Ask any group of gardeners their least favorite activity and you’re bound to hear “Weeding!” in unison. Overgrown weeds steal water and valuable nutrients from the soil, where they can be absorbed by useful plants, and their not-so-pretty heads can detract from lawn and garden design.
It may not be possible to completely clear a garden and landscape of weeds, but by quickly addressing problems and taking steps to reduce future weed growth, gardeners can spend less time weeding. Then learn how to deal with weeds and find out what tools and products can make this task easier.
In an effort to keep your landscape free of weeds, it’s easy to make the mistake of overdoing it. Before you start weeding, read on to learn how to defeat green invaders and reduce their future growth. Harvested vegetables, beautiful big flowers, and more time for relaxation are the result of happiness.
If you let the weeds tower over your tomatoes, you’ll have a hard time getting rid of them. When weeds are smaller, their roots are weaker, making them easier to pull out. Make it a point to make a quick walk around your garden every other day to pick up any young weeds, it only takes a few minutes.
Gardeners who weed by hand may be tempted to pick up a handful of leaves and tug on them. Unfortunately, this often results in the weed breaking in half, leaving the bottom half and roots in the ground. Instead, slowly grab the root of each weed and pull slowly and steadily to free the roots from the soil.
Many gardeners believe that some good weeding tools can speed up weeding. Choose quality tools with sturdy handles for a comfortable grip, and look for tools with heads or blades made from durable forged steel.
The trick is to figure out how to pull weeds without straining your back muscles. Standing bends can strain your back, so it’s worth investing in a tool that can be used while kneeling or standing:
You don’t need to kill or uproot weeds if they don’t initially grow, so consider a pre-emergence treatment to prevent weed seeds from sprouting. Sprinkle soil and water with a granular pre-emergence herbicide such as Preen’s Vegetable Garden Natural Herbicide. The granules dissolve and penetrate the soil, creating a barrier around the weed seeds. A single application lasts from 4 to 6 weeks, after which it can be used again.
Note that once the pre-emergence seeds are in the soil, the beneficial seeds will not germinate either. For best results, wait until useful plants (like tomatoes and cucumbers) are 4 to 8 inches tall before using a pre-emergence product (follow package directions), as it will not kill already growing plants.
Another way to prevent weed seeds from germinating is to leave them alone. Digging, turning the soil, and killing existing plants and weeds often cause dormant weed seeds to germinate. This is a Trap-22 because gardeners have to turn the soil to get rid of weeds, but this can cause more weed seeds to germinate. Weeds must be removed, but when weeding, disturb the soil as little as possible.
Some stubborn weeds, such as Canadian thistle, not only have deep roots that are extremely difficult to uproot, but the stems and leaves are spiky, capable of piercing almost anything but heavy leather gloves. When dealing with such discerning clients, use sharp scissors such as goninc premium 8″ pruners. Hand shears are good for small to medium weeds, while long-handled loppers such as Fiskars 28-inch bypass loppers are good for larger weeds. The roots will remain in the soil, but in most cases, if you remove all of the growing part of the plant, it can no longer get the sunlight it needs to survive and will die.
To deal with large areas of weeds that do not respond to other methods, consider burning them. Weed burners (also known as weed burners), such as the Blaze King propane weed burner, connect to a standard propane tank and fire flames directly at the weeds, charring and killing them. This is one of the best ways to get rid of weeds in large areas. Weed burners work well against intruders that grow under fences or next to raised beds. Make sure the weeds are green and not brown and dry. You want to burn them, not start a fire. Check with your local authorities before using torches for weed control, as some communities may restrict or prohibit the use of torches.
Hot water also kills weeds. Carefully pour a pot of freshly boiled water directly onto the weeds, or use a steam weeder like the DynaSteam weeder to make the process easier and reduce the risk of boiling water getting on your feet.
Plastic can also generate heat that kills weeds. After harvesting in the fall, cover the beds with dark landscape plastic (attach it to rocks or bricks) and set it aside for the winter. Sunlight hitting the plastic heats up the temperature of the soil below, destroying weed seeds.
Every fall and spring, home gardeners turn garden soil over to help break down heavy clay, distribute organic matter, and deliver oxygen to the soil. However, with this tillage, dormant weed seeds are also brought to the surface, where they quickly germinate. Another option for plowing the land several times a year is zero tillage of the garden. Weeding tools are not required.
Plowing is still necessary, but only once – in early spring, when loosening of the soil begins from the garden. After that, cover the garden with organic mulch 4 to 6 inches thick (dried leaves, grass clippings, or wood shavings). Mulch helps keep the soil moist and prevents weed seeds from germinating by blocking light from reaching the soil surface. When it’s time to plant seeds or transplant seedlings, simply move the cover aside and the ground underneath is soft and ready for new plants.
For a vegetable garden, this can mean forming long V-shaped rows of mulch with bare soil only visible inside the “V”. Plant crops in narrow rows, and after harvesting, remove dead vegetation and refill the area with mulch. After establishing a no-till garden, add 1-2 inches of mulch each year (old mulch will decompose and settle) and follow the instructions for pushing the soil aside each time you plant.
Gardeners can reduce weeds in perennial beds and borders by using landscape fabric. Landscape fabric is available in large rolls to spread around bushes, roses, trees and bushes to keep weeds from growing while creating a barrier that shields them from the sun. While there are various types of landscape fabrics, most are made from woven materials such as polypropylene and contain perforations to allow water to seep through.
Landscape fabrics are designed to be used with surface mulches such as wood shavings, rubber blocks, or pine needles that hold the mulch in place. While this fabric reduces weed growth without the use of chemical herbicides, the downside is that it prevents garden-friendly earthworms from aerating the soil because they cannot reach the surface.
Pull out weeds immediately after watering the plant or after a shower; Whole weeds are more likely to be uprooted when the soil is damp. It’s perfectly fine to put uprooted weeds in a compost bin, the natural heat will destroy any seeds.
Weeding is also easier if the soil is healthy, soft and fertile. Well-drained soils are light and loose, so weeds are easier to root out, while dense, compacted soils (such as those with a high clay content) lock the roots in place, making it difficult to pull out any weeds. Things but the smallest weed.
Adding organic matter, such as compost and dry leaves, will help lighten and loosen your garden soil over time. Every spring, try to increase the surface of the bed by an inch or two and level it with a shovel. The addition of organic matter not only makes weeding easier, but also provides a healthier environment for growing desired plants.
Want to take a break from the hard work of pulling weeds? Controlling these unwanted crops is easier than uprooting or loosening with foliar herbicides (toxic substances absorbed through plant leaves). Do not use these products lightly. Before using these herbicides, we recommend trying natural methods first. Then carefully study the effect of herbicides and use them only as a last resort.
Reducing weeds in vegetable gardens, flower beds, and even lawns is a constant challenge for gardeners and landscapers, but thankfully, a variety of weeding products and tools can help. For those who are new to weed, some problems may arise.
The most sustainable option is to add uprooted weeds to a compost heap or trash can where the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the weed seeds. The finished compost can be recycled back into the garden to add nutrients to the soil.
Weeds are always with us, but they can be reduced to manageable levels if the correct landscaping technique is followed. This includes pulling up young weeds, using barriers such as landscaping, applying pre-emergence herbicides to the soil around useful plants, or practicing no-till gardening.
The best way to get rid of weeds is to pull them out as soon as they sprout. This may involve pulling out tiny weeds for 5-10 minutes every day or every other day, but it’s much easier to get rid of them when they’re young.
A standard garden hoe like the ERGIESHOVEL is the best all-round weeding tool because it can be used to remove small weeds without having to bend or kneel on the ground.
Perennial daisies are spread by rhizomes (underground stems) and although they are prized in flower beds, they can be a nuisance when they appear in lawns. Plants can be dug up individually, making sure that all the rhizomes are taken. Alternatively, non-selective chemical herbicides can be applied directly to daisy leaves to kill the plant.
Weed control is a constant challenge for growers around the world and in many cases a multi-pronged approach to weed control is best practice. By pulling up young weeds, not only are they easier to remove, but they also do not have the opportunity to flower and set seeds, which greatly exacerbates the weed problem. Careful early weeding can also reduce the need for environmentally damaging chemical herbicides.
Post time: Aug-13-2023