Weed control techniques
By removing weeds (unwanted plants) from your garden in the first few weeks of life, you will stop weeds from removing vital nutrients from the soil. Here are 12 natural strategies that will not only get rid of weeds but save you time during the season!
It is essential to keep weeds away from newly growing seedlings. Keep your crops weed-free for the first four weeks of life.
1. Mulch them
Use mulch (shredded leaves, brown cardboard, straw, or wood chips) to cover the soil around your plants! This cover blocks weed seeds from sunlight so they don't germinate, prevents growth underneath, and retains moisture. Mulch decomposes over time, providing essential nutrients and moderating soil temperatures.
Cover the soil between your plants and between rows with mulch to prevent weeds from growing. We recommend a layer of at least one inch thick. Place mulch a few inches from the base of your plants to discourage insect invasions and prevent rot. While we use organic mulches like straw, there are inorganic mulches including black plastic and landscaping fabric.
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2. Turn off the light!
For persistent or abundant weeds, turn off the light! Cover the soil with moistened newspaper (black ink only) or brown cardboard (if any tape is removed). Then cover it with 2 inches of straw or compost. This ensures that weeds don't get the light they need to grow. A few more persistent perennial weeds will survive but most will not, so very little weeding is necessary. Plus, you'll save water and have happier worms and soil.
Of course, this works best when you're starting a new garden bed or a new garden space. Watch as Janice Stillman, lays down a few layers of newspaper, moistens it, adds mulch to the sides of the newspaper, and composts on top of the newspaper bed! You'll love having no weeds to contend with, and it'll be a bonus to help build the soil. It couldn't be easier than this.
3. Pull them out or dig them out
You still have to manually remove weeds during the season. It may not be your favorite activity, but for some of us, it's oddly therapeutic and almost meditative! Wear waterproof gloves and consider a comfortable knee pad or camp stool for extended weeding sessions.
Weeds are more easily pulled out of the soil when the soil is moist and the weeds are young. Since many common weeds, such as dandelions, regrow from any roots left in the ground, the trick to pulling weeds is to pull out the root as well. Pull the weed from its base (closer to the soil line) and gently turn to remove the roots. If you accidentally cut off the roots, use a fork to gently scrape the rest of the plant off the ground.
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4. Use homemade herbicide sprays
Although some turn to dangerous chemicals, many weeds are actually resistant to herbicides and respond well to various control methods. Check out 5 natural "weed killers" to eliminate competing plants while keeping people, pets, wildlife, and waterways safe.
5. Ho Them Down
When weeds really come into play, nothing beats a good old-fashioned garden hose with a long handle. How is it best done in the morning when the soil is dry? Weeds are cut clean from the soil, creating a "dust mulch" that prevents new weeds from sprouting. You can let the weeds dry in the sun during the day and then take them to the compost pile.
Make gliding faster and places more difficult to reach. This is especially useful early in the season. Once a week, even if there aren't many weeds, go to the surface quickly and move the soil. Over time, there will be no more weeds.
6. Minimize soil disturbance
If you shovel, don't turn over the soil or dig below the surface (don't dig). We don't want to expose dormant weed seeds to light and air, which will bring them back to the surface. Some say it helps take weed at night! No sarcasm. Research indicates that weeds can be stimulated to grow by a sudden flash of light when the soil is turned over during the day. A German study concluded that turning the soil at night can reduce weed germination by 78 percent! You can try this method by working under a full moon or at dawn or dusk.
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7. Cut off their heads!
If dealing with weeds is too much of a hassle, at least prevent seeding. Once a week, use a grass whip or string trimmer to cut the heads before they bloom.
8. Trim your garden edges
Ever notice a lot of weeds gathering at the edges of your yard or garden? Trim your grass and garden edges to reduce weed invasion of your rich garden soil. Places to look are not just the edges of your lawn, but around posts and fence lines and near planting beds. Another idea is to grow perennials or roses in the ground to shade those edges and make it easier for you!
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