GardeningPreventing Weeds

7 Natural (and Effective) Methods to Prevent Weeds From Growing In Your Garden

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I know you've all experienced that moment in the garden when you're out checking your plants and all of a sudden, you noticed weeds are popping up everywhere in your garden.

These weeds have been one of the problems that makes gardeners frustrated as they can harm their plants.

In this article, I’ll share everything you need to know about preventing weeds naturally and methods that you can implement right away.

What are Weeds?

Weeds are basically plants that grow where they’re not wanted.

These weeds compete with your flowers or veggies for nutrients, water, and sunlight, which is very frustrating as they take away what your main plants need to thrive.

What's worse is that these weeds reproduce quickly and can spread their seeds over wide areas, which makes them hard to control over time. 

Good thing there are ways on how to prevent them—naturally.

Yes, you read it right.

Without wasting money on purchasing expensive chemicals like glyphosate or whatnot to avoid them, there are natural ways on how to get rid of these pesky weeds. 

7 Natural Ways to Prevent Your Weeds From Growing

Getting rid of these weeds goes beyond just making your garden look good, but also it's about creating an eco-friendly and healthy garden.

Here are some natural and effective methods to help you manage weeds naturally:

1. Cover with Mulch

One of the most effective natural methods to control weeds is to apply a mulch over them. With a mulch on top, it can block sunlight from reaching weed seeds which stops them from growing. 

Since sunlight is essential for plant growth, blocking it is a simple way to stop pesky weeds from growing everywhere.

To get started, cover the ground where you want to suppress the weeds with cardboard or several layers of newspaper (make sure all tape is removed from the cardboard, and you're not using anything glossy).

Once you've prepared the area, choose your mulch. There are many organic options available, like grass clippings, shredded bark, straw, and more.

If you want to make your own organic mulch, consider using the Berkeley method for composting as a guide.

Personally, I like to use whatever I have on hand. For example, since I have a lot of leaves right now (as of writing this), I would use a bunch of chopped up leaf mulch.

Before applying the mulch, clear away any existing weeds or debris from the area. Lightly water the soil to help the mulch stick better and retain moisture for your plants.

After that, spread the mulch evenly to a thickness of about 2 to 4 inches. Just be sure to keep it a few inches away from the stems of your plants to prevent rotting.

This layer of mulch will help control weeds while also benefiting your garden by retaining moisture, regulating soil temperature, and adding nutrients as it breaks down over time.

2. Pull The Weeds By Hand

A father and a son pulling weeds together in a garden.


Pulling weeds by hand is actually a very effective way to stop them from popping up in your garden. 

There’s a study that shows pulling weeds by hand reduces the number of weeds and their growth, making it one of the most effective ways to control weeds compared to using chemicals.

By removing the entire roots of these weeds, you eliminate the ability of them to grow again and spread over your garden.

Just make sure to remove the entire root system when you pull those weeds. Since many weeds can grow back from just small pieces of their roots left in the soil, might as well take out the whole root so they won't keep on re-growing.

This complete removal helps stop any chance of the weeds growing back.

While it may sound tiring, this effort pays off by keeping your garden weed-free and thriving.

3. Soak Them With Boiling Water

If you’re looking for a quick and natural way to get rid of weeds in your garden, boiling water could be the solution.

Studies in agricultural journals show that using hot water can effectively reduce weed growth compared to untreated areas.  When you pour boiling water on the weeds, the intense heat causes the water inside the plant cells to turn into steam quickly, leading to cell damage and loss of pressure.

As a result, the plant wilts because it can’t hold its shape anymore.

The high temperature also disrupts the plant's ability to make food through photosynthesis by damaging chlorophyll and other parts needed for energy. So without this process, the plant (weeds to be specific) can’t survive.

If weeds in your garden are still young or newly sprouting, this method works best since they are more vulnerable to heat. 

Just be careful to use it only in areas where you haven't planted anything or avoid pouring it on any plants you want to keep.

4. Make Your Own Natural Weed-Killer

This method is easy to prepare and can be done with ingredients found in most households.

Instead of using high chemicals that might harm your plants or your garden overtime, natural weed killers are eco-friendly and cost-effective. 

Most ingredients used on these natural weed-killers are just vinegar, salt and dish soap.

Vinegar contains acetic acid, which dries out and damages plant cells. Salt dehydrates the weeds and stops them from absorbing water, while the dish soap acts as a surfactant, helping the mixture stick to the leaves of the weeds for better absorption.

To make the mixture, combine:

  • 1 gallon of white vinegar with
  • 1 cup of salt, and
  • 1 tablespoon of dish soap.

This combination makes the method effective at eliminating weeds.

You can also use 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol mixed with 1 quart of water as an alternative solution.

For best results, apply these sprays on sunny days. The heat helps the solution dry faster, making it more effective at killing weeds. When the mixture dries quickly, it can penetrate the plant tissues better, leading to improved control over weed growth

Just be cautious to avoid spraying desirable plants as these can damage anything they touch.

5. Keep the Soil Undisturbed

Disturbing your soil can have several disadvantages in the long run, even though it may seem beneficial at first.

For instance, when you till the soil, you bring buried weed seeds to the surface where they can get sunlight, which helps them grow. This often causes them to sprout, leading to new weeds—sometimes even different kinds that you never had too.

So, it’s better to leave your soil undisturbed. This helps keep the soil stable, making it harder for weeds to grow. When the soil stays intact, dormant weed seeds remain buried and are less likely to sprout.

Also, stable soil holds moisture better, which helps your plants while making it harder for weeds to thrive.

By maintaining undisturbed soil, you create an environment that is less favorable for weeds in the following season (provided you are using another of these methods to help remove some of the initial weeds you have).

To learn more about the pros and cons of tilling and not tilling, check out our previous article on till vs no-till.

6. You Can Also Try Solarization 

This method might sound complicated, but it’s actually quite simple to do.

As long as you have clear plastic, you’re good to try this.

When clear plastic is placed over the soil, sunlight heats the ground beneath it. Provided the temperature gets above 140F, the top 6 inches of the soil (where the roots of many types of weeds are coming from) will heat up enough to kill everything in it.

Though it might take several weeks, the process will be worth it. The longer the plastic remains in place, the more effective it eliminates the weeds.

You just have to make sure that you keep it at that temperature, as well as you don't go much higher than that, since doing so would cause you to start killing a lot of the essential microbes in your soil.

So always make sure you are keeping an eye on the temperature if you do try this method.

7. Lastly, Try Dense Planting

You might not realize it, but dense planting can actually prevent weeds from growing. By planting many of your crops closer together, you create shade over the soil more than normal.

Similar to covering the soil with mulch, dense planting blocks the sunlight, and helps keep the weeds from getting enough sunlight to grow.

When crops are planted close together, weed growth can be reduced by up to 50%. This happens because the plants compete for resources like water and nutrients, making it harder for weeds to survive.

 The crowded conditions of your plants also mean that the roots spread out more, leaving less room for weed roots to establish themselves.

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