The Baking Ingredient That Can Prevent Weeds From Growing In Cracks

Weeds can pop up all over your yard, from your lawn to your garden and even your sidewalk. Many people prefer to remove weeds because they aren't aesthetic, although, it's beneficial to remove them for more than just their bad looks. As weeds grow in your lawn or garden, they rob from the plants you purposefully added, fighting to stay alive by stealing water and nutrients from the soil that should have gone to your flowers and grass. Weeds can even become infested with pests or diseases that may transfer to nearby foliage.

It seems almost impossible that they can thrive in places no other plants dare to grow, but weeds are opportunists; all they need is just enough water, sunlight, and soil. Even the tiniest crack in your pavement or cement walkway can create enough of an environment for weeds to grow. Their strong roots push through the gap forcing their way up to the surface and ruining your sidewalk in the process. Luckily, if you notice them growing around your home, there is an easy method to eliminate them and prevent them from returning with a powerful ingredient you already have in your kitchen.

Baking soda is the key ingredient to killing unwanted weeds from any cracks in your your sidewalk or driveway. It's the same ingredient you use when baking cookies, so you don't have to run out of your house and buy something new. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which is phytotoxic to plants. This means it's toxic to all plant species if you use the right amount. It works because it has a high salt content that will suck the moisture out of the foliage and roots. Once this happens, your weeds will become dehydrated and die, so they can't grow back.

When using this method, you need to be careful because baking soda won't prevent just your weeds. Any foliage it comes into contact with will begin to dry until it dies or the baking soda is washed away. That's why you should stick to only using this option for weeds growing in sidewalk cracks or between pavers. That way you won't have to worry about it negatively affecting nearby plants you want to keep healthy.

Using baking soda to get rid of and prevent weeds is very simple. One option is to pour it straight out of the box. When you're using it to kill weeds, aim for about 1 teaspoon per plant. If the plant is particularly large, use more until it's entirely covered, from leaves to stems. An easy way to do this when the weeds are growing between cracks is by sprinkling the baking soda on the pavement and then using a broom to push it into the tiny crevices.

Another method is to make a baking soda spray. By adding other kitchen ingredients, you can make the solution even more potent for stubborn weeds. You'll want to mix 1 ½ cups of baking soda with either 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Then add it to 1 gallon of water. Once the solution is combined, transfer it to a spray bottle to easily apply it to your sidewalks. Simply spray it all over the weeds. Remember to reapply it every week when you're using it as a preventative. If other plants are nearby, be sure to protect them from the spray by covering all the foliage and the base of the plants.