I keep seeing people ask in Facebook groups how to kill weeds organically and I’m always saddened when I see people responding with chemical solutions. Today, I’m sharing my very best and frugal weed killing method for you to try in your garden.
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Organic Methods To Kill Weeds
Weeds are a nuisance, indeed many cities even have ordinances against them, even those which benefit native species of wildlife like Milkweed.
Utah seems to have it’s own kind of tenacious weed and at my homestead, it is those goat-head seeds of agony. Seriously these things are worse than Lego bricks to stand on. But I digress, weeds do serve a purpose in the ecosystem. They are nature’s bandage and grow to hold the soil together to prevent the soil from eroding from wind and rain. They colonize the land to allow for other species to establish so weeds aren’t always a bad thing!
A quick search on the internet on how to kill weeds pulls up all sorts of weird and wonderful recipes to naturally kill weeds. I want to tell you to forget the vinegar spray, the borax, the baking soda and the salt. None of these will really help kill weeds in the garden or they will ruin the soil for other plants to grow and just so we’re all clear on this one bleach isn’t a natural solution to your weed problem.
I don’t use weed killers when I have a choice. I will quite happily weed by hand it is my place of zen pulling the weeds but when you are juggling work and chores the less weeding you have to do the better! The best method to control weeds in a garden bed is with mulch. Mulch keeps the weeds down, the moisture in the soil and can help your garden grow even better.o show you how I control the worst of the weeds in the garden, I made this quick video:
Cardboard is an organic gardener’s best friend, its cheap, easy to find and so versatile in the garden. Large areas of weeds can be smothered with cardboard and you can cover with compost and plant over it. Cardboard will break down over time and encourages worms and soil ecology beneath it. I always find lots of worm activity and moist soil underneath the cardboard and I use cardboard to cover around the trees in a permaculture orchard,
Related: You can learn more about creating a garden bed on top of cardboard by reading this post.
How Does Cardboard Kill Weeds?
Cardboard works by blocking out the light which prevents the weeds from growing. Underneath the cardboard, the weeds will be yellow or white and if they remain covered by the cardboard, they will eventually die and provide food for the worms and soil microbiology. The cardboard itself begins to disintegrate when it is wet but the moisture helps to keep the pieces in place when covering a large area.
Ensure that you overlap the cardboard well so that the weeds cannot grow through the gaps and get to the sun. Corrugated cardboard is great for blocking weeds and layering 2-3 boxes on top of each other will block out some of the most bothersome of weeds. This is how I take care of the tough bindweed, goatheads, spurge and couch grass.
How do you kill weeds in your garden? Let me know in the comments.
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Hi Emma. I couldn’t agree more that chemicals should be avoided at all costs. We use several methods for weed control. Mostly pulling weeds by hand or using a hoe, or mulching when the garden is planted. In between plantings there are some cover crops that can be planted that will deter weed growth. We have had success using both buckwheat and clover. I really like clover if the area will not be planted for the next season because the clover will grow and can be mowed several times and not only does this build the soil it kills any other weeds that are trying to grow up through it. This has been our best defense against Canadian thistle.
Hi Ruth,
So good to know about the cover crops I’m really trying to get clover established to another out the goat-heads. My bees loved the buckwheat very much last year.
Do you have a preference between buckwheat or clover or do you use them both together in the area?
We don’t use them in the same area. I think buckwheat is best for a short term cover crop if there is less than a year between plantings because it grows quickly. The clover takes longer to get established but we have found that once it does if we mow it (throughout the season) along with any weeds that might be coming up, the weeds eventually die out because they are being deprived of sunlight and the clover will take over the area and build healthy soil. The bonus is that bees like both!!!
Thanks Ruth! Great to know!