No More Weeds...

...Well hardly any, if it all goes according to plan!
After all the rain in May a few days of warm weather is all it takes for the weeds to be jumping out of the ground. Annual weeds are troublesome but can be managed providing they are removed before they set seed.

Hoeing works well when the weather is fine and the soil surface is dry. The weeds wither and die on the ground. When there is moisture they will reroot if they are not collected up and composted.
Cultivating the soil brings more weed seeds to the surface where they germinate. Seeds may lie dormant in the soil for decades until they get the right conditions for germination, light, heat and moisture.

A flame gun is an effective method of killing seedling weeds in a path or ground which is fallow. Perennial weeds are more difficult to conquer. It is a battle and gardeners usually lose. Plants such as nettles, buttercup, horse tail, ground elder, bindweed, docks and thistles have a vigorous root system which travels deep or spreads far.

It is essential that the root is killed using chemicals such as glyphosate or it is dug out in its entirety .If you are prepared to wait for a couple of years, cover the weeds with black plastic sheeting or old carpet. In the fullness of time the exclusion of light will weaken or kill the weeds, but don’t hold your breath.

Once you eliminate the weeds you have to keep the area weed free. Where landscape fabric can be used on the soil surface prior to planting it works well. The woven fabric allows water to penetrate but
prevents weeds coming up through the material. Covering the fabric with a 2 inch layer of washed gravel or bark mulch will further reduce the weeding in future months.

After all that work take a break.
Planting a weed free site with ground covering plants is a good deterrent. The dense covering of foliage excludes light, preventing weeds from growing. Think of the floor of a forest where only shade
tolerant plants such as ferns survive.

Mat forming conifers such as Juniperus conferta and J.horizontalis as well as carpeting plants, including vinca and ajuga, quickly spread to cover large areas.

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