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MARCH
Weeds : Non-Chemical Control
WEEDS CAN BE CONTROLLED WITHOUT RESORTING TO WEEDKILLERS . CULTURAL OR ORGANIC CONTROL MEASURES RELY ON KILLING OR RESTRICTING THE WEEDS BY PHYSICAL ACTION , FROM MANUAL REMOVAL TO SMOTHERING , BURNING AND USING WEED BARRIERS .
All weeds can be controlled without weed killers , but persistent or deep rooted weeds may be very difficult to eradicate . Ongoing control is likely to be necessary .
Annual weeds ( which only live for a year ) and ephemeral weeds ( which live for less than a year ) are the easiest to control , as they are usually shallow rooted . However , they can scatter seed prolifically , so usually reappear and require further control .
Deep-rooted perennial weeds ( which die down in the winter and regrow each spring ) will re-grow from their roots if the tops are removed or burned off . They can be difficult to dig out and may grow up through weed barriers in time .
When to control weeds
Weeds can be controlled whenever they are troublesome , which is usually in the spring and summer months .
It is a good idea to put weed barriers in place in late winter or early spring , as they work better as a preventative than when an existing problem requires suppression .
How to control weeds without chemicals : MANUAL REMOVAL AND CUTTING BACK
Hoeing : Run a hoe over a bed or between rows to kill most weed seedlings . For maximum effectiveness , choose a dry day with a light wind , so that the seedlings will dry out on the surface of the bed rather than re-rooting into moist soil .
Hand-pulling or hand-weeding with a fork : Pull up annual weeds by hand before they set seed . Perennial weeds should be dug out with as much root ( or bulb ) as possible , using a hand or border fork . Hand weeding is easiest on lighter soils and should only be attempted where it will not disturb the roots of garden plants . Further pulling may be necessary with persistent weeds such as bindweed or couch grass where small root sections left behind can re-grow into new plants .
Weed knife and other weeding tools : A weed knife has a hooked end and is a useful tool for weeding between paving slabs and along path edging . Various other hooked , narrowbladed or spiral-type tools are available for specific weeding jobs such as digging out dandelions on a lawn .
Repeated cutting : In large weedy areas , repeated cutting to ground level over several years will weaken and even kill some weeds . This is usually done with a strimmer or sickletype weeder .
Flame gun : Scorch off weeds between paving slabs and on driveways by blasting them with a flame gun . Use only when the foliage is dry and allow sufficient burn-time for deep-rooted weeds , such as dandelions , to be killed .
WEED BARRIERS :
Mulching : Use deep organic mulches such as bark or wood chip to smother weeds around plants . To be effective , keep them topped up to a minimum depth of 10-15cm ( 4-6in ) to smother established annual weeds . Keep woody stems clear of mulch to prevent rotting .
Edging boards or strips : These can be used to edge lawns and grass paths to prevent unwanted grass growth into the border . Especially useful where invasive rooted grasses such as couch grass are a problem .
Root barriers : These can be inserted into the soil to stop the spread of perennial weeds such as ground elder and horsetail into neighbouring areas or gardens . They can also be used to restrict invasive plants such as bamboos , or suckering trees , shrubs and raspberries . A straight barrier can be formed from paving slabs or corrugated iron sheets , but for a flexible solution use a tough fabric like ‘ Root Barrier ’ available from Greentech .
WEED-SUPPRESSANT FABRICS :
Groundcover or landscaping fabrics can be laid over recently cleared soil to suppress re-growth of old weeds and prevent new weeds from establishing .
There are a number of different weed suppressant fabrics available , each with its own advantages and disadvantages .
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