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How to Deal with Garden Weeds

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Now that spring has arrived your garden will be starting to bloom, and along with it will come many unwanted intruders – weeds.

By definition, a weed is any plant that is growing somewhere that it is not wanted. Weeds steal sunlight, moisture and nutrients from other plants and will happily grow in all the spaces between the plants you wanted to grow there. If not dealt with quickly some weeds will begin to take over your garden or lawn completely, killing the more specialised plants you planted deliberately. The best way to stop this process is the pre-emptive strike to stop them from getting a foothold.

Physically removing weeds

Effective and quick weed control relies on removal of the weeds when they are still small. You should take a walk around your garden on a regular basis and pull out any weeds you find before they have the chance to produce seeds and spread themselves. Breaking up the surface soil will help in removing the weeds. This process is a lot easier to do when the soil is damp and soft. Weeds can then be removed by hand or with a hoe. It is also best to remove all of the roots, if possible, as some weeds will regrow from any parts left behind. Large or perennial weeds may need to be dug out with a spade to get rid of all of their roots.

By reducing the level of weeds in your garden regularly, you can help your desired plants to grow and fill up the spaces that the weeds are trying to inhabit.

Remove the in between spaces

Weeds will quickly take over any patches of unused soil, so if you want space around your flowers, plant ground covering plants between them to stop the spread of weeds.

Mulching

Mulching is a great way to help control weeds and also improves the soil nutrient level as it decomposes. Mulch prevents light from reaching the seeds sprouting at soil level and stops them from establishing themselves. Most will die before they can reach the sunlight.

Best choices for mulch include grass trimmings, leaves, garden bark or similar materials. Mulching also helps to keep the soil moist and keeps it at a more uniform temperature.

If you have a large bare area that you’re not currently using, cover it with plastic, landscape material or an old carpet to stop any weeds from germinating.

Weedkillers

There are a huge variety of weedkillers available for use on all kinds of weeds, but you need to be sure you are using them correctly and at the right time of year.

Glyphosate is one of the most powerful herbicides and will kill almost any kind of plant that it is used on, including broadleaf plants and grasses.

Glyphosate can be found in a variety of weedkiller brands, such as Roundup, Weedol, Bayer and Westland Resolva, who sell it either as ready to use or as a concentrate that needs to be diluted.

Glyphosate works by attacking the roots of the plant. It is first absorbed through the leaves and then travels down through the stem into the base of the plant. For this reason it should be used on fully grown weeds, as it is not very effective on new or growing weeds. It can take up to three weeks for glyphosate to work and some plants will require several applications. It is important not to pull out a plant that has been treated until there are no signs of green plant left.

The downside of glyphosate is that it will kill any plant it comes into contact with, and even some that are downwind of where it was used. A touch applicator such as ‘Roundup Gel’ is a good solution to this problem if you are planning to use weedkiller on flower bed borders. If used properly glyphosate is completely safe and biodegradable in the soil. Treated areas also do not need to be avoided by pets or children.

Many brands also sell weedkiller that is designed specifically for use on paths and patios which contains an extra ingredient to prevent regrowth.

There are also a wide variety of weedkillers designed for use on Mares-tail, brambles and nettles and tree stumps.

Lawn weeds

While keeping your lawn entirely free of weeds is next to impossible, there are steps you can take to keep lawn weeds at bay. Lots of lawn weeds are shallow rooted and can be removed with a daisy grubber. Tap rooted weeds can be taken out with a long-handled weed tool. Herbicide gel as mentioned above can also be painted onto the leaves, so that it affects only the targeted plant.

Many lawn weeds can be prevented by maintaining a healthy lawn, however. If you regularly water, mow and fertilise your lawn, as well as aerate it to reduce compacted soil, you will see a lot less weed growth.

For serious lawn weed problems, weed and feed products can be used. They generally come as granules that contain both weedkiller and fertiliser and can be scattered on the lawn.

The post How to Deal with Garden Weeds appeared first on Electric Lawn Mowers.


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