6. Suffocate the suckers
It doesn’t sound humane, but weeds cropping up and ruining your beautiful garden get what’s coming to them. To nix weeds naturally, layer the desired area with at least four sheets of newspaper. The paper keeps sunlight from feeding pesky weeds. Weigh the newspaper down with a layer of mulch.
7. Grow your lawn
Oddly, one of the best ways to keep weeds at bay is to keep your lawn fertilized. Thick, healthy grass takes up tons of space on the ground and blocks weeds from sprouting, according to This Old House. Just be careful: Too much fertilizer (even the natural kind) can kill your grass.
8. Hand-weed
It’s not fun, but it’s effective. The best way to kill weeds and stop them from taking over your yard is to do it by hand. You’ll want to catch the weeds in their infancy. Use a sharp tool and yank the entire weed (root included). Reseed the area with grass as soon as you pull the weed to encourage grass growth and block out weeds.
9. Boiling water
It’s safe. It’s simple. It works. Just pour a pan of boiling water over a weed and watch it wither and die.
RESOURCES BANNER IMAGE CREDIT, TREE HUGGER, READER’S DIGEST, AND THIS OLD HOUSE