How Do I Keep Weeds Out Of My Garden Naturally?
Weeds are an ugly sight in any garden. So, let’s make sure yours never have the opportunity to ruin your hard work creating a beautiful place for you and your family to enjoy. Of course, you have to control weeds somehow! Here are some tips for removing weeds using natural methods to reduce work and put your efforts into more creative venues. Arbor-Nomics Turf provides lawn service in Atlanta to help keep your lawn and garden beautiful and healthy!
If you are an avid gardener, you probably spend a lot of time trying to keep weeds out of your lawn and garden. Unfortunately, no magic solutions keep weeds from sprouting up in your lawn and garden. The best way to keep weeds at bay is to prevent them from growing in the first place.
Stop Tilling and Digging in the Spring
If you’re like most gardeners, you probably till or dig in the spring. This is a great way to work in nutrients and loosen soil for planting. But it also opens the soil for weeds to come right back through the cracks. If you stop tilling or digging in the spring, this will eliminate a lot of weed growth before it even gets started!
Eliminate Bare Soil to Eliminate Weeds
If you have bare spots in your yard where there wasn’t anything planted last year or the year before, eliminate those areas by planting something that will grow quickly enough to fill them up before winter. Good choices include ground cover plants like pachysandra or vinca vine, which also help prevent erosion by holding down the soil with their roots, or grasses like fescue or rye (“winter rye”), which can be planted now but won’t grow until late spring.
Mulch and More Mulch
Mulching is one of the best ways to keep weeds out of your garden. Mulching simply covers the soil with a material layer like bark or leaves. It helps keep moisture in the soil, keeps seeds from sprouting, and prevents sunlight from reaching the soil surface. If you have an existing bed that’s already been weedy, adding a thick layer of mulch will help prevent new weeds from popping up. Be sure not to use hay or straw, though — these materials can encourage weed growth by providing light for seedlings!
Stop Hoeing and Raking
Another good way to keep weeds out of your garden is by letting them grow for a few weeks until they form large clumps. Then you can pull them out easily without disturbing other plants or roots. This method works best with annual weeds like chickweed or purslane; perennial weeds such as quackgrass may require more effort on your part!
Plant a Fall Cover Crop
Many gardeners cover crops in the fall to prevent winter weeds from germinating and growing. However, this is not an effective way to control weeds in your garden. Winter weeds tend to grow in areas planted with cover crops, like the spaces between rows of vegetables or flowers.
Managing weeds is easier than you might think. Start with a vision that you want a weed-free garden, and follow some basic steps to keep weeds from jeopardizing your plans. Lawn care in Alpharetta can be managed naturally with these tips. For more information, Arbor-Nomics Turf has solutions for all your lawn and garden needs.