Weeds are plants that are growing where you don’t want them. That’s obvious when talking about pests like crabgrass and dandelions, but some may be plants you like, such as tomatoes or cosmos, that sprout up wherever last year’s seed happened to fall. You can manage all kinds of weeds with smart, labor-saving strategies, well-designed tools, and diligence. Here’s the scoop on why, when, and how to keep weeds under control in your garden.
Why Do I Need to Weed?
Weeds are troublemakers in your garden beds because they steal water, nutrients, and even sunlight away from the plants you want to grow. Many insect pests congregate on weeds, reproduce until they reach infestation levels, and then attack your vegetables, fruit, and flowers. Weeds also can be the host to plant diseases that can be transmitted to your garden plants. And last but far from least, weeds tend to be unsightly and detract from your garden’s beauty.
When Do I Need to Weed?
The best time to get take on plant invaders is when they are still seedlings. The bigger they get, the more difficult they are to remove. Take a daily stroll through your garden to look for weeds that have recently sprouted up and pluck them. If a few of them have escaped your notice and grown larger, the ideal time to pull them is after a light rain, when the soil is moist and the roots are not clinging to hard, packed soil.
The most critical time to get at weeds is before they flower. Once weeds bloom, they will soon set seeds and drop them on the ground, sowing a new crop of weeds. If they’ve already set seeds, cover them with a paper or cloth bag before pulling them out so the seeds don’t come loose and scatter in the process.
What Do I Need to Get Rid of Weeds?
Your hands and a pair of sturdy gloves, like the Knitted Bamboo Gloves, are the most effective tools for removing small weeds in tight spaces. For larger areas, the Wide Edge Chopping Hoe takes down big weeds and breaks up low-growing types with ease. You can extract weeds with long taproots using the Hori-Hori Knife, a favorite tool of Burpee’s trial gardeners. It’s a versatile implement you can use to cut through big, tough weeds and many other garden tasks.
If you have weeds growing in cracks in your walkway or in other spots where you can’t get them out with tools, spraying them with a vinegar solution kills them without causing harm to people, pets, or the environment. You can buy this already in a spray bottle at many garden centers or just make your own using ordinary white vinegar and water at a 10 percent concentration.
How Do I Get Rid of Weeds?
Dig down to get under the long, straight taproots of weeds such as thistle, dock, and dandelions. If the weed is large and well-established, you may need to use the Hori-Hori Knife or a trowel with a long head to loosen the soil around the weed before lifting it out. Be sure to get the whole root or the weed may resprout.
Cut off shallow-rooted types, including chickweed, broadleaf plantain, and creeping Charlie, by skimming a hoe through the top few inches of soil. This process breaks contact between the plants’ aboveground growth, their roots, and the soil, depriving them of the water and nutrients they need to survive. The Dutch Hand Hoe is designed just for this purpose.
Stop future weed invasions by keeping the soil covered all season, leaving the pest plants with no place to germinate. In vegetable gardens, a layer of dried grass clippings or straw work as a weed barrier that nourishes the soil as it decomposes. A mulch of pine bark nuggets blocks weeds in flower beds and around trees and shrubs and it looks attractive. For the most effective control, use a more durable barrier such as Weed Shield in your vegetable garden or Weed-X Premium Landscape Fabric in your ornamental beds. If you don’t like how these mulches look, you can top them with natural materials such as straw or shredded hardwood.
You can also grow a living mulch with plants that stay close to the ground, obstructing weeds from germinating. The big leaves and spreading vines of just about every variety of squash can blanket the soil around taller plants like tomatoes and peppers. Alyssum and nasturtiums cover the ground and they add color with their vivid flowers.
Why Are Weeds Good?
That’s right, weeds can be good for your garden and even for you. First, weeds can give you a glimpse into your garden soil. White and red clover, for example, take root where soil lacks nitrogen, an essential nutrient which they can extract from the air and fix in the soil for garden plants. Crabgrass thrives in soil that is low in calcium. Broadleaf plantain grows in compacted or heavy clay soil. By identifying the weeds in your garden and finding out about their preferences, you can learn about how to improve the conditions in your beds.
Second, while weeds can harbor pests, many uncultivated plants also provide resources to pollinators and other beneficial insects. Common violets often spread into ornamental gardens and their little purple flowers attract many species of fritillary butterfly larvae and native bees. Ground ivy is a nectar source for bumblebees and honeybees.
Some types of weeds are nutritious and even tasty. Dandelion leaves taste a lot like arugula and make a healthy addition to spring salads. Purslane is a low-growing weed that’s a popular food in Mediterranean countries and China. It has a light, lemony taste and is packed with valuable nutrients like vitamin C, beta-carotene, and melatonin. Garlic chives add a lightly spicy flavor to omelets and quesadillas. Garden cress and water cress have a peppery flavor and are as nutrient-dense as kale.
Before you consume any weeds, be sure you have confirmed a positive identification of the species and pass on any that may have been treated with herbicides or other garden chemicals. Once you are sure that the weeds are safe, you can enjoy them along with your garden crops. Because if you can’t beat them, you can eat them!