigation water. Mix 2-3 sachets of baking soda with 5 liters of water. To increase the effect, choose a sunny day. The water evaporates and the baking soda can do its job. The application must be repeated several times until lasting success is achieved.

Cover weeds with foil

Light and sun are essential for plants to thrive, as are weeds. If the supply of light is interrupted, photosynthesis no longer takes place, they can no longer grow and eventually die. A home remedy that is ideal for this is foil, a perfect alternative to chemical weed killers.

  • Foil should be dark and opaque
  • first cut the foil to the correct size
  • then spread over the weeds
  • Weeds must be completely covered with this film
  • weigh down with stones or earth in different places
  • completely cover the outer edge with soil

Now the foil should remain in place for as long as possible, because even if the first weeds have apparently died after about two weeks, the area is far from being weed-free. The best results are usually only achieved if the area is completely covered and left to rest for at least 1-1.5 years. After this time, all roots are removed so that new plants can be planted.

Tip: This form of weed killing is best suited for areas that you can do without for a while, because the best results only appear here after a longer period of time.

prevent weed growth

Prevention is the best and most effective way of preventing weed growth from occurring in the first place or at least being able to keep it within limits. For example, a weed fleece can be incorporated across the board when laying out a new bed. A black mulch fleece is also suitable for vegetable beds that is provided with cross slots into which the vegetable plants are inserted.

Another preventive measure is to apply a thick layer of bark mulch or wood chips to discourage weed growth. However, mulch has the property of withdrawing nutrients from the soil, especially nitrogen, which then has to be resupplied by appropriate fertilization. Ground cover plants such as creeping spindle, Ysander or elfin flower can also inhibit or even prevent the growth of weeds.

On sidewalks and terraces, it can be prevented by regular sweeping, with the young shoots being removed again and again. Flower beds can be protected by providing them with a border, for example.

When disposing of the weeds, you should make sure that root weeds are only allowed on the compost if their roots have dried up completely and cannot grow back. Seed weeds should better be disposed of in household waste and not on the compost. Household remedies such as salt and vinegar can be safely dispensed with.

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Garden maintenance