Organic Weed Care
From LoveToKnow Organic
Organic weed care has come a long way. Everyone loves the look of a weed-free yard, but not everyone is in love with the idea of pouring pounds of herbicides on a yard their kids and pets play in. The good news is that there are many options for organic weed care.
Old-Fashioned Weed Care
When most people think of organics, they think of yard and garden care without chemical intervention. To many people, that would mean the only organic way to get rid of weeds is to pull them out by hand.
Weeding by hand can even be kind of fun when you get into the Zen-like state that comes from working on something mindless. Weeding by hand also helps you really see what's going on with your plants. You might be able to catch diseases early if you're spending time looking at the plants on a regular basis while you are weeding. You'll also be able to see when vegetables need to be harvested, which is a very good thing!
Organic Weed Care Products
Now that more people are seeing the good in using organic products and eating organic foods, more products are becoming more widely available for the organic lawn and garden.
Organic Fertilizer
The most popular way to take care of weeds organically is through the use of an organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer improves the condition of the soil and supports the growth of beneficial insects and microbes.
Using organic fertilizer makes the grass, vegetables, trees or flowers you are growing stronger, so that they can crowd out the weeds on their own. Having tall grass casts shade on weeds and can kill them, so leave your grass as high as you are willing to.
Organic fertilizer can be applied in the spring before the grass starts growing and again in the fall.
Compost
Using compost on your yard or garden is also helpful for controlling weeds and improving the health of your soil. Compost helps the beneficial microbes to perk up, which will help keep your yarn healthy. These good microbes can destroy the disease-causing microbes, bacteria or fungi that attempt to take hold in your yard.
Compost should be applied in a very thin layer and watered into the soil rather than being allowed to rest on the grass itself. You do not have to apply compost every year, but it is a good addition if your lawn or vegetable patch seems unhealthy.
Vinegar
Some people use vinegar, diluted at 20 percent in water, as an on-the-spot weed killer. Spray the foliage of the plants you'd like to get rid of, but don't use the mixture to water plants.
Pre-emergent Weed Care
The closest organic gardening comes to a "weed and feed" type product is an organic corn gluten meal. This compound is not the same as corn meal that you buy at the grocery store.
Studies have shown corn gluten meal to be effective as a pre-emergence herbicide that can cut down on weeds before they have started sprouting in the spring. You can apply corn gluten meal separately from your organic fertilizer, or apply them both together. A list of companies that sell corn gluten meal can be found here.
Using Organic Weed Care
The main thing to keep in mind when putting in place an organic weed care regimen is to have patience. Organic methods may take longer to work than chemical methods, but they can be highly effective.
If your yard, flowers or vegetables have been abused in the past by use or over-use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, it may take some time for the beneficial organisms to come back. You might want to look into the use of beneficial nematodes if you have a current yard disease or are having trouble with pests like ants, Japanese beetles or fleas. They're also helpful for eliminating fungus.
Learn More
This page has been accessed 1,165 times. This page was last modified 04:52, 24 April 2007.
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