Weeding is a never ending chore, just like housework. And it is the one thing in the garden that I really hate to do. I have pets and it is really important to me to keep them safe in the garden, so I very rarely use poisons and do mostly organic control with organic weeding. There are some ways of controlling weeds that aren’t too arduous, and they are also organic, keeping my cats safe.
Here is a video which shows some of the organic means of weed control. I use or have used all of them, with the exception of corn gluten.
Corn gluten is a pre-emergent weed control. Prevents weed seeds from germinating. I have not used it myself, but a neighbor of mine did in a community garden. Her beds were pretty weed free. It is fairly expensive, but worth it when it prevents weeds without harming my pets or the environment.
Mulching also prevents weeds from coming up by denying light that lets them grow. They also increase the soil temperature so that the plants you want grow more quickly. There are a variety of mulching materials, such a mulching cloth or plastic, compost, wood chips, bark or pea gravel.
There are a variety of garden tools that help with weeding. Flamers can simply burn the weed plants, but should be used with caution. There are also a variety of weeding tools from hand trowels, to wing weeders and weed pick-up tools. My favorite is the wing weeder which cuts the tops of weeds just under the soil. It does not work on grasses well. For those, my twist cultivator is great.
There are even some organic weed killers, which are usually made from vinegar or clove oil which work on broadleaf plants or grasses. I have used one which combined both. They need to be used on hot days or they won’t work. And the one I had used really stunk, but worked pretty well. Like all herbicides, you need to read the labels carefully as to proper use.
I have been late getting started on the weeds in my garden this year, because the weather has been horrible in the Northwest. I really need to get weeding.
Home Garden Diggers 