How do you safely get rid of weeds growing around your vegetables? And what is the best organic weed killer for vegetable garden enthusiasts?
Vinegar weed killer may work well at controlling unwanted growth in your landscaping. However, it can kill the food you’re growing, as well at the weeds.
Therefore, we want to take a different approach. Instead of looking for a non-toxic weed spray that we’d use after planting, let’s take a preventative measure.
In other words, let’s stop the weeds before they ever start growing.
The Best Organic Weed Killer for Your Vegetable Garden?
This “pre-emergent” method requires a little up-front planning, but it doesn’t actually require much extra work. In fact, you won’t have to worry about pulling weeds for the reason of your growing season!
Not to mention, this easy DIY weed control method is organic, all natural and good for the earth.
Using Mulch & Newspaper for Weed Control:
That’s right – you only need 2 “ingredients” for this do-it-yourself gardening project. And I need to give credit where it is due. I actually discovered this idea through SavvyGardening.com.
First of all, get your soil and gardening bed ready for planting.
Second, lay WET newspaper flat on top of the soil. SavvyGardening recommends layering it 10 sheets thick and avoiding the pages with glossy print.
The newspaper basically acts like a weed control fabric. Thus, it prevents unwanted plants from getting sunlight or growing through it. Then, at the end of the season, it will compost naturally back into the soil.
Third, cut small incisions or holes in the newspapers where you want to plant your seeds or vegetable starters. Then, plant your garden.
Finally, lay the fresh weed-free mulch on top of the newspaper (some people also use straw). The newspaper will be cleverly hidden underneath the mulch, and the unwanted weeds will never see the light of day!
Now, you don’t need to worry about using a safe weed killer on or near your vegetable garden. You simply won’t have any weeds to begin with.
What About Organic Weed Control After Planting?
Sometimes we get so excited about growing vegetables that we forget about weed control before planting. I’ve done it myself. =)
If you don’t have a forest of weeds already, you could try the newspaper method to see if it can still stop the weeds. Why not? It’s super easy and pretty much free!
First, pull out the existing weeds. Then lay the newspaper around your vegetable plants. Last, lay a bed of mulch on top.
