What Kills Weeds Permanently?

One of the most frustrating aspects of landscaping is weed control. Dandelions, crab grass and other unwanted vegetation can overtake your yard and garden, as well as sprout up between concrete slabs. Some herbicides, chemical and natural options, can temporarily abate weeds and grass, but what kills weeds permanently? Here are some of your options if you are trying to rid your lawn, garden, sidewalk or driveway of pesky weeds for good.

What Kills Weeds and Grass Permanently?

The problem with weed control is that it is difficult to only kill the vegetation you want. While you can use both chemical and natural substances to kill weeds or grass, it often can kill neighboring flowers, herbs, lawn or other vegetation you want to keep. Chemical weed killers are popular and can be effective to kill certain weeds like dandelions, but they do have their limits.

When it comes to chemical weed killers, what kills weeds and grass permanently? Some basic weed killers use glyphosate, which will kill weeds and grass permanently, but they will also kill most other plants. Be careful using these types of chemical weed control products near your lawn, gardens or landscaped areas, as you may accidently kill plants you want to thrive.

There are chemical weed control products that are selective in design on which plants they kill. For example, you can buy a selective weed killer that only targets broadleaf weeds but will not harm grass – this is perfect for killing dandelions in your yard. There are also grass control chemical weed killers that you can spray in your garden that will only kill grass without harming other plants.

What Kills Weeds Permanently/Naturally?

If you want to avoid chemical weed control products, you may wonder what kills weeds permanently and naturally. There are a few different natural options for ridding your lawn, garden and paved areas of unwanted weeds and grass. You can use household items to kill weeds permanently, protecting your animals and family from exposure to chemicals in your yard. Vinegar, salt, baking soda and solarization are some options for natural weed control.

Vinegar for Weed Control

What kills weeds permanently? Pure vinegar. Save yourself money on chemical weed control products and buy a large jug of vinegar. Both white and apple cider vinegar can dry out plants to eliminate their growth. Cider vinegar tends to work best as it has a higher acetic level.

Vinegar is a slower type of natural weed control. It deprives the plant of moisture, working from the top of the plant down to its roots. To permanently kill the roots, multiple applications of vinegar are necessary. Keep in mind that vinegar can kill most plants, so you want to be careful using it near your gardens and landscaped areas.

Salt Formula for Permanent Weed Control

Do you have weeds that keeping popping up between cracks in your sidewalk or driveway? Try a natural weed killer formula that uses regular salt combined with a little dish soap and vinegar for permanent weed removal. You can make this cost-effective concoction with two cups of salt (plain table salt or rock salt), one teaspoon of dish soap and a gallon of vinegar. You can mix these ingredients together until the salt dissolves and pour into a spray bottle. Spray unwanted plants once a week and watch them disappear for good.

This formula is not only great at removing weeds from your driveway or paved areas, but it is also wonderful for killing moss and fungal growth. You can douse your pavement with this formula where moss has begun to grow, let it soak for 10-15 minutes, then scrub the moss away and rinse the pavement.

Baking Soda Weed Killer

What kills weeds permanently and naturally besides vinegar? Try baking soda. You can sprinkle baking soda on weeds to dehydrate them and eventually kill the leaves, stem and roots. First wet the weed and surrounding soil, then sprinkle baking soda on the weeds – you only need about a teaspoon per weed. Check the area in about one month and reapply if necessary.

Solarization

Do you have an area that is thick with grass and weeds that you want to replant with flowers, vegetables or berries? To start your soil fresh without weeds, grass or pests for a healthy planting spot, a natural option is solarization. This process uses the heat and energy of the sun to kill any plants, bacteria and pests in the top soil.

To perform solarization of a soil plot, you will want to wait until mid-summer or when it is the hottest in your region. Remove all plants and debris from the soil and wet thoroughly. Cover the entire plot with a clear plastic tarp and push the edges of the tarp down into the soil. You can use landscaping stakes or rocks to keep the tarp tight to the ground around the edges to ensure the solar heat stays trapped under the tarp.

Solarization takes about four weeks or more to kill all weeds and pests in the soil. Once the process is complete, your soil is ready to be replanted with all weeds permanently removed.

Now you know what kills weeds permanently, including natural and chemical options. Your local landscaper can also perform any needed weed control to ensure your landscaping, lawn and gardens are kept safe while the weeds are removed.