Are you looking for a permanent way to get rid of those stubborn weeds? While the first weeks of uprooting and tearing up these intruders might prove quite satisfying, the chore soon gets tedious and even maddening. Here are practical tips for weed control.
Did you know that a garden needs weeds? That might sound weird, but the truth is that weeds are a natural healing remedy for wounded sites. However, most gardeners often have different opinions about what makes for a quick recovery. With a better understanding of weeds, you can easily win every future skirmish, allowing you enough time to enjoy a well-groomed garden.
Don’t Disturb the Soil
Kill weeds at their roots but don’t disturb the soil. Remember, only those weeds at the top of the soil get adequate light to trigger germination. Cultivating brings weeds to the surface, hence encouraging their growth. So, only dig when necessary and immediately cover the disturbed spot with plants or mulch.
When it comes to lawns, you can minimize soil disturbance by utilizing a sharp knife to slice through the roots of dandelions, as well as, other lawn roots. Don’t dig them out. Otherwise, you’ll end up facilitating the germination of dormant weed seeds.
Mulch Your Plants
Mulch keeps the soil cool and moist. And this deprives weeds of light. Plus, they can host crickets and carabid beetles that feed on weed seeds.
Just be sure to keep the mulch about two inches deep. You may also want to consider covering the soil’s surface with a thin sheet of biodegradable fabric or cardboard and then spreading mulch over it. This will go a long way in preventing weed growth.
Only Water the Plants You Need
Drip irrigation is one of the best ways to water your crops and not weeds. You may also want to consider watering by hand, but it’s often tedious.
Placing drip hoses under mulch irrigates your plants efficiently while leaving nearby weeds thirsty. Depriving weeds water lowers the rate of weed-seed germination by about 50 to 70 percent.
Cut Off the Heads and Use The Right Soil Treatment Strategies
If you can’t uproot weeds, chop off their heads. And this is particularly true for annual weeds as it buys you some time before the rains start.
Chopping off the tops of perennial weeds reduces reseeding and depletes their supply of root buds, hence limiting their spread. You can either use pruning choppers or string trimmers to cut prickly thistles and brambles. Regardless of which method you pick, chopping off weed heads would go a long way in preventing their spread. Also, use the right soil treatment strategies. There are numerous resources online on soil treatment. So, do research.
The Bottom-Line
Digging and cultivating aren’t the best Tips For Weed Control. Of course, they provide a short-term solution. But the more you tear them up, the more you encourage the germination of dormant weed seeds. This might sound a bit confusing but it really works.
Don’t disturb the soil, mulch your plants, loop off their heads, and only water the seeds you need. This way, you’ll be able to permanently eradicate their growth. And that’s exactly what you want, right?
