by Lorelei Cohen

Created on: September 13, 2008   Last Updated: May 06, 2010

Weeds have a remarkable tendency to grow where ever you do not want them to. They sow themselves, and they appear to thrive in gardens, flowerbeds, and lawns or where ever else it is where they are the least wanted. The seeds blow in each year on the wind, or are carried in by birds, squirrels, or other wandering wildlife. Sometimes we bring them onto our property within the small cracks and wedges in the soles of the shoes that we wear or in the tires of our vehicle. They are officially designated as "weeds" and they put you on a never ending mission to remove them from your little section of paradise.

It is possible to remove them using as few harmful chemicals as is possible. Although this task usually does involve some degree of manual labor, there are two organic solutions for destroying weeds that work well, especially on younger plant matter. Plain boiling water is one of these solutions and full strength vinegar is the other. When using boiling water pour it directly onto the unwanted plant. Repeat as necessary. If the first application is not enough then repeat the process till it is effective, the returning plant will be weaker then the first time that it grew there. Usually three applications will usually be sufficient to eliminate even the most stubborn of plants. When using vinegar on your unwanted plant matter; use a spray bottle to saturate the plant. The higher the acidic acid level in the vinegar then the more effective it will be for weed destruction. For lower acidity vinegar solutions expect to repeat the application a few times for total weed removal.

For plants that grow within the cracks in your driveway or walkway snip off the main bulk of the plant with garden shears, and then slowly pour your solution over and directly on to, the remainder of the plant. It will not only kill the plant but it will also destroy the majority of the root.  If this procedure is being done on your lawn area be sure to plant grass seed immediately afterwards. Crowding out weeds and not allowing them room to grow works very effectively at preventing future seedlings from taking root in your lawn. Always be sure to sun dry or oxygen starve the offending weed clippings before disposing of them.

When the garden seedlings are first starting to open their little sprigs to the warmth of the spring sun it can be difficult, with so many plants growing there, to determine which ones are the seedlings and which ones are the weeds. Sometimes it is best to delay

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