Spring has arrived and with the temperature rising it means weeds will become more of a nuisance, and can take over a garden if not tackled immediately. 

Weeds produce a large number  of seeds at this time of year, and removing them now will prevent them from spreading and harming any of your flowerbeds, 

Gina LiVorio, a gardening expert from Garden Savy, has warned that one mistake a lot of gardeners make is using weed killers that contain harsh chemicals, which can harm the local environment as well as garden plants. 

She said: “The alternative to chemical-based, store-bought weed killers are all-natural homemade weed killers. 

“Gardeners who are environmentally conscious enjoy using organic gardening methods because they don’t contain pesticides and herbicides that can harm the environment. They also protect the health of our children and pets, along with us gardeners who are using them.” 

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Lemon juice

The citric acid in lemon juice can work as a natural herbicide due to its acidity which burns the weeds and causes them to die off. 

It is generally the most effective on young weeds with shallow root systems which are growing now in spring. 

All you need to do is spay weeds with lemon juice at the base of the plant on a sunny day and keep applying until they are gone. 

Gina said: “Lemon juice is most effective when mixed with vinegar. The high acidity in both vinegar and lemon juice will lower the pH in the soil surrounding the weeds, which causes them to die.” 

Boiling water

Boiling water is one of the most effective ways to tackle weeds at their roots as the hot temperature quickly causes weeds to die off and not regrow. 

Be careful when handling the hot water and pour it directly onto the base of the weed on a sunny day. The weed should begin wilting immediately but keep applying until the water kills off all the pesky weeds in your garden. 

Gina said: “The steam from boiling water can be used as an effective natural weed killer, but when handling scolding hot water gardeners must exercise caution when using it. Pour the hot water directly on the weeds and watch as they disappear.

“Water not only won’t harm the environment, but it’s also the easiest method for natural weed killing in that it costs nothing, with no preparation needed other than boiling the water.”