Organic Weed ControlWeeds Are Pests
You can deal with unwanted weeds in your flower or vegetable garden with organic weed control methods that are harmless and successful. There is a common misconception that when referring to organic weed control methods that we are referring to simply using organic herbicide that you buy in the store. What I am talking about is an integrated system of organic gardening practices. Weeds Are Plants Too
Grass, for that matter, can be a weed if it’s growing where you don’t want it (as is the case with my rock garden). Once you determine what is and isn’t a weed, assess the situation and decide on your best plan of action incorporating any and all methods of organic weed control at your disosal. Remember that any means that kills the bad plants will also kill the good ones, organic or not. So take caution. Your arsenal of weapons includes:
• Smothering your weeds • Applying mulch on your weeds • Planting ground covers • Weeding by hand • Applying
organic weed control sprays Weeding 101If you want to weed a fairly large area—for example, to start a vegetable garden or even to remove areas of grass—it’s best to start by burning, or cooking, them out. This method is called solarization. You start by first watering and then placing a large piece of plastic in the desired area. Use bricks or rocks to hold it down. The sun will heat the soil and cook the weeds and its seeds to death. It’s not the fastest of organic weed control methods, but it is very effective. Depending on where you live it can take from 3 weeks to 2 months. So do this in the hottest weather. If you have the time or too many weeds, repeat the process. Till the soil to bring up to the surface any remaining seeds. If not, do NOT till the soil before planting your garden. This will only uncover leftover seeds and start your weed problem all over again. Only lightly rake any weed remnants. Plant and mulch immediately. Another good option for removing large areas of weeds is smothering them, or cutting off their supply of sunshine. You can use newspaper, cardboard, landscaping cloth, plastic or even recycled carpet or rugs. Lay mulch, tree bark, pine needles, shell, or rock on top for decorative appeal, depending on your design or purpose. Tip: If using newspaper, wet it to keep it in place and layer 6 or more sheets for best results. Plastic is probably your least functional option in my experience. Simple mulching (at least 3 inches deep) can also be an excellent deterrent for weeds. Use any organic matter available to you including compost and garden clippings in the fall to prepare an area for planting in the spring. Ground cover plants will also choke out weeds and attract beneficial insects. Use native varieties for low maintenance. Weeding by hand is time consuming, and a controversial subject. There are those who recommend pulling weeds out weekly to keep them under control. Then there are those who say NEVER pull weeds—cut them. I say, if you are starting from scratch, it’s best to prepare your plot in advance using one of the previously discussed methods.
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Let’s talk about weed control—organic weed control, that is. Never use chemical weed killers if you care about your health and the environment’s. As with synthetic pesticides, chemical herbicides do more harm than good. They destroy beneficial organisms as well as the undesirables; contaminate your precious soil—that you’ve worked so hard to build; and pollute groundwater.
What is a weed? Basically, any plant in your garden that you didn’t put there and don’t want. But not all “weeds” are created equal. Some of these unwanted intruders are native plants or wildflowers that can be eye-catching and helpful by attracting beneficial insects into your garden. Some are even edible!
Last, but not least—well, actually, it should be your least-used solution. Even before you resort to killing weeds you should use any means to prevent them. Herbicides will kill any plant it comes into contact with, wanted or unwanted.
