Love gardening, but hate weeding? You’re definitely not the only one out there who feels that way! But as much as you probably want to take that chore off your list, it’s really important that you make time for it. Unless you want weeds to dominate your garden?
Now just because weeds can be bothersome doesn’t mean they don’t serve a good purpose in gardens. In fact, weeds are nature’s way to patch up areas of land that do not have plants. The thing with weeds though, is that they can easily grow out of control.
In honor of National Garden Day on June 13th, we’re going to share with you the 5 things you can do to keep your garden weeds under control.
Knowing what you should and shouldn’t be doing when weeding will help guarantee that those weeds don’t suddenly take over your picture-perfect lawn! Plus, it will also help you get the chore done in a much shorter time.
Alright, let’s dive in!
Tip # 1: Use the right tools
The right tools used at the right time can help you speed things up, which is an advantage especially if you don’t particularly enjoy taking out weeds. Also, using the right tools can help make the task easier and less tiresome. Talk about efficiency! And really, if you’re planning to weed a wide area, you need to think of a faster and easier way to tackle the job without breaking your back in the process.
Two of the tools we recommend are the long-handled garden hoe and a garden cultivator. The garden hoe is one of the classics and is widely known for its efficiency while the three-prong cultivator hand tool makes it easy to loosen up the soil and pull up several weeds at once.
Tip # 2: Weed at the right time
When it comes to taking out weeds, timing is everything. And that’s why it’s always best for you to weed your garden after a heavy rain. Rain loosens the soil, making it easier to take out the weeds by their roots. What if it hasn’t rained for some time? Then you can try wetting the soil before pulling out the weeds.
Be careful about walking on wet dirt though! You want the soil to be loose and aerated to make weeding easier, so try not to compact the dirt down as you step on it. The best way to ensure that you don’t compact the soil is by laying down some stepping stones you can use as a path while you work.
Tip # 3: Don’t leave any roots behind!
You want to pull out the weed – from the blade right to its roots, rather than just slicing off the blades themselves. And to do that, you have to make use of weeding tools, so you don’t just rip and tear the tops off your weeds. Uprooting these weeds ensures that those weeds don’t sprout again the next day after all your hard work.
Tip # 4: Don’t forget the mulch!
Every square inch of soil has weed seeds buried underneath, and once these seeds are disturbed and brought up near the ground’s surface, that’s when they start to sprout. The best way to keep this from happening after you’ve pulled out the grown weeds, is by adding mulch over the area you have weeded. By making sure that you have a few inches of mulch over the area you’ve weeded, you will be preventing unwanted weeds from taking the place of those you’ve already pulled out. Top soil also works for grass as you don’t necessarily want wooded mulch in your lawn.
Tip # 5: Make sure to clean up right after!
Now this is the part that most gardeners tend to forget, maybe because they just want to get things over with quickly and be done for the day? And that’s understandable, of course, but it’s really important that you clean up all of the weeds you’ve just pulled out so you don’t have to retrace your steps a second time. Gather the pulled weeds as you move through your yard to make the process more efficient.
A Final Note
Now that you already know what you should and shouldn’t do when weeding your garden, keep in mind that this is not a task that you can just do whenever you feel like it. If you want your garden to stay immaculate, then you’ll have to do the chore a few times a year. Also be sure to try and pull out the weeds as soon as you see them! That’s going to save you so much time in the long run.
Need help with weeding? That’s what we’re here for!
Call Stoney Acres today at 570-925-6826 for expert weed control services. We’d be happy to help!