In this post I am going to cover Wild Garlic

Just Sprouted
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In BloomComing Soon

In SeedComing Soon

Latin Name: Allium vineale
Common Names: Wild Garlic, Ramps, Crow Garlic, Wild Onion (while this is commonly called ramps or wild onion, it is not actually either)
Lifespan: Perennial

Conditions it likes: Fields, pastures and freshly disturbed soil. Sandy to somewhat loamy soil is where it grows best.

Spreading habits: Spread by bulbs, bulblets and seed.

Best way to eliminate it from your garden:

Organic: Dig up the clumps or single plants to ensure that the main bulb and it’s attached bulblets are removed from the ground. Pulling wild garlic out of the ground will only result in removing the main bulb and leaving the bulblets behind to grow next year. The plant is designed to do this.

At the very least, make sure that the wild onion does not go to seed by snipping the tops regularly. This will prevent flowering. Persistent shearing of the plant may result in reduced stores to the underground bulb. Less stores in the bulb means that it is less likely to survive the winter.

Non-Organic: Apply an herbicide in the early fall or early spring. Wild garlic is a tough plant and one application of any herbicide will not kill it. You will need to apply your chosen herbicide several times. Herbicides do not work well because the make-up of the leaf (thin, upright and waxy) does not make a good place for the herbicide of choice to stick to. To tell the truth, you are probably better off tackling this plant organically.

Notes of interest: Wild Garlic can be poisonous to some animals, especially dogs, if consumed in large quantities. But it is a garlic substitute in the kitchen. Wild garlic in the garden can interfere with the growth of peas and other legumes. It is also used as an insect repellent, if you don’t mind smelling like garlic. Medicinally, it has the same health benefits as real garlic.

This gardener’s rating of this weed: I have struggled for 5 years to get this out of my yard by digging. I do see a decrease but it is still a problem. I rank this as a Dennis the Menace plant. Mostly harmless but something I just wish would go away.

I can certainly think of the 7+ weedy sins of the garden but knowing how to cleanse my garden of these weeds is even better. Especially if it can be done cheaply and with household items. Murdering weeds is a fun past time.

So, for your reading enjoyment, here are The 7 Deadly Homemade Weed Killers, guaranteed to help you eradicate the weeds you find in your garden.

1. Boiling Water – Yep, that’s right. Plain old H2O can be used as an extremely effective weed killer. As a matter of fact, boiling water is more effective than many of your store bought weed killers in wiping out unwanted vegetation. Easy-peasy to do. Put a kettle of tap water on the stove and heat till boiling, then pour on the weeds you wish to kill.You are effectively cooking the plant in the ground. Boiling water is a great way to clear out vegetation on a wholesale basis, like driveways and sidewalks. But be warned, boiling water is not selective. It will cook and instantly kill any plant that it comes in contact with and this includes underground roots of nearby plants.
2. Bleach – Not only is bleach a spot remover, it is a weed remover as well. Place some bleach in a spray bottle and spray on the weed you wish to remove. The bleach chemicals will evaporate or dissipate in about two days (or less but better safe than sorry), making the area safe for planting. Again, bleach will kill anything but if you do get some on a plant you want to keep, just wash the plant off.
3. Vinegar – Vinegar is a great organic homemade weed killer. Either white or cider vinegar will work. The acetic acid in the vinegar works to kill the leaves on the plant but not the root. Vinegar will kill back (kill the leaves but not the root) any plant but works best on young plants because they do not have enough energy stored in the roots to regrow their leaves. If vinegar is applied to more established weeds enough times, the plant will eventually deplete its stored energy reserves and die.
4. Salt – It was once a known war tactic to salt the fields of enemies. Salting the earth was also used as punishment for severe crimes in several countries throughout history. The reason is because salt will kill plants and will make the ground unsuitable for future plant growth. On a small scale, you can drop a small pinch of table salt at the base of the undesirable plants. It will kill the plant but will dilute down to harmless in the next few rainfalls. On a larger scale, you can cover your gravel driveway or your ex’s yard with a good amount of salt and nothing will grow there for months. (FYI, it is illegal to salt another person’s property. It’s called vandalism.)
5. Rubbing Alcohol – Rubbing alcohol is used around the house because it draws water out and helps to evaporate it quickly. Guess what? If you put it on a plant, it will do the same thing. You will be basically sucking the life blood out of the weed. Makes you want to run right out and try it, huh? But again, rubbing alcohol is non-selective. It will kill any vegetation it comes contact with.
6. Corn Meal – Corn meal doesn’t really kill weeds, it just stops the weed seeds from ever developing. Corn Gluten is a pre-emergent, which is a fancy way of saying that is it is a seed birth-control. Corn meal scattered around an area will keep any seed in that area from growing into a plant. This means a weed seed or a desirable seed. This method is a good option for areas that you plan on planting grown plants in.
7. Newspaper – If murdering your weeds with chemicals is not your style, you can always smother them. Laying down a layer of newspaper at least 4 sheets thick (the more the better) will go a long way towards killing the weeds underneath. The weeds that are already there will die from lack of sun and the weed seeds will not be able to sprout because they are not getting any sun to start with.

As an added bonus, many of these 7 homemade weed killers can be combined to produce super results. For example, the boiling water can be mixed with the salt or the vinegar (or both) for a super weed killer. Use common sense when combining chemicals and make sure that there are no adverse reactions.

You can also add a few drops of liquid dish soap to the liquid homemade weed killers for added effectiveness. The soap is not harmful to the weeds but the soap acts as a sort of bonding agent and will help the weed killers to stick to the weed more effectively.

Since most of these homemade weed killers are all-or-nothing weed killers, you may want to use a weed killer shield with them to prevent sprays and splashes on desirable plants.

So, go forth and cleanse thy garden of its weedy sins.

In this post I am going to cover Canada Thistle

Spring
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SummerComing Soon

FallComing Soon

Latin Name: Cirsium arvens
Common Names: Canada thistle, Creeping Thistle, Californian Thistle, Field Thistle, Corn Thistle

Lifespan: Perennial

Conditions it likes: This weed grows best in recently disturbed (i.e. tilled or dug) soil. It can grow in any type of soil, including high salt content dirt.

Spreading habits: Spreads by seeds or creeping root system.

Best way to eliminate it from your garden:

Organic: The first thing to remember is do not pull this weed out of the ground. The roots are designed to break and split when pulled, so wherever you pull out one, two will grow later.

One way to combat Canada Thistle is to plant the area with competitive plants, such as grass and alfalfa. But, while this method will reduce the amount of Canada Thistle, it may not completely eliminate it.

Another way is to vigorously pinch or snip the plant as new growth appears (about every 10 days) until the plant dies due to lack of sunlight and the food made by the leaves. Black plastic covering an infected area will work too as will razing or controlled burning the area repeatedly. Any of these methods may take several months or years to completely control the infestation.

Boiling water may also be used to try to eliminate the plant but the entire root system must be treated with the boiling water. Please note that boiling water will kill any vegetation that it comes in contact with so this method should not be used if the Canada Thistle has infested an area that already contains plants you want to keep.

Non-Organic: Canada Thistle is resistant to many types of herbicides, including all or nothing herbicides such as RoundUp. You will most likely need to do several applications of herbicide before the infestation is completely taken care of. It is recommended that you use organic methods (listed above) to weaken the Canada Thistle before applying herbicide. The herbicide will work much more effectively on a weakened plant. Canada Thistle is also susceptible to overwatering. Too much water will weaken the Canada Thistle temporarily. Try applying herbicide after a heavy rainfall or after purposely overwatering the area the Canada Thistle has infested. Start weed control in the early spring and repeat until the infestation is gone.

Notes of interest: Canada Thistle produces a chemical that will inhibit the growth of other plants, even other Canada Thistles. Canada Thistle is also a food source for the engrailed moth. Grazing animals will not eat anywhere near where Canada Thistle grows, so if you own horses or cows, a bad infestation of Canada Thistle in your pastures can cause problems. Canada Thistle is not from Canada. It actually came from Europe.

This gardener’s rating of this weed: Cockroach of the plant world. I think if nuclear holocaust were to happen, Canada Thistle would make it through without batting a leaf.

In this post I am going to cover Quackgrass

Spring
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SummerComing Soon

FallComing Soon

Latin Name: Elytrigia repens
Common Names: Quackgrass, Couchgrass, Dog grass
Lifespan: Perennial

Conditions it likes: This weed will grow just about anywhere but is particularly invasive in sandy soil as it can spread more easily through it.

Spreading habits: Spread by seeds or creeping rhizomes.

Best way to eliminate it from your garden:

Organic: Weed early and frequently as the plant needs at least 2 months for the dreaded rhizomes to develop on it’s roots. If you get them while they are babies, you’ll have a better chance of getting rid of them.

If the infestation is already established, weed the infected area vigorously. Try to get as much of the roots of the plant as possible, but, just so you don’t feel bad, it’s near impossible to get them all as they are designed to break when pulled. After weeding, lay down a very heavy layer of mulch, at least several inches thick. You should probably use an under mulch layer of newspaper or, even better, plastic as well. (yes, it is that strong)

The mulch will need to stay in place for at least two years, possibly longer, due to the fact that the creeping rhizomes that remain in the ground after weeding may still be viable for this amount of time. If your infestation is particularly bad and you have sandy soil, you may want to amend your soil with some humus and compost.

Non-Organic: Quackgrass is only affected by all or nothing herbicides like Roundup. Weed only herbicides will not affect it. If the infestation is small and secluded spray the herbicide on as directed by the manufacturer. If the infestation is small and in mixed in with plants you would like to keep, try mixing the solution as directed by the manufacturer in a small open topped container and paint it onto the leaves of the quackgrass with a small paintbrush. You can also use the soda bottle method of herbicide application. Click here to read about how to make a soda bottle herbicide applicator. Apply herbicide in the spring or early summer when the weed is in growth mode.

Notes of interest: Quackgrass is actually a medicinal herb. It can be used for helping with urinary related problems. Pets like to eat this grass too as it helps with because of its medicinal qualities. Quackgrass is also food for a few types of caterpillars, such as the Long-dash skipper butterfly caterpillar.

This gardener’s rating of this weed: Spawn of Satan and the Energizer Bunny. Hard as hell to get rid of because it just keeps going and going.

In this post I am going to cover Hairy Bittercress

Spring
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SummerComing Soon

FallComing Soon

Latin Name: Cardamine hirsuta
Common Names: Hairy Bittercress
Lifespan: Annual

Conditions it likes: It growns best in soils that are kept consistantly moist or wet and have been cultivated (i.e. tilled or moved around). It frequently will enter a gardener’s yard though a greenhouse purchased plants. Due to the fact the greenhouse grown plants are regularly watered in potting soil, this creates a perfect enviroment for these weeds to grow on the pot soil.

Spreading habits: Spread by seeds. It produces an explosive seed pod. If you touch the pod, it pops and shoots the seeds as far as 10 feet away.

Best way to eliminate it from your garden:

Organic: Weed vigorously in the spring and throughout the year before seed pods develop. If you have an infestantion after the seed pods develop do not try to weed. Cover the infested area with a cloth or tarp. Set the tarp over the area flat. Do not drag the tarp over the area when you are laying it down. You are trying to contain the explosive seed pod pops. Once the tarp is down, gentally move the tarp back and forth. This will disturb the seed pods and cause them to pop. The seeds will be contained by the tarp to that area. Remove the tarp, weed and then apply cornmeal to the infested area to act as a pre-emergent. Keep an eye on the area after this and weed vigorously at the first sign of growth. It is also helpful to make changes that will allow the area to dry out a bit, such as watering less frequently or correcting any drainage problems.

Non-Organic: Apply weed killer as soon as you see the plant. Add a pre-emergent to the area as a preventative measure. If seed pods have already developed, pre-emergent is a must. Spread the pre-emergent in an a 10′ radius of the weed.

Notes of interest: This is an edible weed. Try adding it to salads. It has a slightly citrusy flavor.

This gardener’s rating of this weed: Pain in the butt if it gets to the seed pod stage. I have seen it take over a newly seeded yard because of the exploding seed pods. But I have to admit, it is a pretty plant when it’s flowering.