Weeds can pop up anywhere in the garden, but can also find their way through cracks and crevices in patios or gravel. The obvious port of call to get rid of these pesky plants is to grab a chemical weed killer, but if you’re being mindful, there are a few alternative natural methods which can be just as effective.
Garden designer and TikTok creator Ish shared three natural and simple methods that can help banish weeds, one of which will help weeds “die off” in just a couple hours. You won’t need anything else apart from your kettle. Ish wrote in the video’s caption: “Sometimes the simplest is the most effective and in this case my gardening tips for beginner gardeners will show you how to use items in your home to do the weeding.”
You won’t need to shop around for chemical weed killers, with water doing the job without the need for extra help. Ish explained that boiling water is a good natural alternative, promising to root out weeds within hours.
He instructed to pour the boiling water directly onto the weed, making sure it’s a generous amount of water. Ish said: “You’ll start to find that the weed will die off within an hour or two, it really is that quickly.
“It’s really good on patios and gravel, but remember, this can damage other plants. So try and do it somewhere where there’s a hard surface and not around your other plants.”
The Spruce instructed to use a kettle-full of water, boiling it. Pour with a spout to protect from any risk of burning.
The experts advised to apply the boiling water to the dandelions and weeds you want to remove. They wrote: “Reapply after seven to ten days to increase the likelihood of killing the deep taproot. Keep in mind that any other plantings exposed to the water will also be damaged or killed.”
Boiling water can help remove weeds by “shocking” them, ultimately damaging the plant’s cells and, in turn, killing them. Carrie Spoonemore, co-creator of Park Seed’s From Seed to Spoon app, told Southern Living: “It is particularly effective on young, annual weeds and weeds growing in cracks or small areas.”
However, Robert Silver, gardening expert and CEO of Pro Gardening, told Real Homes that the boiling water method may not be the most effective removal method in the long run.
This is because the boiling water doesn’t get all the way to the root of the plant. He said: “The main reason boiling water fails as a weed killer is that it cannot get to the entire root system of most weeds.”
Boiling water won’t always be as effective because dandelion roots may grow sideways and deep into the soil, and they tend to have thick and fleshy roots. Robert explained: “Boiling water can kill the tops, but because soil insulates the roots, this allows them to regrow.”