How to get rid of weeds in the garden

Key steps

• Use newspaper and mulch to suffocate weeds and clear flowerbeds.

• Spray weeds with vinegar.

• Use 1 ½ tbsp vodka in 2 cups of water to dry out weeds.

• Use a 3:1 water to salt solution to kill weeds.

• Take care using these solutions as to not kill off flowers, too.

Have you seen our advice and top tips for lawn maintenance? Good garden care isn’t just keeping a well-mown lawn; you also need to prevent weeds, which when left alone will always end up springing up in a garden. Read on to find our top tips and methods for how to remove weeds without harming your own plants, and for clearing large areas of weeds before you start planting.

Make yourself a nice cup of PG Tips, then take the kettle outside to pour the remaining just-boiled water over the weeds. This will burn them, making them easier to remove. Just be careful not to catch the plants you want to keep!

How to get rid of weeds: top tips for weed removal, including homemade remedies

If you have weeds in your grass or flower beds, there are some simple solutions to help you get rid of them:

1. Try newspaper to clear a flower bed ready for planting

Got some nice flower beds that you want to add a splash of colour to, which have been over taken by weeds? Use newspaper!

• Lay down layers of newspaper over the top of the weeds, completely blocking their access to sunlight and air.

• Slightly dampen the newspaper to weigh it down.

• Add a layer of mulch.

• This will smother and kill the weeds quickly and easily, and the mulch-newspaper layers will decompose and add nourishment to the soil for your flowers.

2. Use a vinegar spray

Vinegar is a desiccant and a homemade vinegar weed killer will easily kill off any weeds in your garden.

• Simply spray vinegar over weed leaves.

• Take care to not spray any flowers or grass, as it will also kill of these, too!

• Avoid using vinegar for weeds like pennywort and thistles as it is less effective on these.

3. Make a vodka mix

If you want to dry out weeds in your garden, a diluted vinegar mix will do the trick.

• Add 1 ½ tablespoons of vodka to 2 cups of water.

• Use this mix to water any weeds which grow in the sun.

• Take care to not use the mix near flowers or grass you want to survive, as it will dry these out, too.

• Avoid using this mix of shade-loving weeds, as it is less effective on these.

4. Try using salt to kill weeds

Salt is a budget friendly, readily available product to help you get rid of weeds.

• Add salt such as table salt or rock salt to water. You should add it in a ratio of 3:1 water to salt.

• Water the weeds with this mixture.

• If the weeds do not seem to be dying, increase the amount of salt in your mix.

In this simple guide we’ve shown you how to get rid of weeds, and now you can use natural home remedies such as salt or vinegar to keep your garden in top condition.