Sutherlands Organic Solutions
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How to Kill Grass/Weeds Invading a Flower Bed -Using Natural Alternatives
Unwanted grass/weeds invading your flower bed is a nuisance. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend the whole growing season on your hands and knees pulling out grass/weeds. By using newspaper to smother the grass, or applying selective herbicides to your flower bed, you can begin to take your flower bed back from invading weeds.
Here are 2 Helpful Options to rid your flower beds from pesky grass/weeds:
Option 1:
1. Lay down sheets of newspaper over the invasive grass/weeds. Make the newspaper barrier around four sheets thick for the best results. Leave room around the bases of the flowers in the flower bed. If you don’t have a lot of newspaper lying around, try getting some at your local recycling plant.
2. Wet the sheets of newspaper with a hose. Get them wet enough that they won’t blow away in the wind. Getting the newspapers wet will also help them decompose faster, which will be good for your flower bed.
3. Add a three-inch (7.6 cm) layer of mulch over the newspaper. You can use any type of mulch, like shredded wood chips, leaves, or compost.
4. Pull out any grass/weeds that manages to grow through the newspaper. If you don’t want to pull out the grass/weeds by hand, try using an herbicide to kill the grass/weeds and stop it from spreading.
5. Repeat the process every year to prevent new grass/weeds from growing. Lay down more newspaper, smothering any existing grass/weeds in the flower bed, and add a fresh layer of mulch.
Option 2:
1. Pour boiling water onto the grass/weeds. One natural way to kill your grass/weeds only requires water. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil on the stove. Then, carefully carry the pot to the flower bed and pour the water directly onto the grass/weeds. Be extremely cautious when handling the water, as it can burn you if you spill it on yourself. Do not pour any hot water onto your flowers, or you may accidentally kill them as well. Refill the pot with water and boil it if you don’t cover all of the grass/weeds with the first pot of water.
2. Spray a vinegar mixture onto the grass/weeds. To create a natural vinegar mixture that should be able to kill your grass/weeds, mix together 1 gallon (3.8 l) of white vinegar and 1 cup (240 ml) of table or rock salt. Stir in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of dish soap and pour the mixture into the body of a garden sprayer. Spray your unwanted grass/weeds directly with the sprayer.
3. Cover the grass/weeds in lemon juice. Lemon juice is another chemical-free option that may be able to kill your grass/weeds. Douse the grass/weeds in lemon juice and then check on the grass/weeds after 1-2 days. By this time, the grass/weeds should be mostly dead. If not, repeat the process until you’ve achieved your desired results.
https://www.wikihow.com/Kill-Grass-Invading-a-Flower-Bed
Co-authored by: Maggie Moran
Sutherlands Organic Solutions 