Managing Weeds in the Garden

Managing Weeds in Your Garden

As we look forward to harvesting beautiful veggies and flowers from our gardens this summer, there is one not so pleasant thing we have to keep in mind: weeds! Weeding is typically one of the most dis-liked tasks when it comes to gardening, but it is important to understand all the different options for controlling weeds in your garden.

When it comes to weeds, it is important to consider what type of management style you use within your garden. If you have a traditional garden and are tilling the ground each year, weed pressure is often high due to the soil being bare. Utilizing herbicides or weed barriers implemented in the early growing season can help, or you can plan on physically weeding. Just like any other aspect of gardening, just have a plan in mind as to how you are going to manage the weeds in your garden.

Physical Weeding

            Probably the most dreaded of all types of weed management, physical weeding is one way to control the weeds in your garden. If you are planning on weeding your garden, there are two main things to keep in mind: what tools you are using and how often you are weeding.

There are a lot of great tools available that can make the weeding process a lot easier. Whether you have raised beds and need smaller hand tools or are looking for some long-handled tools for your large garden, there are plenty of options available. Disc weeders, stirrup hoes, and weed poppers are all great alternatives to pulling weeds by hand. Scheduling out times to weed your garden each week can be beneficial, as keeping up with weeding is much easier than letting things get out of control. Also consider weeding following a good rain, as it makes the soil much looser and easier to work with.

 Weed Barriers

 The use of weed barriers in home gardens has continued to gain popularity over the past few years. With several different options available to fit the specific needs of different types of gardens, weed barriers can certainly help you to manage weeds and make your garden a little more organized. Depending on your situation, you can use plastic, fabric, or woven sunbelt ground cover to grow in and keep weeds under control.

Larger produce farms commonly use black plastic, and it is becoming more common to see this method in home gardens. You can also use the sunbelt ground cover in a similar way, which is sometimes more convenient as you can reuse it from year to year, and you do not need a plastic layer to easily secure it in the soil. Weed fabric is also a viable option but is more commonly used in flower beds rather than veggie gardens.

Herbicides

Although you must be very careful when it comes to using herbicides in your garden, there are some options that can be both safe and effective. In many scenarios you can utilize an herbicide before the growing season begins to kill of an existing weed which allows you to start the season with a clean area. In some cases, you can utilize certain herbicides during the growing season to help keep the weeds under control.

Stop by our retail store to check out some different options for managing weeds in your garden, and feel free to email us at info@rohrerseeds if you have any questions.