“A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows.”
— Doug Larson, columnist
Pulling weeds, AND their roots, is by far the most reliable solution to getting rid of those unwanted infiltrators. If the roots snap off in the ground, unsightly weeds will return even stronger to haunt us almost before we can say Jack Sprat. Unfortunately, not all of us can continually jeopardize bending our backs and joints, which goes along with the grueling weeding process.
Many wise individuals are pursuing natural alternatives instead of commercial herbicides. A cocktail of vinegar, liquid dish soap and salt poured into a spray bottle is a big help in conquering the weed battle. Vinegar and salt have acetic acid, which will draw moisture from weeds. The soap will cause the mixture to bead on the leaves.
Natural Weed Killer
one gallon white vinegar
one cup salt
one tablespoon liquid dish soap
Another homemade method, my favorite, is to simply boil a teapot of water and pour it onto weeds in our brick walkways. The boiling water kills the weeds, roots and all, and I don’t have to be concerned about any type of residue. A warm, sunny day is the best time to do this. Let me add that being proactive when weeds and their roots are young and small is the way to go.
The above deterring liquids lack psychic abilities to perceive the difference between beloved plants and wayward weeds, so we must keep our eyes peeled when spraying or pouring. Folks, let’s press on towards “greener” living. And hang on to those garden gloves to pull weeds when you can.