So, you want to control weeds before they take over your lawn or garden. But, you need tips for safe weed control. In this post, you’ll learn how to control weeds safely in your yard.

3 Tips To Control Weed Safely In Your Yard

These three tips for safe weed control will help eliminate weeds before they choke out your flowers and vegetables.

1.     Apply Vinegar and Salt

You may have heard that vinegar is an effective weed killer. It’s true. Within 24 hours of applying vinegar, the weeds will wither and die. But, this fast action would kill only the plant leaves. The roots will remain intact and grow into new weeds quickly.

If you want to eliminate the weeds in your garden and control future growth, a mixture of vinegar and salt is more potent. Salt dehydrates the weeds by disrupting the water balance in their cells.

Use a spray bottle (set to stream) to apply the mixture to the leaves. Do not spray on the soil around the weeds to avoid soil damage. The vinegar and salt would flow to the root from the leaves through the plant system.

2.    Use Weed Pre-Emergent Herbicides

You can stop weeds from emerging with pre-emergent herbicides. Contrary to what most people think, these herbicides don’t kill weed seeds before they grow. Rather, they prevent the root systems of weed seedlings from getting established.

This means that pre-emergents affect the germination process of weed roots. They interrupt their development by preventing cell division, thereby stopping them from growing.

You can use either selective or non-selective pre-emergent herbicides. The former will eliminate only specific weeds, while the latter will eliminate every plant it touches. Whichever you choose, ensure that you apply it at the right time and condition, as indicated by the manufacturer.

3.     Don’t Dig Weeds Out

Then, how are you supposed to remove weeds? Pull them out by hand. It’s hard work, but it can be done easily when the wet soil and the weeds are young. And, if the weed already has deep stubborn roots, you can use a trowel or narrow-blade knife to slice the roots.

But why shouldn’t you dig? As you dig out the weeds, the seeds hidden in the soil get carried to the topsoil, where they’ll get the sunlight they need to germinate. If you don’t have a choice but to dig, cover the spot with mulch to deprive the seeds of light.

Go ahead and implement these tips for safe weed control to keep weeds at bay in your yard. If you need more professional help eliminating weeds, contact us at Levy’s Lawn & Landscaping today!