How to Use Soil Solarization to Get Rid of Weeds

Did you know that you can cook your garden weeds away? It’s true. The method to cook weeds is called soil solarization. It is an organic way to control weeds in your garden. It will control weeds that are already out of control and it will also keep new weeds from sprouting. Soil solarization is a popular alternative method to weed control, but it does require a bit of work.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• clean ground
• ax, hoe and other sharp garden tools
• mower
• tiller
• rake
• water hose
• landscaping plastic
• landscaping fabric

1. If you are starting a new garden from scratch and no previous work has been done on the site, you will need to start with a clean ground. Get ready to use your muscles because you will need to chop and hack down everything that is on site. This means you will have to remove any plants, shrubs, trees and flowers that you do not want to be in your garden.

2. After you have cleared the site it is a good idea to run your mower over the area to break up any loose matter that is left behind.

3. Next, you will need to use a ground tiller and go over the area thoroughly. The tiller will bring any debris, rocks, weed roots and other clumps to the surface. You can remove all of these with a steel rake. Once your area is free of clumps and smooth you should water it down with a hose.

4. You are finally at the stage where you will start the soil solarization process. Purchase landscaping plastic and secure it to the ground over your garden area. Many people will use blocks or long nails to secure the plastic. You should leave your garden area covered for five to six weeks. While it may look like nothing is happening, the truth is that the heat of the sun is cooking the weed seeds that are living in your soil.

5. After five to six weeks you can safely remove the plastic from your garden area. You can now apply your landscaping fabric and get back to gardening.

Tips & Warnings

• If you already have a pre-established garden and it is running over with weeds you can go right to the soil solarization cooking process and bypass the site preparation step.