Before resorting to harmful chemicals and herbicidal agents to rid your lawn or garden of weeds, try these organic mixtures: Pour boiling water on the weeds. If that doesn't work, add table salt to the boiling water. Vinegar is also a good deterrent, but if that doesn't work, add a little gin to the mixture.
Don't use kerosene or gas. It will ruin your soil and your soil may never recover from the damage.
If you've tried the above remedies and none of them work, what should you do? The absolute last resort is to use herbicides (poisons), which are divided into two types: pre-emergent and post-emergent.
Pre-emergent herbicides are for those weeds that have not yet matured and are still in the germinating stage of development. These herbicides are best used if applied in February and March. Post-emergent herbicides are for those weeds that are developed fully or have at least sprouted leaves or some kind of foliage. These herbicides are most effective on bright, hot and sunny days. Your lawn may look worse after you first apply these chemicals, but it will bounce back in a few days, sometimes in only a few hours.
There are also nonselective herbicides on the market. These poisons kill any and all weeds and, in turn, can also kill regular turf and plants. They should be used only for spot-treating certain weeds in select areas of your lawn or garden. These can be found at any nursery or home-improvement center, under the common brands of Roundup and Ortho.
Please note: There is good news on the herbicide front. There are all-new natural herbicides on the market that won't harm the environment or you. One of these is A-maizing Lawn, a corn-syrup product that will kill 90 percent of the weeds in your yard. Look in garden catalogs or ask at your local nursery for more information on this and other natural herbicides. A-maizing Lawn (corn-gluten meal) Gardens Alive! has EPA registration for use of this new active ingredient on turf and ornamentals.
Paul James mentions the following chemical weed killers, most of which should be available at your nearby nursery, greenhouse, home-and-garden store, or home-improvement center:
- Hi Yield, #529 MSMA
- Ferti-Lone Bermuda Grass Weeder
- Finale Weed Killer
- Roundup
- Safer Shooter (organic)
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