Sandykk, if the weeds are deep rooted, then digging is the only sure way to go - just be CERTAIN to get all the root, or resign yourself to more digging for the resprouted plant - eventually it will be weakened and die. Vinegar can kill off the top growth - since it isn't systemic, it won't kill off well established roots and may have to be repeated, but eventually the weed will be weakened and die. If you decide to spray with vinegar, the ordinary household stuff will work - pickling vinegar, if you can get it, is a little stronger - you don't HAVE to look for the horticultural strength, which at 20-30% is a very strong acid, and should be treated with extreme caution. Mix a little pure soap (NOT detergent) in the sprayer with the straight vinegar, to make it stick to leaves better. Use it on a still, sunny day, when the temperature will be over 65F - the hotter and sunnier the better. Wash it off - AT ONCE - from anything it hits that you want to keep. While it will slightly acidify the soil/mulch it hits, this will wear off in a short time. Corn gluten meal will prevent new seeds from sprouting for 4-8 weeks, and then act as a light fertilizer. It will have NO effect on seeds that sprouted earlier nor on established plants. It is only newly sprouted roots that it inhibits. It works best scratched into the soil, although lightly scattered across the surface will also do. Applying it under mulch would also be effective. You can use ordinary corn meal or cracked corn, but the gluten levels are lower so the pre-emergent effect is less - they act more, and sooner, as a fertilizer.

"What is intensive planting?" Intensive planting is a way to grow plants by placing them close together in a garden. Their spacing is generally closer together than traditionally recommended distances. "How does it work?" As the plants mature their leaves begin to shade the ground. This helps to control the growth of weeds. Airborne weed seeds won't be able to take hold in a clear patch of ground. Weed seeds won't receive adequate sunlight for germination. Young weed seedlings will be crowded out or smothered by the leaves of larger growing plants. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I usually space young transplants about six inches apart. As the plants mature they grow in very tightly, filling any space between them, and that shades the ground reducing the amount of weeds I have to pull. Intensive planting combined with a layer of mulch has been very successful for me in reducing my weed chores! I love it! Trudi

Vinegar is a penny-wise and environmentally-safe means for killing weeds. It is easy to use and will not harm the environment. Simply place some undiluted household vinegar in a mister/sprayer bottle and spritz weeds to saturate their leaves. Usually within 6 to 48 hours the plant growth will wither and die. Young seedlings less than two weeks old will be killed entirely, older weeds will have their top-growth killed but may still resprout from the roots. What is vinegar and how it it made? The word vinegar comes from two Latin words: *vinum* meaning wine and *acer* sour. Vinegar can be naturally made by the decaying of plant parts in anaerobic situations. Acetic acid (often called ethanoic acid) is created by the fermentation of alcohol. Common household vinegar has about a 5% acetic acid concentration and is prepared from grapes (wine), apples (cider), or grains (malt). Fermentation creates vinegar when sugars are converted into alcohol and carbon-dioxide....the alcohol reacts with air and specific bacteria to make vinegar. Concentrated acetic acid created by synthetic processes is not considered organic and is not used by the organic agricultural community. Vinegar (made from plant sources) with high acetic acid concentration created by distillation or freeze-evaporation process is deemed acceptable for organic garden use. Will the acetic acid in vinegar harm my soil? It can temporarily reduce the pH of soil but this effect typically lasts only a couple of days. Acetic acid rapidly breaks down in water and so for the best results do not spray weeds just before a storm. The rains will dilute the vinegar and greatly reduce its effectiveness. Is there some research data available on this? The United State Department of Agriculture is currently researching the use of vinegar as an organic herbicide at their research facility in Beltsville, Maryland. Results so far are very promising and have shown that using vinegars with 10, 15, or 20% acetic acid concentrations have had an 80 to 100% kill-rate with many common weeds. Common household vinegar (with a 5% acetic acid concentration) has successfully killed the top-growth of Canada Thistle, one of North America's most noxious and widely spread weeds. However, regrowth from the roots did occur. To achieve the best results in eliminating Canada thistle spray very young plants every couple of weeks with household vinegar (5%). Where can I buy high concentration acetic acid vinegar? Look for it at Farm Supply Stores. Vinegar sold specifically for Home-Canning purposes also has an acetic acid concentration higher than five percent. Do I need to use high acetic acid concentration vinegar for weed control on my home property? I don't want to use anything that is caustic. Young weeds will be killed by spraying with plain household vinegar (5%), older weeds may require some additional spraying for effective control. Wear protective clothing and eye shields while using high concentration vinegars. Skin irritation from contact, lung irritation from fumes, and very severe and permanently damaging eye irritation from splashes are all possible. This might also be helpful: Will boiling water kill weeds? Newspaper as weed control? Organic Gardening Forum

Harvard University has gone to organic lawn care, so a study of what they are doing might be of interest to someone doing the same. Here is a link that might be useful: Harvards blog of lawn care