Weeds, Insects and other Creatures

White Vinegar

• This solution will kill broadleaf plants as well as grass plants so be careful of where you spray it.
• Mix together 3 parts vinegar to one part dishwashing liquid.
• Spray the mixture in a narrow stream on the weed's leaves and the base of the plant. Multiple applications may be necessary.

Organic (Horticultural) Vinegar

• Horticultural vinegar (20% acetic acid) is much higher in acidity than food vinegar(5% acetic acid). This solution will kill broadleaf plants as well as grass plants so be careful of where you spray it.
• Mix together 10 parts vinegar to 10 parts water with 1 part dishwashing liquid.
• Spray the mixture in a narrow stream on the weed's leaves and the base of the plant.

Boiling Water

• Boiling water will kill any plant and seed it touches.  Just pour it on the plant, being careful not to splash on any desirable plants.

Alcohol 

• Mix 1 tablespoon rubbing alcohol with 1 liter of water.  Spray the mixture on the weeds thoroughly but lightly. This will kill all plants, so be careful of where you spray it.  For tougher weeds, you may need to increase the amount of alcohol you use.

Dandelions

Prevention

• Minimize the number of dandelions your lawn has by not letting the flowers go to seed. Mow your lawn often to keep the flowers from maturing.
• Dandelions thrive in acidic, compacted soil.  Check the pH of your soil with a home testing kit and adjust the pH if necessary.  In gardens, use a deep organic mulch to reduce the dandelion population.

Physical Control

• Hand dig out the plant, removing as much root as possible.  Spot treat the hole with boiling water. Spread grass seed on the bare spot to prevent weeds from returning.

Quack grass

Prevention

• Quack grass thrives in compacted soil with low organic matter.  Make your lawn inhospitable to the weed by aerating at least once a year and by adding organic matter such as compost to your soil.

Physical Control

• Keep pulling it out.  Make sure to get the entire root as small pieces can sprout new quack grass.  If mowed regularly, the quack grass population will decline.

Chickweed

Prevention

• The presence of chickweed in your lawn indicates high fertility.  Do not add any more organic material.

Thistles

• Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is a persistent perennial weed in the northern half of North America. It produces new plants from buds on its wandering roots, and by shedding thousands of seeds. Promptly remove this or any thistle with rosy pink blossoms from your property. If you cannot dig Canada thistle right away, mow the plants often to weaken the roots and reduce reseeding. Digging is the best way to kill mature plants. Be careful to remove all broken root pieces from the dug site. Between digging sessions, you can weaken plants by spraying them with a clove oil-based organic herbicide.

Creeping Charlie

Borax

• Borax works well on creeping charlie.  Note: it may cause yellowing of nearby grasses.  If yellowing occurs, mow the grass frequently and it should clear up within 6 weeks.
  Mix together 5 teaspoons borax and 1 liter of water. (measure the borax exactly- too little won't work and too much can kill your lawn) Spray to cover a 25-square-foot area. Fertilize and water the grass afterwards so it rapidly fills in the space left by the weeds.

Ants

• One is to reat the nests with ant control nematodes, these are microscopic worm-like creatures also known as eelworms, which are available from specialist suppliers such as Green Gardener www.greengardener.co.uk or Just Green www.just-green.com
• Now the nematodes do not appear to actually kill the ants but they do irritate them so much that they abandon the nest and move elsewhere, usually for some distance as treated lawns did not see new colonies appear shortly after treatment. The nematodes are simply watered on to the nests.
• The other promising new treatment is made by Growing Success. It is called Termin 8 and is a product based on silica in a puffer pack. This is once again puffed down into the nest and each of the silica grains looks very much like a snowflake when viewed under great magnification. This means that it has lots and lots of very sharp cutting edges which slice through the external skeleton of the ants, making them dehydrate and die. These granules once applied remain active for a very long time and the foraging ants have to get through them to reach the surface so they do have a real effect.
• Both these products are totally safe as far as pets, children and other wildlife are concerned.

Dew Worms

• Dew worms or “night crawlers” are earthworms that are active at night.  They surface and crawl about during wet or rainy weather.  This insect leaves casts on the surface, making the lawn bumpy and uneven.  Dew worms are more common in older, shady, heavily watered lawns.
• Earthworms or dew worms are extremely valuable in creating tops and maintaining soil fertility. You can do a number of things to remove the bumps and reduce their appearance:
• Remove and reduce the thatch layer with core aeration.  Leave the cores on the surface to allow the soil organism in the cores to break down the thatch from the top.
• Use gypsum (calcium sulphate) to help break down the castings before raking the lawn.
• Collect and compost the clippings from the lawn. Use the compost to top dress the lawn or apply to flower and shrub beds.
• Maintain even and deep soil moisture. Apply 2.5 cm of water every 7 to 10 days. 
• Avoid watering in the evening and for long periods of time.