Weeds can be your worst enemy when it comes to tending a vegetable garden. They can make it more difficult for the crops you painstakingly plant and nurture to grow. There are many ways to get rid of or prevent weeds, but some of the chemicals used in a few methods can harm the environment or your health. Consider using organic weed killer products instead. These safer alternatives to herbicide can help you without putting you or other people at risk.
Humans started cultivating plants centuries ago, and even then weeds presented all sorts of difficulties for farmers and gardeners. They compete with cultivated plants for soil nutrients, water, sunlight, and space. Some weeds are true parasites that attach to host plants, robbing them of nutrition and making them more susceptible to plant diseases. Remove or kill weeds as soon as you notice them growing in your garden. Failing to get rid of weeds can cause your plants to yield less during harvest season, or to wither and die.
The most common, natural way to get rid of weeds is to pull them out. Sometimes, though, you don’t get all the weeds’ seeds or roots out, and this may result in their continuous growth. Killing them before taking them out of the soil is the best way to ensure they don’t grow back.
Using conventional garden weed control products or herbicides may help you solve your weed problems, but some of these are dangerous to animals and humans. Some of them are possible carcinogens, while others contribute to disorders and ailments like Parkinson’s disease. This is especially problematic for vegetable gardens and orchards, as you risk exposure to the herbicide as you apply them, and also place whoever eats your harvested crops at risk. Some herbicides may even penetrate deep into the soil and contaminate your farm’s or neighborhood’s water supply.
Fortunately, there are products for weed prevention or control that use safer, all-natural or organic products. You can even make some of them in the comfort of your own home. Many gardeners cite vinegar, lemon juice, or salt as good ingredients for organic weed control formulas. Vinegar and lemon juice have high acid content, which can kill the weeds. Salt dehydrates plants just as much as it dehydrates humans, and combining it with vinegar’s acids can dry out and ultimately kill weeds.
After eliminating the existing weeds in your garden, take preventative measures to ensure no other weeds can invade your vegetable plots. Applying a layer of mulch is often cited as a good way to prevent weeds from growing, but you can also use them in combination with weed preventing formulas. You can apply this to the soil beneath the mulch, or into the mulch itself, to prevent weeds from taking root. Check your product’s labels or contact their manufacturers if you’re uncertain how to use your weed preventing product with mulch.
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