Whether you are an avid gardener who spends hours tending to their lawn, or you simply enjoy spending time in your yard, no one wants to see their outside space covered in weeds. The prospect of getting rid of weeds can be rather daunting, as when you have a bad weed problem it is difficult even to work out where to begin. In reality, getting rid of weeds doesn’t have to be too difficult or time-consuming, and you don’t even need to use a lot of strong chemicals.
The Problem with Chemical Weedkillers
Most people think that the most obvious solution to a weed problem is to go out and buy a strong chemical weedkiller. While a chemical weedkiller is certainly easy to use and quite effective, it will also have several unintended consequences that you might not be aware of.
When you use a chemical weedkiller you likely assume that all, or at least the majority of the spray goes directly onto the plant you are targeting. However, this is unlikely to be the case. Even in ideal conditions, the herbicide is likely to splatter onto nearby plants in your garden. Furthermore, on hot and dry days, the herbicide can cause a vapor drift that can damage surrounding plants, trees, and shrubs, causing them to die. Studies have also found that on windy days, chemical particles can travel for serval miles.
The spread of chemical pesticides can cause many unwanted effects. Chemical pesticides can be a threat to human health, causing skin rash, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and nausea when people come into contact with them. Chemical pesticides are also a big environmental threat as they pollute water supplies and groundwater, damage plant life, and hurt wildlife.
So, now that you understand the damage of chemical pesticides, it is time to focus on more environmentally friendly ways of removing weeds from your garden.
Environmentally Friendly Weedkilling Solutions
Weeds are the playground bullies of the garden—stealing sunlight and water supply from other plants. Wood waste recycler Edrich Lumber advises that one of the most environmentally friendly ways to removing weeds from your garden is to use mulch. Mulch is both a sustainable option and is much more effective than say, just pulling out the weeds. This is because mulch helps to remove weeds and stop them from returning. You can cover weeds with about two to three inches of mulch to prevent them from receiving any sunlight. This means that the seeds will not receive the necessary amount of energy they need from the sun, causing them to die out.
Weeds are certainly a real nuisance for anyone who values the look or health of their garden. However, in reality, getting rid of weeds isn’t all that difficult. You do not have to rely on strong chemical weedkillers that might get rid of the weeds, but consequently will likely also harm a lot of other plant life in the process. Choosing a more sustainable method of removing weeds will help you to keep the whole of your garden sustainable and healthy for a long time to come.