Creating a beautiful landscape or garden and watching it grow and flourish is such a satisfying venture. You plan, you plant, you water and feed. Task accomplished, you walk away and enjoy the fruits (or flowers and vegetables) of your labor, right? Not quite. Before long, you start to notice unwanted invaders growing throughout your carefully-designed garden and flower beds. Pesky, invasive and aggressive; weeds need to be handled before they crowd out the lovely plants you intended to grow. Weeds are survivors by nature, so you need to go after them with a solid plan in mind.
1. Weed on the regular.
You can’t expect to weed once a week and get great results. They don’t need that long to take hold and develop strong, deep roots. Weed a little every day and the problem won’t get out of control. Pro tip: weeding early in the growing season also helps as you will prevent weeds from going to seed and spreading.
2. Take it all out.
Be sure to fully remove the whole weed. If you do a quick yank by the leaves, it will grow back because the root system is still intact. Grab the plant close to the ground and pull straight up, removing the whole plant—foliage to roots.
3.Weed after it rains.
Ideally, you want the soil to be moist and loose, not soggy. No rain in the forecast? Water in the morning, then weed that evening.
4. Use the right tools to make the job easier and more effective.
Sometimes your hands alone are not enough. Use a garden fork, trowel or a hoe to loosen the soil and get to the roots, being careful not to disturb your other plants.
5. Embrace the space.
Weeds love to fill in where there are bare spots. Space plants as recommended on their tags to prevent them.
6. They won’t just be in your garden.
Weeds that show up between pavers, or in the cracks of your driveway can be pried out with a screwdriver.
7. Keep weeds at bay by covering them up.
Weeds need sunlight to grow, so keep them in the dark. Using landscape fabric will help control the number of weeds you have, but will not eliminate them entirely. Mulching is also beneficial, and some have weed preventer mixed in that keep weeds from germinating.
8. Prevent seeding and spreading.
If weeds are overgrown and you are unable to remove them fully, chop off their heads. You may have to repeat this several times, but it will prevent them from going to seed and spreading. Do this consistently, and eventually they will die out.
9. Dry them out.
Herbicides can be useful; just make sure to identify the weeds you have and choose the right product to get rid of them. These products may require several applications. Read all product labels carefully and follow the application and safety instructions. Exercise caution when using as you only want to spray the weeds you are trying to eliminate and not your healthy plants.
10. Use chemicals, but with caution.
Herbicides can be useful; just make sure to identify the weeds you have and choose the right product to get rid of them. These products may require several applications. Read all product labels carefully and follow the application and safety instructions. Exercise caution when using as you only want to spray the weeds you are trying to eliminate and not your healthy plants.
Let’s be honest, if you plant a garden or flower beds, you’re going to have weeds. These tips may not prevent them from showing up, but they will help to keep them in check. Being thorough and consistent is the key to keeping these unwanted guests from hanging around too long.