10 chemical-free ways to control weeds

Environmental weeds that compete with native vegetation and noxious weeds that pose a threat to humans and pets should be removed. Here are 10 effective control methods to try in your garden that don't involve chemicals.

1. Try not to bring weeds into your garden in the first place. Avoid importing soil, including topsoil, that may contain weed seeds or pieces. Check for weeds in the pots of new plants.
2. Avoid leaving areas of soil bare or weeds will soon colonize them. Replant these cleared areas as soon as possible with native or non-invasive groundcover plants.
3. Cover weeded areas with plenty of mulch to prevent weed seeds from germinating. Remove any new weeds as they appear.
4. Remove weeds before they mature. Mow annual weeds to remove flower heads and seeds.
5. Smother weeds with a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard and cover with mulch, then plant through the mulch and paper, keeping the soil covered.
6. Cover larger areas of weedy ground with clear plastic and let it bake in the hot sun for several days. Heat will build up in the soil beneath the plastic and kill both weed seeds and soil pathogens. Or try a weed mat, made from woven mesh.
7. Put hard-to-kill weeds into a plastic bag and leave it in the hot sun for a few weeks. Then put it in the garbage to avoid spreading weeds to other areas.
8. With persistent weeds, make sure you remove the whole root and all underground parts. Some weeds can grow from a tiny piece.
9. Pour boiling water on weeds. This will kill many species. Or use steam via a steamer unit – a device developed for non-chemical weed control and sold in nurseries.
10. Kill weeds that need plenty of sunshine, such as paspalum and cudweed, by covering them with bricks or sheets of roofing iron for a few days.

Using the methods above, you can tackle nuisance weeds in chemical-free ways that are gentle on both your garden and the environment.