How to Get Rid of Weeds, Slugs & Snails From Your Lawn

In gardens, orchards or on any surface where we have grass, it is common for plants known as weeds to grow. Perhaps, the name is not the most appropriate. Some of those known as weeds are actually plants that can be very valuable, for example, the case of red valerian or dandelion.

However, if you are one of those who try to keep the lawn or garden carefully, weeds can not only be not very aesthetic in that space but also compete for water, light and soil nutrients with the rest of the soil. garden plants and with the lawn itself. That is why in the following EcologiaVerde article, we will explain how to eliminate weeds from the lawn in different ways.

Weed Problems

If you want to keep the lawn impeccable, it is essential to control and keep weeds at bay. As we have said before, the problem of weeds is not only that they give the feeling of abandonment and neglect, but that neglecting the growth of these plants can cause other problems that directly affect the health of our grass:

• They compete with the plants you are growing for the same soil, light, water, and nutrients. What can make your plants not grow in all their splendor because weeds will end up with those limited resources?
• Weeds greatly facilitate the appearance of pests, for example, that of cochineal or aphid. These pests will not only affect weeds but also cause damage to grass and other garden plants.

How to tear weeds

As in so many other occasions in life, the best option is not always the easiest. In this case, surely the best thing is what has been done throughout life, that is, roll up the sleeves and tear the weeds off the grass one by one.

What you should do is take the plant and stretch it carefully, preventing it from breaking. In this sense, this is a task that will be much easier to do if the soil is wet. That’s why the best thing you can do is water or wait for it to rain and pluck them immediately if you let a lot of time go by, the plants would bloom again or leave their seeds in the ground.

If doing it with your hands seems to you to be too hard work, an option may be to use the hoe, but be careful, when using the hoe, you should keep in mind not to hit or split the root since then the plant will grow back from new.

Herbicides against weeds

If what we have explained in the previous section seems like too much work, you still have some options that do not require so much physical effort, for example, the use of herbicides to eliminate weeds:

• Selective herbicides: eliminate some type of weed in particular.
• Total herbicides: eliminate any type of weed.

For example, glyphosate, a herbicide with negative effects, is used to eliminate any type of weed. When the plant absorbs these herbicides, it is affected and eventually dies. That is why if you use a selective herbicide, it is advisable that you go very carefully when spraying it to prevent it from spreading through other plants or grass.

Among the most ecological and recommended alternatives, we have homemade preparations based on vinegar. The acetic acid present in this liquid has been proven as an effective contact herbicide. In the following EcologiaVerde article, we explain how vinegar, acetic acid, and weeds work.

Brushcutter for weeds

If the lawn is very extensive, another great solution to eliminate weeds can be a brushcutter. Among the main advantages of this machine is that you can clean a very wide area of ​​land in a few minutes and very easily. On the other hand, all that weed you remove can be left crushed integrated in one place.

However, you should be clear that this method does not eliminate the roots of plants, but simply the surface part of them. That is why from time to time you will have to repeat this process so that you can eliminate the plants as they grow.

How to Use Coffee to Get Rid of Snails and Slugs

One of the most used home remedies against snails and slugs is that of coffee grounds in the garden or orchard. The remains or grounds of ground coffee are very effective as a barrier against slugs or limacos, snails and worms, as it makes it difficult to pass through that area and also the composition is strong for them, being able to become toxic, and repels them immediately.

Place a thin layer of ground coffee or its grounds after using it in the area you want to protect. Do not be afraid to throw it very close to plants, because coffee is very good for the soil and helps improve its composition by helping it have more nitrogen.

In addition, another option is the ashes, which have the same repellent effect for these animals but are not as beneficial for your plants.

Garlic to eliminate slugs and snails

Another product to eliminate snails and slugs effectively without killing them is garlic, a plant that we use for food and has thousands of properties, benefits, and uses. It is a powerful repellent due to its strong components and is very easy to use while not damaging plants, crops or the environment. In addition, this natural remedy repels many more unwanted animals in orchards and gardens, such as aphid pests and is even one of the best homemade fungicides.

You can chop a few cloves of garlic and spread the pieces around the area you want to protect or, you can make an infusion in large quantities to spray it on the ground and plants when the sun does not give them the sun to prevent burning with the liquid and the sun’s rays.