Don't spend all your gardening time pulling weeds. Knowing how to prevent weeds from growing in your garden bed will help you spend your time growing beautiful flowers, vegetables and fruits. We've collected some tips on why weeds grow and steps you can take to eliminate weeds in your garden and prevent new ones from taking root.
Gardeninginfo-online.com has collected some information about why weeds grow and steps you can take to eliminate weeds in your garden and prevent new ones from taking root.
Why do weeds grow?
Weeds will grow as long as there is room to grow. An overgrown garden reduces the space for weeds to grow. At the end of the growing season, any bare or barren garden space should be tilled and seeded with cover crops to protect it in early fall (September).
Note: Weeds can be important soil maintainers. Weed roots can quickly stabilize erodible soil and create air and water channels in the soil. Some of the stronger weed roots penetrate so deeply that they get nutrients that garden plants can't.
Weed
The first thing to do with any type of garden is to pull out pesky weeds that have grown. Getting them out of the garden before they go to seed is crucial. Here's how to do it:
First, break up the soil where the stem meets the top of the flower bed
Grab the weed by the base and pull it up hard enough to pull it up by the roots
Note: Pulling weeds before planting provides space for your plant to lay down and grow a strong and healthy root system. Weeding before mulching improves soil quality, which will help keep the garden healthy. Mulch also helps prevent weeds from appearing.
Tip: Use a triple cultivator to loosen the soil and free up the roots of weeds. If you can't get your hands on the roots, removing them will be your best bet to prevent weeds from planting.
How does mulch prevent weeds?
Mulching a garden can prevent weeds in different ways. New weed seeds need dirt to grow, and a thick layer of mulch helps keep the seeds from touching the soil. For seeds or roots that are already buried in the soil, the mulch blocks sunlight (one of the basic necessities for weeds). Other benefits include:
Mulch will immediately add rich color and a manicured look (increased curb appeal) to your garden bed, the foundation of your house, and around trees and shrubs.
Improve garden soil
Prevent drastic or unexpected temperature changes
Conserve and protect soil moisture
Tip: Mulch reduces the amount of water that evaporates from the soil, greatly reducing your need to water garden plants.
Chemical weeding
Most herbicides pose serious health risks to humans, pets and wildlife when these chemicals are inhaled or ingested. It is strongly recommended that all other weed control methods be exhausted before investing in chemical treatments. Other approaches include:
Tip: Vinegar permanently kills weeds and is a good alternative to synthetic chemicals. Distilled vinegar, white vinegar, and malt vinegar are all effective at stopping weed growth.
Preventive weeding
Preventive weed control is any control method designed to prevent the growth of weeds in cultivated crops, garden beds or greenhouses. Some examples of preventive weed control are:
Use certified weed-free seeds
Only transport soil, wood chips, hay, or mulch that is free of weeds
Make sure garden equipment is clean before it is moved from place to place
Filter irrigation water (prevent weed seeds from spreading in the water)
Mechanical weeding
Mechanical weeding is any technique that uses gardening equipment to control weeds. The most common is farming.
Naturally occurring weeds
Weeds are considered plants of opportunity, which grow when soil, water, temperature and sunlight conditions are favorable. Weeds can grow in the smallest cracks in a road, sidewalk or driveway. Weed seeds can lie dormant in the soil for years, waiting for optimal conditions, and can grow wherever there is space.
Garden weeding
In this article, you discover why weeds grow in your garden, what you can do to remove or kill them, and how to prevent new growth.
Knowing how to remove weeds from your garden and prevent their growth will help you grow stronger plants, produce more beautiful flowers, and develop healthier fruits and vegetables throughout the growing season.
Ignoring the need to remove weeds from your garden can leave you in an awkward predicament: a garden full of weeds instead of the plants you want.
