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Like sugar, the common household staple baking soda has uses in the yard. Baking soda boosts your plants to resist pests, fungal growth, and more. So, baking soda is good for your plants in certain instances, but exercise caution, as using too much could kill your plants. It’s great for hunting for pesky weeds, but not great for tending to a sensitive garden.

The best way to prevent weeds is to use polymeric sand, which hardens and blocks weed growth when activated with water. If you're using regular sand, you'll need to refill and compact it more often. Keeping the surface clean and free of debris can also help prevent weed seeds from settling in the joints.

Crabgrass is very resilient, and homemade solutions like vinegar may not be strong enough. Typically, hand-weeding is the most effective option that doesn’t involve harmful chemicals. You can use corn-meal gluten as a natural pre-emergent herbicide, but it’s not as effective as chemical weed killers.

Each season’s climate influences approaches needed for effective suppression.