People are beginning to feel the excitement of Spring, and it’s just around the corner! Spring time means one thing to organic gardeners, and that is weed control. Have you given any thought to how you are going to control your weeds this year?
Here are a some weed control strategies for your organic gardening that will help prevent weeds from growing. None of the strategies listed below include the use of any herbicides or other dangerous chemicals and they’re sure to bring you great results.
Start Weeding Early
Getting an early start on weeding allows you to yank them while they’re still young. In order to do this, you must learn to identify weeds in their seedling stage so that you can spot and nab them as they come. This makes it easier to control them because it requires less effort to remove them root and all, and you can usually take out more than one at a time with a hoe.
Prevent The Seed Stage!
Don’t wait until Summer arrives to start weeding or you’ll have a bigger problem on your hands! When weeds grow large enough to start seeding, there’s no way of telling where more weeds are going to pop up in the later years. As the popular saying goes, “One year’s seeding makes 7 years’ weeding.”
Put Down Mulch
Whether you make your own or buy it from the nursery, putting down a layer of mulch will keep sunlight from reaching the seeds, which will prevent them from germinating and infecting your garden. One friendly reminder is to avoid piling up compost or mulch around the base of your garden plants. This can cause rot due to too much moisture retention.
Make Good Use of Gardening Space
Plant your rows close together (not too close) so that small weeds get consumed by the larger plants that you actually want. By planting close together, you starve the small, growing weeds of nutrients, sunlight and available space!
Weed After A Wet Day
Try to pick a day that allows you to weed more easily. After a week of dry, hot weather, weeding can be a real pain in the neck. Waiting until there’s moisture will make it easier to get the complete weed, root, runners and all.
Get The Right Tools For The Job
New and improved tools come out all the time that make organic gardening much more manageable. Products like the hula hoe, the EZ Digger and more can help you make more out of the time you spend down on your knees.
Achieving a totally weed-free garden is unrealistic when it all comes down to it, so don’t stress if you have a few out there popping up. By simply accepting a few of these strategies and adding to the ones you already use, you can enjoy a better looking and better producing garden.
Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm is a vermicomposting company that specializes in selling worms and composting kits for the organic gardener.
