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Weeds are a gardener’s worst enemy. You’ll never catch them all (in fact, having some can be healthy for your garden), however you can get rid of the worst blighters by implementing some of the following methods.
Use natural remedies
Chemical weed-killers can have all kinds of dodgy effects on your garden’s ecosystem. There are many natural methods that have been known to work against weeds, although not for everyone. Salt and vinegar can be turned into a spray which can help kill off unwanted wildflowers. Another approach is to use boiling water straight from a kettle.
Mulch your soil
Mulching involves digging and mixing up the soil before planting. It makes the soil more fertile whilst also getting rid of any weeds in the area. You can buy special mulched fertiliser that contains wood chippings. This can be laid around a plant to prevent weed growth. Some are able to match soil consistency to the plant their growing to get the best harvest, something that could be worth looking into if you’ve got a vegetable patch.
Off with their heads
Some people swear by the old method of pulling weeds out by the roots. However, this is time-consuming and strenuous. Cutting off weeds heads will kills them off until the next year. Uprooting them may stop them growing back ever again, but it’s likely new seedlings will spring up and take their place if not next year, then the year after.
Use drip irrigation
Drip irrigation may be better suited for crops or growing food in a greenhouse. It involves feeding plants by drip feeding water directly into the root zone. Weeds in the surrounding area as a result can’t steal these nutrients as it goes straight to the roots of the plants that you want to water instead. Drip irrigation is more costly and time-consuming to set up, but if weeds are becoming a real problem, it could be the solution.
Protect your pond
If you have a pond, this could be plagued by weeds too. This could involve algae or duckweed. All ponds need these weeds, especially in the winter when serve as food your pond wildlife. However, in they can become unruly at points, in which case you may have to take action.
Filters and water pumps can limit the growth of weeds. You may also benefit from giving your pond an annual clean. This is not a fun job and involves draining the pond entirely in order to get rid of any weeds, then refilling it. Fish and other wildlife will have to be taken out and temporarily put in buckets whilst you do this. Such a thorough clean may not be needed for every pond – regular filtering may put off the need to ever clean your pond at all. You also don’t want to go too clean, as this could be just as damaging to your fish and any other pond wildlife.
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