Weeds 101

As a gardener, weeds will become one of your daily battles. There are a handful of ways to combat them but they’ll always be somewhat of a problem.

Why don’t we want weeds?

The main reason we don’t want weeds is that they compete with our beloved plants for valuable space, water, and nutrients. Most weeds tend to grow fast. Faster than the plants we want. That means they get bigger faster, crowding out the plants we want. As they get bigger and take up more space, they’ll also take up more nutrients from the soil and use more water. This leaves less for our plants.

Another reason weeds are not our friends is because they spread VERY quickly. That’s why it’s somewhat of an uphill battle. All plants want to survive (yes even the finicky ones). Their main goal is to live and reproduce. Weeds are no different. They are excellent at reproducing and spreading their seed far and wide.

There are also a handful of weeds that are invasive. That means they take over the soil and area and smother away the native plants that were there to begin with. These kinds of weeds are generally not from the area but thrive there. They don’t have natural predators (bugs) to control their population and they grow fast and seed quickly. They can be a big problem if left alone and can destroy a landscape or small ecosystem fairly easily. I recommend checking with your extension office (HERE) if you aren’t aware of the invasive plants in your area. It’s good to know what to keep an eye out for in your yard and to also be mindful when buying plants, seeds, and roots from other areas and other countries.

How to Manage Weeds

• Pull Them! This is easiest when they are small and especially before those little buggers have flowered. Flowers=seeds. I like to use a hoe or some kind of weed tool to loosen the soil a bit if they are harder to get out. After I pull them, I put them in a bucket and throw them in the trash can.
  • HERE, HERE, HERE are some of my favorites
• Smother them: There are a lot of ways to do this but cardboard is my favorite way. This will kill whatever is underneath it however so if you have grass or anything else you want to live, don’t use this method. Mulch is another good option. You’ll want it to be thick enough to block the sun from getting to the weed seedlings. Black plastic can also be used for large areas. The suns heat also helps to kill whatever is underneath it. I am using this method right now for the new raised beds I intend to put in this coming spring. This is kind of the idea behind landscape fabric however it usually doesn’t work well for more than a season and you’ll be fighting weeds and the dumb fabric for years to come. There are a few instances I have used it but for the most part, say no to landscape fabric and opt for cardboard and/or mulch instead.
• Boiling water: This is a good one and an excellent organic and natural spot treatment. It will kill whatever it touches so be careful but if you have sidewalk or walkway weeds, this is a great option.
• Mowing: If they can’t flower, they can’t seed and therefore can’t spread. Of course there are weeds that grow low to the ground so this won’t work for them. For lawn weeds that get taller, this is a good option.
• Water with drip lines: Overhead watering has a place but for flower beds and landscape, drip lines are where it’s at. Watering overhead gives weeds more places to grow.
• Chemicals/Herbicides: This can be somewhat controversial so whatever you choose to do, make sure you read labels and follow the directions. Many herbicides will work for certain weeds/plants and not others. You also want to make sure you don’t get any spray where you don’t want it, especially if you have neighbors. You’ll also want to make sure pets, livestock and children stay off the area you have treated until the label says it’s safe.

Overall, weeds will always be around in the garden. We can do a lot to keep them at bay but they will always exist. If you stay on top of them , they are a lot easier to manage and control. I actually love pulling weeds in my yard. It’s satisfying and makes in big difference in how my landscape looks. The tools above help a lot. Good Luck!

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