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8 TIPS FOR DEALING WITH WEEDS

By: Tracey Liao Van Hooser   |   April 14, 2022

While the rest of our gardens may be struggling due to lack of rain, weeds continue to thrive! What can we do to be victorious in the neverending battle against them? 

 

Don’t Use Chemical Sprays

Your kids and pets play in your yard. Keep toxic chemicals far away from your loved ones. The manufacturer of RoundUp, a leading herbicide, has announced they will pull the product from shelves by 2023 after they lost several high-profile lawsuits (and settled many thousands more) from plaintiffs who believe the spray caused their cancers. Studies do show a link between exposure to glyphosate (the active ingredient in RoundUp) and increased risk of cancer. Herbicides also harm bees and other beneficial insects. So put away the toxic sprays!

 

Less Toxic Alternatives

Always start with the least toxic alternative for any garden problem. Newer spray products with plant oils (like clove, lemongrass, or eugenol) as active ingredients have come on the market. These are still herbicides (chemicals that kill plants) but are a safer, less toxic, choice. Be sure to read the label carefully and don’t use more than the instructions indicate. Excess washes away by rain or irrigation and contaminates our watershed. Be careful when using any product in proximity to your plants or they may suffer accidental damage.

 

Be wary of trying “non-toxic” DIY remedies like vinegar or salt that you might see on the internet or hear about from friends. Horticultural vinegar (which has the higher concentration of acetic acid required to kill weeds) can severely damage skin or eyes on contact. Salt travels through the soil, killing beneficial organisms and harming nearby plants. Other DIY remedies may be harmless but ineffective. Instead, visit YardSmartMarin for both safe and effective solutions! Our Weeds section provides a wealth of information.

Weed Frequently

The best and safest way to manage weeds is to pull them. That’s probably not what you wanted to hear! But if you can pull a weed while it’s young, it will come out easily - roots and all (which is the key to prevent it from growing right back). If you have waited too long to weed and are faced with removing a large, stubborn weed, a good trowel comes in handy. Weeding often also means you’ll remove weeds before they can go to seed; some weeds can produce up to 2,000 seeds in a single season! So weed frequently to prevent weeds from spreading.

 

How often do you need to weed? It depends on the size of your yard, but try to find 10-15 minutes, twice a week.  You may come to look forward to your weeding sessions; many people find weeding calming and meditative. Or let the kids join you! They’ll have fun getting their hands dirty, and you may appreciate that they are doing something totally unstructured outdoors. No screens necessary!

 

Mulch!

Covering the soil surface with 2-3 inches of mulch will do a lot to suppress weed growth. It will also help your soil conserve moisture which is so important during these times of drought. We do not recommend that you lay landscape fabric before applying your mulch. It may seem a tempting way to reduce weeds but mulch is really your best bet. Here’s everything you need to know about mulch!

Consider Your Irrigation

Weeds can grow without irrigation - but they really thrive when they get it! Replace spray irrigation with drip irrigation that targets your plants. Check your irrigation to make sure you don’t have overspray, leaks, or misplaced emitters that are unintentionally encouraging weed growth. You’ll save water too! Learn more about different irrigation systems and get water-saving tips.

 

Weeds in Hardscape

It can be particularly difficult to remove weeds from within cracks of sidewalks, driveways, and other hard surfaces. A screwdriver (or similar tool) can do the trick. Hardscape is also a safer place to use the less toxic, plant oil-based weed killers mentioned above.

Weeds in your Lawn

Avoid “weed and feed” combination products. The “weed” part is an herbicide and we don’t want that on the lawns that our families and pets use. Additionally, why put herbicides all over your lawn when weeds may only be in certain places? The best solution is to weed frequently. Make the lawn part of your regular weeding sessions, Or, simply pay attention as you mow - pull weeds as you go. The “feed” part is a chemical fertilizer. A better choice is a slow-release, organic fertilizer.

 

What if your lawn is full of weeds? Consider sheet-mulching and doing something new! Reducing or eliminating your lawn will save you water, time, and money. You may be even able to benefit from rebates and incentives from your local water district; check directly with MMWD or NMWD as these programs change frequently.

 

You can replace your lawn with a different walkable ground cover like kurapia or a native grass like UC Verde Buffalograss that looks so similar to a traditional lawn. We do not recommend installing artificial turf. It is not an environmentally sound choice and studies show that each blade of turf “grass” contains PFAS (aka “forever chemicals”) which may be harmful to human health.

 

If you don’t need the area to be walkable, you can plant to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, supporting these important pollinators while adding so much beauty and interest to your yard. (If you like this idea, view a recording of our “Bring in the Pollinators!” webinar.) Reduce your water bill even further by installing succulents and California native plants.

 

Want more information about how to remove your lawn and a wealth of ideas for what to put there instead? Check out our recent webinar, “Rethinking your lawn, the earth friendly way.”

 

Watch our “Managing Weeds Safely & Effectively” Webinar!

 

Have more questions about managing weeds or want more tips? Watch the recording of our “Managing Weeds Safely & Effectively” webinar.

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