Tag: weeding

A Guide to DIY Weed Killer

Posted on Camille Smith
Photo courtesy of Almanac.com

As any gardener knows, keeping weeds away from your prized plants can be a hassle. Even in the most successful gardens, weeds will creep into the soil and sunlight that your plot provides. Luckily, there’s a myriad of options for weed killers. However, many of the store-bought options contain herbicide chemicals that you may choose to keep out of your garden. If you’re looking for an all-natural DIY option, we’ve got you covered!

A Weed Killing Recipe

Photo courtesy of getgreenbewell.com

For a safe and effective weed-killing recipe, a combination of white vinegar, salt, and liquid dish soap will usually do the trick. The acetic acid in the vinegar and salt help to draw out moisture from the weeds, wilting them. To complete the concoction, dish soap serves as a surfactant which helps the plant to absorb this toxic mixture, instead of sitting topically on the leaves in beaded form. To create this mixture, just combine a gallon of white vinegar, a cup of salt, and a tablespoon of liquid dish soap. If you want to add some extra potency, try squeezing some lemon juice too. 

Don’t have vinegar or liquid soap handy at the lake house? As an alternate DIY weed-killing solution, you only need one ingredient — boiling water. Its high temperature can help by killing the invasive plants down to the roots, permanently killing the weeds. However, you just want to make sure you don’t burn yourself in the process! Be sure to stand far away from where you’re pouring, and exercise caution.

Pros and Cons of DIY Weed Killer

Photo courtesy of Cook’n

Let’s start with the pros. With just a few simple ingredients, this herbicide is super simple to create. It doesn’t require a trip to the store, and it doesn’t expose your backyard to harsh chemicals. A win-win! However, one downside of a DIY solution is that it doesn’t get to the root of the problem (no pun intended). Chemical herbicides directly target the plant’s root system, while the DIY solution may require multiple spray sessions to finally kill the weeds. Despite its limitations, this quick, low-cost homemade solution is perfectly effective in managing a lake house garden.

When to Apply Weed Killer

Photo courtesy of Glen Carrie on Unsplash

To make the mixture most effective, it’s best to apply it to a group of weeds on a bright, clear sunny day. In the sunlight, the effects of your handiwork would be evident within a few hours. When you see wilting leaves and browning stems, you know the herbicide is working. Usually, they’ll turn fully brown before finally withering away.

Weed Prevention

Photo courtesy of Green Lawn Fertilizing

In addition to killing weeds once they’ve already sprouted, developing solutions for deterring weed growth in the first place is an excellent prevention strategy. Mulch is one easy solution that obstructs sunlight and prevents weed growth. It also retains moisture in the soil, carving out less watering time for you. Additionally, practicing good lawn care such as mowing at a taller height, regular watering, and checking on the health of your plants can be helpful. 

When it comes to properly kill weeds, you might have all you need right in the kitchen of your lake home. For more gardening tips, continue to check out our blog!

Fall Lawn Care – Prepare Your Yard for Spring

Posted on Staff

lakeside lawn in the fallAutumn is just around the corner, and while you may not know it, now is the absolute best time to take care of your lawn and prepare it for the following spring.

Before getting settled into a routine of watching football all weekend, get outside and consider the following fall lawn care tips.

Remember, give your yard some attention now and you (and the yard) will be happy come springtime.

Fire up the mower and drop the blade.

Many people tend to slack a bit on mowing once fall rolls around, but mowing is not just for short-term cosmetic purposes.

Its also for keeping a healthy lawn for years to come.

By dropping the blade down for a closer cut, sunlight will be able to reach the crown of the grass, and this will help the grass through the long winter months.

Buy a good rake.

To some people raking is no fun task, but it can be if you know that you’re lawn will love you for it.

Oftentimes, people wait until their entire yard is blanketed with fallen leaves before venturing outside. They think they’re saving themselves time and trouble by raking everything up in one fell swoop.

The problem is that too many leaves blanketing the ground forms an impenetrable layer, ultimately suffocating the grass.

It becomes that much worse when the leaves become wet. Fungus can also form on the grass, destroying it.

If you absolutely despise raking, consider using a lawnmower that is equipped with a vacuum system and a collection bag. A leaf blower is also another alternative.

Poke holes in your lawn.

Now that you’re mowing and working hard to rake your leaves, it’s time to poke some holes in the lawn.

This helps to aerate the soil so that oxygen, water and fertilizer can get down into the roots of the grass.

Some people prefer to hire out for this job if they have a large lawn.

Add Fertilizer.

For those who don’t know what rhizomes are, they are part of the grass stem which lies just beneath the surface of the soil.

It is the rhizomes that actually produce the blades of grass that we enjoy looking at and walking on in the spring and summer months.

Fall is the prime time to fertilize your lawn and get the proper nutrients to those rhizomes. If you do it before the winter freeze, your grass will be all ready by the time the spring thaw rolls around.

Look for fertilizers that are specifically labeled for fall use.

Tackle those weeds.

Again, another misconception most people have is to fight the weeds in the spring when they pop up.

In actuality, the best time is in the fall, when the weeds are trying to drink everything that comes to them.

Spray them down with weed killer in the fall and they won’t be making an appearance in the spring.

Drain those lines in your irrigation system.

Is your lawn set up with an irrigation system?

If so, a good practice to get into is removing water from it by using compressed air, or if there is a drain valve, that will work too.

Simply turn the water off and drain each zone separately. Don’t forget to drain the main supply that comes from the house.

This will prevent ice from building up and rupturing the lines.

 

While it my seem inconvenient now, following these steps in the fall will lead to a healthier and easier-to-maintain lawn once next spring rolls around!