Got weeds?

Consider rounding up eco-friendly alternatives to traditional weed killers.

According to gardening experts and eco-friendly businesses, the new market for green-friendly lawn products is sprouting faster than, well, ragweed.

"I think it's market driven," says Marie Iannotti, a 41-year gardening veteran who serves as the "Gardening Guide" at About.com. "People are becoming more interested in organic and so-called green products and so more research and development is being directed that way."

This means more options for the home gardener. Among the most popular eco-friendly weed killers available are Worry Free, Concern, Nature's Glory, Perfectly Natural and BurnOut. Before you buy, be careful to read the label, as some brands work better on annuals, such as chickweed, nettle, crabgrass and pigweed. Others w ork better on perennials, such as dandelion, dock, poison ivy and thistle.

"I've tried several products with acetic acid as their primary ingredient (Nature's Glory, Perfectly Natural & BurnOut)," Iannotti says. "It's a 20-percent concentration as opposed to household vinegar, which is 5 percent. They work better on annual weeds than on perennial weeds and they require several applications, because the weeds keep trying to grow back. I've had the best luck using them on sidewalk cracks because the additional heat helps desiccate the weeds."

Corn gluten, too, has become a more popular weed terminator.

"There's been a lot of research lately on corn gluten, a by-product of corn processing that's often used in feed," Iannotti explains. "It acts as a pre-emergent herbicide and is used a lot on lawns to stop annual weeds, like crab grass, from germinating."

Then there's the natural approach.

"My favorite all-natural weed killer is vinegar," says Jenn Savedge, author of "The Green Parent" (Kedzie Press, 2008 ). "It's a general herbicide, so you wouldn't want to use it in areas where you want other plants to grow. But it's a perfect solution for getting rid of the weeds that pop up in walkways, along fence lines, and under porches. You can put it in a sprayer with one cup of eco-friendly detergent and it will work just as efficiently as those nasty chemical alternatives. Other all-natural weed killers are lemon juice, boiling water, salt and corn gluten."

Iannotti has also successfully killed weedy areas and grass by covering the area with four to eight layers of damp newspaper, and then topping that with some type of mulch. "Everything underneath dies and eventually becomes compost in the soil," Iannotti says. "The nice thing about this method is you can plant right into it.

You can also limit new weeds by not tilling your soil, Iannotti says. Many seeds need light to germinate and tilling just brings them to the surface.

While applying these methods and searching for these products may take a little effort, the benefits of eco-friendly weeding are plentiful.

"The two major benefits are no residual effect on the soil or ground water and less risk to wildlife, in particular beneficial insects and pollinators," notes Iannotti, who adds that "people forget that everything they pour into the soil eventually finds its way into their water source."