Ironically, synthetic herbicides are poisonous not just to earthworms but to your lawn, too! Not to mention the harm they do to all the other innocent bystanders such as you, your family and pets, birds, wildlife and our waterways (and therefore fish). You might have killed that weed but many other things are killed and harmed in the process. Herbicides are made from petro-chemicals and are energy-intensive to produce. So using natural alternatives is important on many levels.
The first thing to take into account is that weeds warn of more serious issues so herbicides will not solve your deep-rooted problems. Herbicides are a quick temporary fix and you will continue to fight the weeds year after year. So the most environmentally friendly thing you can do is think long-term and invest in good soil management. The University of Wisconsin - Extension has a downloadable pdf with helpful information to get you started. Organic Gardening Magazine's website is also very informative.
Having said that, let's get to the problem at hand. The best solution to eradicate weeds is handpulling. Now the trick is to have a positive attitude rather than approaching it as though you are going to war with nature. Just think of it as great exercise, meditative and being one with nature. All right, if you aren't buying that or if for other reasons handpulling isn't an option there are other alternatives.
One technique is using a fabric ground cover under your mulch. It will block sunlight while still allowing for water, nutrients and air to permeate. The fabric is less costly than chemical pesticides and retains water so you don't have to water as often. It also protects against pests and soil erosion.
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Another option is to use organic products available at co-ops, local garden centers and on-line sites such as Clean Air Gardening and Gardens Alive. Some products to try are Ringer Lawn Restore, Weed-Aside and Deadeye. Corn gluten meal products such as WOW are popular preventative options but it's a little late to apply them now, so take note for next year.
If you just want to clean your hands of it all hire a professional lawn company that uses organic herbicides and fertilizers. Try locally owned Earthcare Natural Lawn and Landscapes or Naturalawn.
For a radical but totally natural approach, get a goat. Of course this is contingent on where you live and your hometown’s animal ordinances. But if it’s allowed, not only will a goat munch every weed in its way, it will keep your grass quietly mowed and provide natural fertilizer.
In closing, I want to revisit the notion that we ought to be living in harmony with nature, not fighting it. As humans we have defined numerous natural living things—from weeds, to bugs, to deer—as "pests" and in response have developed hundreds of synthetic products to kill or control them. We now know more about the ramifications of the chemicals used in these products (as an example, here’s a toxicology report for Roundup). We can have beautiful lawns and pest-free picnics while still preserving the fine balance of nature. We just need to stay informed and employ the natural methods that are increasingly available to us.
