In the Garden with Geri: Killing Weeds the Organic Way

August 19th, 2013

Usually, garden expert Geri Laufer shows us how to nurture plants. This time, we did something a little different.

In our most recent visit, we focused on that mighty plague of propagation: weeds—and Geri shared several organic methods of killing them.

She started our conversation by addressing this question: Why, in a world filled with chemical fixes, would you go organic in the first place?

Organic Weed-Control Methods Mentioned By Geri

Spread mulch around newly-sown plants to nip weeds in the bud.
Boiling Water: Recommended for weeds that are far from your cultivated plants, in places like cracks in your sidewalk, since the scalding water will kill those plant roots, too.
Vinegar: Spray from a bottle onto weeds, but make sure to screen your cultivated plants with a piece of paper or cardboard.
Salt: Kills plants through reverse osmosis. Recommended for weeds that are far from your cultivated plants, in places like cracks in your sidewalk, since salt will kill any plant, and will prevent re-growth of plants.
Recipe for Weed-Killing Mixture: Place in a hand-sprayer one quart of vinegar, one cup of salt, and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Use as you would vinegar.

For More Information

Weed Control 101 from the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia