>U Mom Knows Best: Safe Natural Ways To Control The Weeds ~ Black Plastic Method

Safe Natural Ways To Control The Weeds ~ Black Plastic Method

Frustrated by weeds in your yard? Weeds are not a pretty sight in your backyard. While reaching for a chemical weed spray may be a solution, there are safer natural ways to control the weeds.

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  I am not a fan of all the weeds that grow like crazy year-round. When it rains here, we get even more weeds. I live in the desert of Albuquerque New Mexico and we don’t get much rain here but this year we had an abundance of rain this past spring, way more than usual. I think we have even set records for the rain. So all that rain has meant more than the usual amount of weeds. So that has left me looking for a new way to control the weeds. I so want my summer yard cleanup day not to be an all-day project. I wanted a new way for weed control that does not involve any nasty toxic chemical products like Roundup as I do not want these cancer-causing chemicals in my yard.


Killing the weeds without toxic chemicals

 I usually spray the weeds that grow in my yard with a non-toxic homemade weed spray and that does a good job of killing the weeds quickly. This year has been different for weed control as the rain has left me with way too many weeds. I had sprayed the weeds with my DIY weed spray at the beginning of May and pulled way too many weeds, but more weeds grew. I think the windy spring that we had planted more seeds than usual this year and the rain caused them to grow.  So I am tired of pulling weeds and I am trying something different this year with my weed prevention to see if I can prevent the weeds from growing in the first place. I am looking at natural ways beyond pulling the weeds, to kill the weeds. I don’t want to use harmful chemicals in my yard like the stuff Monsanto produces. I have known for years that the weed sprays like Roundup have been linked to diseases like cancer so I have avoided using them in my yards for a long time. I love that the recent lawsuits against Monsanto have made people aware of the dangers of glyphosate.


Using black plastic to prevent weeds from growing

  My yard is made for the desert, so I do not have grass in my yard. My yard is xeriscaped with drought-resistant plants and rocks. I have a big yard that is loaded with rocks and weeds. One would think that weeds could not grow on the rocks, but they do. The weeds here have long roots that push their way through the rocks. So, I decided to see if laying thick black plastic on the ground could kill the existing weeds and prevent the weed seeds from growing. I discovered this technique online as this is a popular way to prepare the soil for growing a garden. The thick 2ml black plastic is supposed to keep the seeds from getting the sunlight that they need to grow. 

 The black plastic will heat things up and not allow the weeds to get exposed to light and this kills the weeds. You do have to leave the plastic cover over the ground for two months for all this to happen.  This method works best when the weather is warm, so summer is the ideal time. This technique is good for large spaces and it will kill everything growing underneath it so don’t lay the plastic over your grass unless you want to kill your grass. If you have a concrete patio that has weeds over it, this plastic would be great for laying over. Sure, laying down plastic means my yard looks ugly for a couple of months but if this works then I will have a nice yard for the rest of the year. 



 This black plastic method would be ideal for a space where you want to grow a garden. You can find this black plastic in the paint section at hardware stores and stores like Walmart. The plastic comes in rolls of different lengths. The plastic was easy to lay on the ground and I used bricks and rocks to hold it down. I mostly laid the plastic over the problem areas of my yard. I used big rocks and bricks to hold the plastic in place as it can get windy here. 

 When you do remove the plastic, I recommend wearing gloves and a face mask. The reason for this is there might be mold under the plastic from moisture. Then let the sun dry the land up for a couple days before cleaning up all the dead weeds. My friend who grew up on a farm recommends spreading limestone on the land to further kill the mold while my husband who is a health inspector says the sun will kill the mold.



Non-toxic homemade weed spray

 Another way that I kill the weeds is with a natural non-toxic weed spray that uses three ingredients. Most people even have these ingredients in their pantry. This safe weed spray does a great job of killing the weeds without chemicals. It is a safe weed spray that kills almost any plant that you spray it on. This safe homemade weed killer works in 24 hours. So, make sure to not spray it on your grass or it will kill it. I am able to use this spray in my yard as I spray it on the weeds that grow on my rocks. This DIY-safe weed spray is great for the weeds that grow on the sidewalk, driveway, or patio.

Items that you need to kill the weeds naturally



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Pulling the weeds

The most natural way to control the weeds is to pull them. This may work for the big weeds, but it really does not work for the ones with the long hard-to-pull root or those tiny pain-in-the-butt weeds. If you are one of the lucky people who only have a few weeds in their yard then pulling the weeds method works. My yard has way too many weeds for me to pull them all at once, but I will pull some of the weeds and then use the above methods also to control my weeds.

 These are some of the natural ways that I control the weeds in my yard. This is the first year that I am trying the black plastic method and I am hoping that it works to prevent the weeds from growing. I am not a fan of yard work and I really hate pulling weeds every year. I want to be able to enjoy my yard in the summer so I will do anything to control the weeds as long as it does not involve toxic chemicals. My yard is my place to relax and a place for my kids to play. My favorite place to relax in my yard is under the pergola on my purple Adirondack chairs that I restored myself a couple of years ago.


How do you control the weeds in your yard?



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56 comments:

Jamie said...

What a beautiful yard. I'm going to tell my husband about these tricks. We have some coming up in the rocks right now. Is that a snake in the last picture? AAAHHH!!!

Why Girls Are Weird said...

OMG we're struggling with weeds right now so bad, and with dogs it's hard to deal with them! Thank you so much for this post!

AiringMyLaundry said...

I will try these out. We have some bad weeds in the backyard that I need to get rid of. Your backyard looks awesome.

Mom Knows Best said...

It is a fake snake. I like to decorate my yard with fake animals. We do have real snakes here but I have never seen any in my yard.

Jessi Joachim said...

I love your back yard area! We don't have a big weed issue in our yard, but we have been wanting to clean up the yard and build an outdoor entertaining area.

Sarah Bailey said...

Your garden looks lovely, what a place to get to sit back and relax in! I love how you have put it together. Our garden has been horrid for weeds this year! Just a nightmare.

Cristina Petrini said...


Here is this yes that is useful for my garden! I will apply your advice!

Alvern said...

I wish I had come across this 10 years ago as I had to deal with some weeds in my one of my gardens. It is so great to know that you found a way to solve the weed problem.

Ceci Rey said...

This was very informative. I like the non toxic options...especially for our two fur babies.

Brittany said...

Oh a natural way to control weeds! This is a great idea! I love this post.

Debra Schroeder said...

Weeds are the bane of my husband’s existence. We use a lot of black plastic but haven’t tried non-toxic spray yet.

Heavenly Savings said...

I love your backyard! My husband really wants to xeriscape our front yard. It would be so much easier then dealing with weeds!

Alexandra said...

Some weeds can cause real issues around my yard. This is an excellent way to do it the green way!

Hannah Marie said...

I am actually impressed by all of this since the beginning. All of them are so clever and stuff I never thought of. You are the weed control queen.

Terri Beavers said...

I saw some weeds this morning and they've got to go. Since there are so many animals around here, I don't like to use anything with chemicals. I'll try the non-toxic homemade weed spray and see if it will get rid of the pesky weeds for me.

Brittany Vantrease said...

I live in an area where we have a lot of grass, so I can mow a lot of my yard and not care too much about the weeds, but the previous owner mad a large rock path, which was beautiful when when we moved in, but with having a newborn at the time, it was quickly overgrown with weeds. I've had a difficult time ever since getting rid of them. These are great tips!

Kiwi said...

Weeds can be so annoying! These are great tips on how to manage these naturally!

Mom Knows Best said...

Those weeds sure do grow fast. Congrats on the new baby.

Mom Knows Best said...

I am glad you are chemical free for the animals

Mom Knows Best said...

Make sure to lay down xeriscape landscape fabric to help prevent weeds. We have it in our front yard but not it the backyard so we have more weeds in the backyard

Jennifer Tanney said...

I've never been around anything other than grass in the yard. I can see how weeds can drive you nuts. They are definitely a huge problem while gardening. I've definitely thought about using the black plastic. It's way better to instead of toxic weed killer around my veggies.

Enriqueta E. Lemoine said...

You forgot the best method; kids! My personal favorite way to get weeds, and keep the kids out the house for a while

Adventures in Aussieland said...

We struggle with weeds at my house. The biggest hurdle I run into is finding a weed killing method that isn't going to harm my dog.

Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen said...

My husband is the "gardener" here at home. Will tell him about this. Thanks!

Side Street Style said...

Thanks so much for sharing these as I currently have a weed issue in my garden but don't want to use harsh chemicals

Laura x

Kiwi said...

Wow never thought about the black plastic or the homemade weed spray. Yes less chemicals to kill the weeds the better.

Ben said...

I have to make that weed spray. The weeds are out of control in a lot of spots on my property, but I haven't wanted to use toxic stuff.

Claudia said...

Thank you so much for sharing all of these ideas. My husband and I have been battling weeds on our property for years, but we never wanted to give in and use the toxic chemical treatments that are out there. I can't wait to try these!

Kathy said...

I'm glad you shared this with us. I always get a lot of weeds and they're a pain. I never liked the toxic stuff either.

Kita Bryant said...

This is such an awesome guide. I hate using nasty chemicals on my lawn.

Nikki Wayne said...

I despise too much use of chemicals too. Thanks for sharing your hack!

Gervin Khan said...

Wow, I didn't know weeds can grow in your backyard. Anyway, it's illegal in our country maybe that's why, but this is so informative! Love this!

Wanda Lopez said...

I will pass this post to my husband. He's always looking for ways to keep our yard looking great.

Lynndee said...

Pulling the weeds in my flower garden is on my to-do list. And I may have to try that homemade weed spray. -LYNNDEE

Melanie Edjourian said...

We use black plastic to help minimise weed growth. Wood chips are also handy in helping and look pretty too.

Nichole M said...

Great advice! My current house is always overgrown with weeds and I need tips to control them. I look forward to moving and starting a landscape project from scratch as well!

Gust si Aroma said...

I don't love weeds either. And this is a great way to have avoid them!

Swathi said...

Yes our backyard contains more weed than the grass. We are trying all the things to control it. This post is really useful.

natalia flores said...

Wow, I love to have a garden like this and looks so refreshing

Marysa said...

We always stick with natural products for gardening, and we don't use chemicals. I'll have to try some of these.

Heather @ Raising Memories Blog said...

Thankfully we don't have to worry about ours since we rent in a place that takes care of the yard for us. Good to know for the future!

Heather said...

Love your backyard patio! We tend to get a lot of weeds so I will have to check this out.

Anonymous said...

The black plastic is a great idea! And making your own diy weedkiller too!!

Kathy said...

This is all great to know. I hate the thought of using anything toxic. I have chickens and ducks, so I have to be very careful with what I use.

Christy G said...

I’ve heard vinegar works well at killing weeds naturally. I haven’t tried it but will be spraying some weeds with vinegar this weekend.

Lady In Read said...

thanks for these tips! we definitely need to get to our garden this year and the weeds are having a field day out there right now

Gust si Aroma said...

I love your weed spray. I've made it and it really works!

Lavanda of Appetizers & Entrées said...

As someone who loves gardening but hates dealing with those pesky weeds, your tips and suggestions are a total game-changer.

Lisa said...

Thanks for all the helpful tips and tricks for this. I'll have to start investing in this for my own garden.

Monica said...

That's great you found something that isn't harmful to control the weeds. We have a lot of them too here in IL. We did put down some black stuff in our box garden one year and it helped!

Beautiful Touches said...

The black plastic tarp is a pretty effective and cost efficient method for keeping the weeds at bay!

Anonymous said...

Those are some great ideas on controlling the weeds in your yard!

Richelle Milar said...

Wow! These are all really great and awesome ideas! Thanks for sharing this

Rose Ann Sales said...

Weeds can be really stressful but thanks to this ideas! This is really helpful

Monidipa said...

Thank you for sharing this informative article on using black plastic to control weeds. I found the tips and step-by-step instructions to be very helpful and easy to follow. Your approach of using natural methods is appreciated. Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Very cool and when. I was younger I lived in Lake Havasu for a while and the dessert was so strange to me after coming from the uber green east coast ;) It is a pain with those weeds though and they can make it through anything! Wish my other plants would do as well LOL. Love that there plastic works for you!

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