Before starting the weed control we need to know about weeds. There are basically two types of weeds:
Grassy weeds: The leaves of these types of weeds are blade like. These weeds are basically grass. Most of the lawns have these types of weeds.
Broad-leaf weeds: As the name suggests these weeds have broader leaves than the grassy weeds. All the weeds except grass can be classified in this category.
Most of the people thought that applying herbicides to the weed will solve their problem, but experts argue that in most of the cases the chemical can enter into the fruits or vegetables and can also pollute the ground water.
Though it is unfortunately true that weeds can grow in any type of soil, the first step you can take to control weeds is to make the soil as healthy as possible. Keep the soil aerated, and well drained. Keep your soil fertile by applying compost or organic fertilizers. It is true that weeds will also benefit by the application of fertilizers but at least it will give your desired plant enough nutrients to grow. After some time this desired plant will reduce your weed problem to a certain limit.
Tilling the garden to reduce the weeds is a very well known procedure. We have already discussed this process in Garden bed preparation.
Mulching is a very commonly used method for controlling weeds. Laying a thick layer of mulch over the weeds can kill them. It also helps in restoring the water content of the soil for longer period of time. You can add dry leaves, straw or hey. You can find the basic details about mulch and mulching here. While applying mulch the thickness is very important. Like for shredded leaves you need to put the layer at least 8 to 10 inches thick, whereas if you are applying saw dust, 2-3 inch of mulch will be enough. As for straw the thickness is 5 to 6 inches.
You can also apply a layer of black plastic sheet; it will prevent the light and water to reach to the weeds. This is the best way to kill the grassy weeds. If you are a hardcore organic gardener you might want to skip plastic as it is not a valid organic material.
Pulling out weeds by hand is probably the best option in case the weed has grown pretty large in size. Try to remove the weeds before they produce seeds. Sometimes burning the weeds can provide you an instant solution. You can use flamer for this purpose.
Some people also recommend using biological control such as using geese for weed control. Geese are naturally attracted to grass and weeds but this need proper control. You can try using this but this process is a long-term process.
You can also use common household vinegar in spraying bottle and apply this to weeds. While applying this technique, make sure the vinegar doesn’t reach your main plant.
For preventing weeds we need to be proactive in our approach. We hope after reading this article you will be better position to control weeds in your garden.
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