Tired of spending so much of your summer out in the garden pulling weeds? You aren’t alone! So many of us get so overwhelmed by the weeds that we simply give up. But it is incredibly helpful if you know precisely what weeds don’t want you to know–in other words, the weed secrets that make maintaining weed-free garden beds infinitely easier.
What Weeds Don’t Want You To Know
There are some great tips and tricks for weed control that the weeds don’t want you to know. Because once you do know, then the weeds’ days are definitely numbered. For better and easier weed control, here is what you need to do:
Stop Working The Soil So Much!
What? Don’t you have to till and shovel and work really hard to prep your garden beds? Actually, no. And the reason is this: if you go out first thing in the spring and till the soil, you are just working all the weed seeds that have been laying dormant on top of the dirt deeper into and throughout your soil. They then germinate and sprout EVERYWHERE. And you will be left weeding for days and weeks on end.
What should you do instead? To get a quick handle on the weeds, don’t till. Let the garden bed sit while the little weed seeds in the top layers of soil begin to germinate and sprout. Once they do, and while they’re very small, use a hoe to remove them. You’ve just removed most of your weed problem in one fell swoop! Then go ahead and plant your flowers and vegetables.
Cover Up The Soil
After you plant your vegetable garden, cover the soil around the plants. That will leave the soil undisturbed, which will stop working weed seeds into your bed. It also helps control weed germination by blocking sunlight. Use mulch, straw and/or weed fabric to provide an effective barrier against weeds.
Additional Tips And Tricks
The above two secrets should really diminish the amount of weeding you have to do. But for weeds that do pop up, use a hoe to remove them while they’re small. Also, note that it is much easier to weed when the soil is wet and cool. Check out 6 more things you must know about weed control!
I loved your tip of covering the soil around your garden to protect it from weeds growing. My wife and I are wanting to start a small vegetable garden and we were wondering how we could prevent weeds from growing in it. I’ll be sure to tell her that we should have the soil around it covered to protect the garden.