I’m a Lonely Little Petunia …
How to keep the weeds down in your flowerbeds—without pulling a trigger
Herbicides containing glyphosate—Roundup is one example—have the reputation of being safer than other herbicides. However, the glyphosate is often combined with toxic “inert” ingredients, remains in the soil for months, and is associated with many of the same health risks as other herbicides.
Here are some alternatives:
Mulch. Keeps the weeds down and breaks down to enrich the soil. Use about three inches.
Gadgets. Some pop weeds out of the ground; others use flames or radiant heat to kill weeds.
Household vinegar. Like glyphosate-containing herbicides, vinegar browns whatever plants it contacts, so be careful where you apply it. You can use a spray bottle. If you mix in 10 percent liquid soap, the vinegar sticks better to the leaves. Apply it on a hot, sunny day, and coat the leaves well. It does not kill roots, so you may need to reapply it until a plant’s underground food stores are depleted. You can purchase premixed products, but you might want to avoid those with high acetic-acid concentrations—for example, 20 percent—which can injure eyes and skin. (Household vinegar has an acetic-acid concentration of about 5 percent.)