Preventing Weeds

There are several ways to tackle a weed problem. All you have to do is find the way that best suits your needs.

Tutorial

For most home gardeners, preventing weeds is a never-ending battle. While there’s no way you can completely eliminate the possibility that weeds will ever grow in your garden space, you can take some steps to slow their process.

Start with sterilized soil. If you’re adding soil to a flowerbed or vegetable garden, take the extra precaution of using soil that has been sterilized. This is available from most garden supply centers and is usually available in a generic form that is cost effective. While it might be cheaper to find some source of free dirt, you’re going to be battling weeds from day one. Seeds are present in almost any dirt, even if the weeds have not yet sprouted. Sterilized dirt won’t guarantee that weeds never appear, but it’ll slow the progress at least a little.

Consider treating the ground with chemicals before you plant. If you start with weed-free soil, you’ll be more likely to stay that way for a while. This means that planting your other plants will also be delayed while you wait for the chemical to work and to dissipate, but it could be worth the time.

Grow plants close together. Remember that the soil is only going to support a limited amount of growth and if your plants are close together, shade the ground and have time to get a head start on the weeds, they’ll naturally choke out at least some of the weeds.

Don’t wait to do the weeding. While it’s never a pleasant chore, allowing weeds to get a significant hold will generate more weeds. When you are pulling weeds, be sure the soil is loose and damp so that you don’t damage the roots of nearby plants and so that you get all (or at least most) of the weed’s roots.

Work the soil often. Take a lesson from the farmers who plant and maintain hundreds of acres of crops. When the plants are small, work the soil often. Whether that’s with a handheld scratcher or a giant tractor, the principle is the same. Keep the weeds fighting to make a stand while the plants get a head start.