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Weeds are simply plants that are growing where they are not needed. They are very stubborn plants and can be found almost anywhere.
They choke the life out of other plants around them. Weeds compete with garden shrubs for water and soil nutrients.
This article discusses solutions to kill weeds without killing grass.
If you have a weed problem on your hands and they are making a mess of the plants you work so hard to maintain, there are solutions on how to remove weeds without killing grass.
The methods prescribed will ensure the safety of grass and other garden herbs while effectively eliminating weeds.
What kills weeds but not the grass?
Here is a list of 7 top solutions to kill weeds, not grass:
- Pull them out
2. use a grass-safe weed killer
3.Spread pre-emergent to prevent new weeds from sprouting
4. Avoid vinegar, citric acid, eugenol
5. Never use salt
6. Fertilize your grass every year.
7. Make use of a weed flamer
Recommended: Does Vinegar Kill Weeds To The Root?
1. Pull Them Out
Pulling weeds out by hand is the cheapest option. It is recommended if the weeds are in between the other plants you want to keep.
That way,only the weeds will be selected without harming the grass.
To perform this method,you don’t need much. Smaller weeds can be pulled up by hand together with their roots.
If the ground is tough or for larger weeds,use a hand trowel to loosen the soil around. It should be easier to pull out afterwards.
This method is best used for small patches of ground like the lawn or front garden because of the stress involved.
2.Use a grass-safe weed killer
If you are dealing with a larger area of land, or if you want to get rid of the weeds faster,you may use a grass-safe weed killer.
These are specially formulated selective herbicides that get rid of weeds without killing grass. There are a variety of brands on the market to select from.
You will need to know the species of weed you are having trouble with so you can get the right weed killer.
Selective weed killers, however must be used appropriately to make sure they work effectively. For example, making the solution too dilute, will not give the desired results. On the other hand when it is over applied, it can actually begin to affect the grass.
These are some brands that get rid of weeds without killing grass suggested by experts:
•Spectracide Weed and Grass Killer
•Southern Ag Amine 2,4-D
•Ortho Weed B Gon Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis Killer for Lawns
▪Gordon’s SpeedZone Lawn Weed Killer
•Preen Garden Weed Preventer + Plant Food
•Ortho WeedClear Lawn Weed Killer
•Fertilome Over The Top Grass Killer
Read Also: Does Baking Soda Kill Weeds? How to Use it for Weed Control
3.Spread pre-emergent to prevent new weeds from sprouting
Pre-emergents are herbicides that carry out their action on the seeds of weeds. They prevent the seeds from developing properly, hence the weed cannot emerge from the soil.
They are basically preventive weed control chemicals.
They form a layer over the soil which acts as a barrier against the weed seedlings. To prevent new weeds from sprouting,it is best to spread some pre-emergent herbicide on the soil.
This saves you from the task of having to hand-pull weeds after they have already sprouted. It also saves the grass from pests and diseases that weeds harbour.
Lots of pre-emergent types are available for use like:
•Qualipro Prodiamine 65WDG
•Sedgehammer
•Epsoma Organic Weed Preventer
•Scotts Turfbuilder
•Pendulum 2G
•Snapshot 2.5 TG
•Dimension 2 EW
•Scotts DiseaseEX Lawn Fungicide
Herbicide applicator or spreader is used to do this safely
4. Avoid vinegar and citric acid
What kills weeds naturally? Vinegar and citric acid. They are found in household food stuff and farm produce.
To kill weeds,vinegar is often used in combination with soap. They are simply mixed and spayed onto the leaves and base.
To use citic acid instead,cut a lemon in half and squeeze over the weeds.The citric acid will likely kill the weeds within a few days, especially when combined with strong sun.
Alternatively, if you can get some citric acid in powder form, just mix with water and spray.This works fine as well.
The catch is that they harm grass too so to use this method,weeds must be carefully targeted.
5. Never use salt
Another excellent way to get rid of weeds without killing grass is to avoid the use of salt. Yes,salt kills weeds but it is also harmful to grass.
Salt is very toxic to plants because of the high sodium content.Salt works by disrupting the plants waterbbalance,
causing it to wilt and die.
If this method must be used at all,care must be taken to avoid the other plants.
Read Also: Top 10 Best Pre-Emergent Herbicides for Lawns
6. Fertilize your grass every year
If you’ve been bothered about how to get rid of weeds without killing grass,the solution is to make your grass healthier.
You can achieve this by fertilizing your grass. This should be done annually.
Clear the weeds and then add fertilizer.
When this is done correctly, the grass grows healthier and more vigorously, discouraging new weeds from sprouting. The more weeds you choke out, the more water, sunlight, and nutrients will be available to your sprouting grass plants.
7. Make use of a weed flamer
A weed flamer is a piece of machinery that consists of a tank for gas and a hose that lets out flame.
Weed flamers are a welcome tool when it comes to weed management. Weed flamers work by using heat to kill weeds.
Using a weed flamer,the goal is not to burn the weeds but to pass heat that is just enough to damage the tissues of the plant.
Using weed flamers is advantageous because the soil is left undisturbed and you can avoid dealing with chemicals.
Since it is manually operated,you can get rid of weeds without killing grass by focusing the heat on troublesome areas.
One can also make use of weed flamers in combination with other methods in order to speed up the process.
Flame weeding should be done at 2 or 3 -week intervals in order to work well.
There are different models of weed flamers available depending on the scale of operation.
Conclusion
Having seen some methods of getting rid of weeds without killing grass,you can now decide on what will work best for you.
Your decision will depend largely on the area of land covered by weeds,the type of landscape and how much money you are willing to invest in weed control.
