In gardens, orchards or on any surface where we have grass, it is common for plants known as weeds to grow. Perhaps, the name is not the most appropriate. Some of the so-called weeds are actually plants that can be very valuable, for example, the case of red valerian or dandelion.
However, if you are one of those who try to keep your lawn or garden safe, weeds can not only be unsightly in that space but will also compete for water, light and nutrients in the soil with the rest of the plants in the garden and with the lawn itself. That is why in the following article of EcologiaVerde, we will explain how to eliminate weeds from the lawn in different ways.
Weed problems
If you want to keep your lawn spotless, it’s essential to control and keep weeds at bay. As we have already mentioned, the problem with weeds is not only that they give the feeling of abandonment and neglect, but that neglecting the growth of these plants can cause other inconveniences that directly affect the health of our lawn:
- They compete with the plants you’re growing for the same soil, light, water, and nutrients. This can cause your plants to not grow in all their glory because weeds will deplete those limited resources.
- Weeds make it much easier for pests to appear, for example, cochineal or aphids. Not only will these pests affect weeds, but they will also cause damage to lawns and other plants in the garden.
How to pull weeds
As on so many other occasions in life, the best option is not always the simplest. In this case, surely the best thing is what has been done all your life, that is, rolling up your sleeves and pulling weeds from the lawn one by one.
What you should do is take the plant and stretch it carefully preventing it from breaking. In this sense, this is a task that will be much easier to do if the soil is moist. That’s why the best thing you can do is water or wait for rain and pull them up immediately, if you let too much time pass, the plants would bloom again or leave their seeds in the ground.
If doing it with your hands seems like too hard work, one option may be to use the hoe, but be careful, when using the hoe, you should take into account not to hit or split the root, as then the plant will grow again.
Herbicides against weeds
If what we have explained in the previous section seems too much work, you still have some options that do not require so much physical effort, for example, the use of herbicides to eliminate weeds:
- Selective herbicides: eliminate a specific type of weed.
- Total herbicides: eliminate any type of weed.
For example, Glyphosate, a herbicide with negative effects, is used to eliminate any type of weed. When the plant absorbs these herbicides, it is affected and eventually dies. That is why if you use a selective herbicide, it is advisable to be very careful when spraying it to prevent it from spreading to other plants or the lawn.
Among the most ecological and recommended alternatives, we have homemade preparations based on vinegar. The acetic acid present in this liquid has been shown to be an effective contact herbicide. In the following EcologiaVerde article, we explain how vinegar, acetic acid and weeds work.
Brush cutter for weeds
If the lawn terrain is very extensive, another great solution to eliminate weeds can be a brush cutter. Among the main advantages of this machine is that you can clean a very large area of land in a few minutes and very easily. On the other hand, all that weeds that you remove can be left shredded integrated in the same place.
However, you should be clear that this method does not remove the roots of the plants, but simply the superficial part of them. That is why from time to time you should repeat this process so that you can eliminate the plants as they grow.
From EcologiaVerde, we recommend the new STIHL battery brush cutter, practical, quiet and cordless. Not only will you get a great machine for lawn and garden care, but also on these dates you will be able to join their solidarity campaign “The tree with the most gifts in the world” through which STIHL, together with the NGO Mensajeros de la paz, will make a donation of toys to children. Visit the World’s Most Gifted Tree page, choose the gift, paper, and box before depositing it on the tree, it only takes a few clicks!
If you want to read similar articles to How to remove weeds from lawns, we recommend that you visit our Garden Care category.
