« Green Christmas With Solar Outdoor Lights | Home | Maintaining Your Lawn Garden »
Lawn and Garden - Using Chemical Free Solutions For Your Weed Control
By Therese | November 25, 2008
Keeping your lawn and garden free of weeds, and doing it without the benefit of chemicals, might bring to mind nothing but the thought of aching muscles, a sore back and legs, and knees worn out from kneeling in the garden. But, getting your hands dirty is not the only way to get control of weeds without resorting to chemical treatments. The idea is not to make you work harder to keep your garden landscaping weed-free, but to learn how to work smarter.
The first big change needed to begin controlling the weeds in your lawns and gardens without chemicals is to properly prepare the soil for the areas in question. This would be considered laying the proper foundation where you will be growing your plants. It is best to implement the following ideas before doing your plantings so that you get your chemical-free weed control project off to a great start.
One of the best ways to avoid having weeds sprout up in your gardens or patio lawn is to kill the weeds though a process called soil solarization. This is a preventative approach and a completely organic way of eliminating weeds before they even have a chance to sprout. However, soil solarization does require a good bit of work, and is only effective if you can start planting the area with a clean slate.
Installing landscape fabrics is another terrific way that you can significantly reduce the occurrence of weeds in your lawn and garden. Using them also eliminates the need for toxic weed-killing chemicals. These fabrics made for use in landscaping are for this purpose and can even be considered a hi-tech way to battle weeds without introducing chemicals.
Utilizing garden mulch is another very beneficial approach to protecting your lawns and gardens from an invasion of weeds. While landscape fabrics work from below the prepared planting area, mulch is applied to the top of the soil, around your plants and can effectively smother a weed trying to break through to the surface. Mulch can also be used in conjunction with the anti-weed landscape fabrics for a one-two punch strategy of organic weed control.
Another added benefit of using mulch is that it also has the ability to provide insulation to your plantings. This insulation value is particularly helpful in the summertime and can help to keep the underlying soil both cool and moist. This will reduce the watering requirements and will also protect the root systems from damage caused by sever heat.
While some people have chalked it up to an old wives tale, vinegar can also help you control weeds without chemicals. It is the acetic acid in the vinegar that delivers an herbicidal dose to weeds. But, you will need a stronger variety than what you probably have in the cupboard and you can look for super-strength vinegar in weed and feed stores.
Keep in mind that vinegar is a “non-selective” natural herbicide, so if you choose to use it to control the lawn and garden weeds around your home, then you must take care to apply it only to the weeds. For this reason it is not a good solution for use on lawns, other than in areas where the weeds can easily be identified and sprayed individually. However, it makes a fine organic solution to keeping weeds in check without the problems associated with chemicals.
No realestate is finished without some type of grass, as well as some forms of shruberry to help enhance the overall quality of the building. The added value of curb appeal can make the difference when selling a house or increasing the value of a home. Any little bit helps and you do not always need a professional to do the landscaping for you. It never hurts to have some professional advice or a little bit of knowledge before you start ripping up your front yard, though. A few trees, some nice green grass and you will have it down pat before you know it. Who knows? Possibly you will consider it as a career that you might be interested in pursuing. Below there are some basic frequently asked questions of landscaping so that you can get some idea of how landscaping is completed and how it might be simpler than you may think.
Is it possible to do my own landscaping?
Yes, you can do your own landscaping if you have a small amount of information on how to get it done and if set aside the time to do so. You will be getting your hands dirty. Plus you will need to have knowledge of what plants are the best for your terrain. If you are creating structures that are man-made such as decks or ponds, you will needs to have some carpentry and plumbing skills. You will also need to recognize the way to upkeep the pond since one of the last things you need after putting in all that work is to produce a body of water loaded with mosquito larvae and algae.
If I decide to do the landscaping of my home myself, what are the various designs and ideas to help me?
There are many software programs that are on the market currently that can help you create your own landscape. You will have to insert the shape of your yard and then pick from the kind of terrain and climate you live in. The software can give you suggested plants and shrubbery that is best suited for your yard. If you want manmade terrains or structures, you will want to contact a carpenter for suggestions or a do-it-yourself website for instructions.
Whats the best way to decide on the kind of plant to use?
The kind of plant you choose will be contingent upon on your environmental condition and how much you want to water. It will also depend on the amount of sun that your receives during the day. Some plants thrive in the shade while others will wilt. For those individuals who reside in areas that are prone to drought, they should think about planting plants that are hardy that need little water and actually help to maintain the soil from erosion. Numerous people choose to have rock gardens as well as cactus if they happen to live in desert environments.
When is the ideal planting season?
The ideal planting season depends on what kind of plant you want to grow. Bulbs are best planted in the fall so that they have the necessary time to root. Other plants are more suitable to planting in the months of the spring. Some plants will not produce flowers or fruits for at least one or two seasons later so you need to prepare for this. Trees will need to go through several years prior to them becoming big enough to provide adequate shade or to produce fruit.
Will it increase the value and curb appeal of my home?
A great lawn can add tremendous curb appeal and value to your home. The overall effect is that it will make the features of your house stand out and if you have intentions of selling your home, one of the first details that possible buyers will see if the landscaping. There is nothing quite like a well manicured lawn and carefully trimmed hedges that add immense immediate value to a property.
To learn more click here Landscape Patio Design similarly Landscape Design Software also click here Landscape Plants
Topics: Uncategorized |
Comments
Fatal error: Call to undefined function display_cryptographp() in /home/tersey/public_html/MyBlog/wp-content/themes/clean-copy-right-sidebar/comments.php on line 102