I am new to organic gardening and need help with weed control ideas. Keeping them pulled doesn't seem to be enough, and I need a product that will keep them out of my flower beds and lawn ASAP! I'd like to find something locally or mix up somethign myself, but I really don't know where to start. The only thing I find is Dirt Doctors Soil Mender, which is probably great, but I have a large yard and need something that is more economical. Any suggestions?

"Weeds" are plants that are growing in a place where you don't want them. Modern "chemical pushers" promote absolutely weed-free monocultures as "desirable" lawns, and promote specialized granules and sprays to kill categories of "weeds" depending on what they are mixed in with. So a first step is to take a good look at your own attitude about "weeds." Are you trying to create a turf that is an artificial monoculture of turf grass, or are you willing to overlook a few tender green things that look just like turf when they're regularly mowed?

As an illustration, I'll give my yard as an example. I wouldn't mind having clover in with my turf grass, and have been meaning to pick up some seed to mix in with the grass. It does some good as a nitrogen-fixer and is an old fashioned "pre-herbicide era" look. People didn't want to kill off the clover until the chemical was developed to do it, and someone conceived the idea that the clover shouldn't be there in order to sell the chemical. You can spot-spray with vinegar; this will kill the grass around the weed, but the grass grows back pretty quickly.

In the garden you can use a variety of things to keep the weeds down without having to mix up something to spray. After preparing the soil and as you plant your desired plants, lay down a layer of newspaper (several sheets at a time) around those plants, and put mulch over the top of it. This barrier will keep out a lot of weeds.

Vinegar is a warm-weather weed killer. When you can get a clear shot without hitting the desirable plants, you can use 10% vinegar in the garden to spot spray individual weeds. See the recommendations here at the Dirt Doctor site, and his weekly newsletter on March 12 was all about vinegar information. There are a variety of recipes, depending on what you're trying to accomplish.

All of that said, keeping the grass well-fertilized with corn gluten meal and dry molasses will help the turf crowd out the weeds. Poke around through the DirtDoctor site and you'll find lots of recommendations for how and when to fertilize to keep weeds down. Since I don't specialize in turf (I have a healthy mix of green stuff out there) I'll end my advice at this point. There are folks who can tell you a lot more about this depending on the type of grass you're growing and the zone you're in.

Good luck! It's a great choice to go organic!

Mulching your beds will help alot. Bagged or in bulk from one of the bulk suppliers will work. I personally like Shredded hardwood but native tree trimmings are still the best if you can get them. That is what I am using at Daisy acres between and on top of my rows.Adding compost your grass will help to bring life to your turf as well as adding dry or liquid molasses. I do both. The total organic program will greatly improve the quality of your turf, just do not give up too soon.
Let nature work its miracle and all will benefit!

Walker,.....Your shared scenario lacks perhaps some other helpful info. Undesired weeds can often be sourced by a hefty seed "bank" that exists when one has experienced (prior) weeds maturing fully and going to-seed, dropping that seed, and the seemingly endless struggle to get rid of new sprouts for years into the future.

Have you imported a load or two of garden-prep "soil" from a local vendor ? Did you top-dress your lawn with it ?....and put some in your planting beds ? Is there an adjacent property which became rampant with un-controlled weeds in prior seasons....and those seeds may have entered your property ?

Remain diligent to taking them on, one-by-one, and do your best to pull them out once they are evident to you that the sprout is not something that YOU planted. Use a digging tool, loosen the soil around the sprout, and firmly pull it out as best you can. Toss those young sprouts into the compost pile. Just don't let ANY weed go to maturity !

You do have one substance that will offer great benefit to your lawn that has been uniquely noted to deter weed seed (AND over-seeded grass seed too !) germination. If you plan to apply new scattered grass seed over a thin lawn.....then you have a sincere timing issue to reconcile first. Consider getting some corn gluten meal and evenly apply over your lawn, as early in the spring as possible, and be willing to re-aply in mid-summer to allow it's breakdown in advance of those other (weed) seeds that will undoubtedly arrive....unknown to you. CGM is a natural nitrogen source for slow-feeding of your turf lawn. If this is the spring/summer when you expect to scatter new grass seed over the existing lawn to fill in weak and thin areas....then you will be conflicted by also using CGM.

Discuss your plans and timing with the local County Extension office.