Maintaining your lawn is important in order to keep it looking green and lush. In order to have a healthy weed-free lawn, it’s important to learn how to kill weeds naturally instead of using harmful products.
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Chemical herbicides, such as Roundup, are an environmental and health hazard. Harmful chemicals deplete the soil of its nutrients and can also damage water sources.
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is a carcinogen. Studies have shown how it can cause many health issues including raising cancer risk by 41%. You shouldn’t use this chemical near your home.
Fortunately, with a little work, you can maintain a green, weed-free lawn by using natural alternatives. These alternatives are not only better for you, but they are also better for the environment.
Before Killing Every Weed, Consider This
First off, not all weeds are bad. I know that might sound crazy, but some weeds actually have medicinal properties. Weeds such as dandelions, for example, can help to lower blood pressure and promote a healthy liver.
However, there are other weeds which can be ugly and try to overrun your yard. In that case, these natural lawn care tips will help.
In order to have a green lawn, you should try to figure out what weeds you’re dealing with. The weeds can give you clues about soil imbalances – which leads me to the next point, you should address the root problem – the soil.
Use a soil test to check the pH level. Most grasses prefer soil pH levels between 5.5 and 7.0 depending on the climate. You can use lime to help increase the soil’s pH, making the soil less acidic and more alkaline. You can use sulfur to make it more acidic.
Take time to aerate your lawn in the fall. Aeration alleviates soil compaction and creates holes, or air pockets, in the soil allowing water, air, and nutrients to reach grass roots.
Having healthy soil will help your grass grow stronger each season and will eventually free up your time because you won’t have to be outside as much caring for your lawn.
How to Kill Weeds Naturally with These Tips
Be sure to try these natural lawn care tips for a beautiful yard.
Don’t Cut Your Grass Too Often
This suggestion should make everyone happy as it means less time walking behind your lawnmower on a hot day!
You can help keep weeds at bay by keeping your lawn a little longer and thicker. You should keep your lawn about 2 – 3 1/2 inches long.
Think of dandelion seeds blowing around through the air. By having a longer lawn, it takes the seeds of weeds longer to work their way down into the ground.
In addition to keeping the weeds at bay, you are also helping to create less air pollution by not cutting your lawn. According to a study from Sweeden, “the air pollution from cutting grass for an hour with a gasoline-powered lawn mower is about the same as that from a 100-mile automobile ride.”
Plant Grass Seed
In addition to keeping your lawn longer, you should try to thicken up your lawn by planting grass seed. This will help to crowd out the weeds.
Pick the Weeds
It takes a little work, but depending on the number of weeds you’re dealing with, picking them by hand is a sure fire way to get rid of weeds! As a child, I remember picking weeds in our garden and flower beds. It wasn’t a chore to me. Call me crazy, but I actually enjoyed it.
As I got older, I used a product such as a dandelion picker to make the job easier so I wasn’t having to bend over as often.
Fertilize Your Lawn
Purchase an organic fertilizer to improve the quality of your soil and feed your grass. Not only do fertilizers improve soil structure, but they also encourage beneficial soil microbes that go after pests and diseases.
>>READ NEXT: How to Create 9 Easy Natural Pesticides for Gardens<<
Feed Your Grass Some Sugar
It’s important to make sure your lawn is getting enough beneficial microbes that enrich its soil. Would you believe that something as simple as sugar can feed the beneficial insects and microbes that your lawn needs?
Spreading white sugar over your grass provides many benefits such as improving soil structure and minimizing fungal disease.
Hire Someone
If all else fails, you can hire a company. If your yard is extremely overrun with weeds, and it seems like too big of a job to do on your own, you might need to hire an organic lawn care company. These providers do not use harsh chemicals but can help give you a start on combating weeds so you can control them better in future years.
No one likes a weed infested lawn, however, once you learn how to kill weeds naturally, you can enjoy your beautiful yard without causing it to harm you or the environment.
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