Tips For Effective Weed Control

If you are new to herb gardening, there are several tips for effective weed control that you should keep in mind. Many herbivores will happily cull many different kinds of weeds if they can avoid being bothered by them, but other people are not so patient. If you don’t want your garden to be a site of constant fights between your happy herbivores and the persistent weed population, here are a few things you can do to ensure that you are doing your best to control your weeds and prevent problems.

Tips

Mulch

The very best tips for weed control start with mulching. Mulch can help you save time and energy spent trying to pull weeds with your spade or tillage equipment. Most organic fertilizers and plant nutrients contain natural substances that help protect the roots of plants from severe damage from weed growth. Look for mulches that contain copper, selenium, or zinc. These elements are good against most common weed species and can be found in most lawn mulch products. Mulching will also help to preserve moisture in your soil, which can be important when it comes to watering your plants.

Good understanding

To do well in your area, you need to have a good understanding of how weeds like to grow. Most perennial weeds start out looking fine, but as they spread out in preparation for their next meal, their stems begin to become thick and waxy. This makes it easy for them to become trapped in a weeding hole, where they can clog up your hoe. Weeds are particularly stubborn in this respect and often try and escape by growing in strange places. Be sure to avoid pulling weeds while you are weeding, as this can encourage their growth.

Follow the right way

If you do manage to remove weeds by weeding, you must follow the steps of effective removal. Do not pull the grass using your hoe; instead, use a sharp-edged hatchet to cut through the stem. Be sure to wear safety glasses and gloves so that you do not get scratched or cut by the blades of the hoe. After cutting the stem, put the grass in a plastic trash bag and dispose of it.

Herbicide

If you have a difficult time removing perennial and spring weeds during the warmer months of the year, then you may consider using a herbicide. These are generally liquid formulas that repel weeds and encourage the growth of healthy plants. Look for herbicides that contain copper sulphate and salicylic acid. These compounds will both destroy the seeds and stem of the weed, as well as reduce the attractiveness of the plant. If you decide to use a herbicide, it is important to follow the directions on the bottle closely.

Mulch can be an effective alternative to chemical herbicides. Weeds grow best when there are little moisture and shade. Therefore, mulching your garden helps to regulate moisture levels and protect the plants from the hot sun. In addition to inhibiting garden weeds, mulching also helps to keep water away from the root system of the plants, which can also be used as another form of effective weeding. However, mulching should only be done in the fall and spring, as summer and winter mulches do not do as good a job as they should.

Solarizing

Solarizing your soil is an effective method that has been found to control most weeding problems, with the exception of very deep feelings and those that are very old. Solarizing your soil includes placing plastic over the area you want to be weeded, covering the ground with newspaper, and installing a light source that is powered by natural sunlight. This control method can be used all year, but especially in the cooler months. During the summer months, your lights will not turn on, and thus will not damage the plants, as opposed to in the winter months when there is no sunlight to properly power the light source.

Organic mulches are beneficial for more than just weed control, because they help to retain moisture in the soil and protect the structure and health of your plants. There are many different types of organic mulches, including cedar chips, straw, pine needles, pine bark, gravel, and clippings from fallen trees. They can be used in combination with traditional mulches, or in their own right, and will definitely provide the garden with a healthy and attractive look.