You’ve spent time and money making your garden beautiful, and now want to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour. But there’s a recurring problem that seemingly needs constant attention: weeds.
No matter how many hours you spend each month removing them, weeds always reappear, right? And while the first few weeks, even months, of weeding can actually be satisfying, the appeal soon wears thin.
These five tips for controlling weeds should help you going forward:
1. Don’t Disturb Your Soil Too Often
The soil in your garden is full of weed seeds. However, only the ones in the top inch or two will get the right conditions to germinate. As you dig, weed seeds are brought closer to the surface, which gives them a better chance of germinating. That’s why it’s advisable to not dig your soil too often.
2. Weed When the Time is Right
A good time to weed is after a downpour when the ground is wet. You’ll find that weeds are a lot easier to remove and the whole process takes a lot less effort. If there hasn’t been any rain for a while, you can cut off the weed’s head just below the soil line, which will cause it to promptly die.
3. Mulch is Your Friend
Mulch keeps your soil moist and cool, which benefits your plants and flowers. It also deprives weed seeds of light. An added bonus is that mulch often contains lots of good creepy crawlies that will feed on weed seeds.
4. Water Your Plants, Not Your Weeds
When it comes to weeds, drought is your friend. Weeds that are deprived of water will struggle to grow. That’s why you should look to try and water just your plants. It can be difficult, but drip irrigation systems can help no end.
5. Leave Little Space for Weeds
Minimal space between your plants and flowers gives weeds little opportunity to grow. That’s because important sunlight is blocked out by the leaves of your plants/flowers and weeds find it difficult to grow as a result. Recommended plant spacing guidelines are just that: guidelines and you can usually shave a bit off them in reality.
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