There are millions of weed seeds in your garden soil just waiting to germinate and gardeners spend more time on weeding than any other garden activity. But what if you could reduce the need to weed? You can. By using a few specific garden techniques, you can reduce the time you spend weeding and spend more time enjoying your beautiful garden and landscape.
Mulch
Mulch away! By putting at least a 2-inch layer of mulch on the soil around your plants, you deprive weed seeds of sunlight, which is required for germination. And, by putting down organic mulches, like bark and pine needles, it encourages the beneficial insects that eat those weed seeds to take up residence in your garden. Mulches can be made from things such as rock, bark and straw, or you can go with synthetic mulches, like shredded rubber, which comes in fun colors.
Barriers
Use barriers. Landscape fabric is the most commonly known form of barrier used in the garden and landscape, however, you can also use old newspaper and cardboard to the same effect. Simply lay the barrier on the ground either prior to or just after planting garden plants. When the barrier is laid out, cover it with your choice of mulch. The barrier gives you extra protection against weed seeds in your soil “seeing” the light of day and germinating to your dismay. Use barriers to keep those pesky weeds suppressed and more time on your schedule.
Pre-emergent herbicide
Apply a pre-emergent herbicide. Products that contain Dimension (also known as dithiopyr) or trifluralin interfere with weed seed germination. Applying these products reduces the number of weeds that grow in your garden and landscape. For organic gardeners like myself, natural products containing corn gluten meal, which is a by-product of corn processing, is my choice for pre-emergent weed control. In addition, as corn gluten breaks down, it adds nitrogen to your soil. Bonus!
Water plants, not weeds
Water the plants you want, not the weeds you don’t. Installing a drip irrigation system allows you to water each plant individually without watering your entire garden. This system works best with permanent or semi-permanent plantings like perennials and shrubs rather than annual beds or vegetable gardens which are changed every year. Installing drip irrigation will save you time, so it’s well worth it and it’s easy to install!
Don’t let weeds go to seed
Finally, don’t let the weeds in your yard go to seed. This will save you time and money later. Pull out all the weeds you can and if you can’t pull them out, at least cut off the flowers and seed pods and throw them out so they can’t reproduce. Don’t put flower heads and seed pods into the compost pile because some weeds, even after they are pulled, can release their seeds, and if it’s something like thistle or dandelion, those seeds will ride the wind.
Try these weed-reducing techniques to keep weeding time in the garden down and play time up! Happy gardening!
Wanette Lenling is an avid lifelong gardener that has over a decade of professional experience working for a landscape and garden center. She is a freelance writer and attorney working in the Aberdeen Area. She writes for her two websites which she can be contacted through, simplygardeningsite.wordpress.com and livinglifeinwonderblog.wordpress.com
Credit: www.aberdeennews.com
