Maximum Yield USA 2014 February | Page 84

natural weed control Organic mulches include straw, grass clippings, leaves, manure, bark chips, sawdust, newspapers and ground corncobs.” having to think about it. The advantage here is that you only pull the undesirable plants, and keep the ones you want. The downside is that, depending on the size of your garden, this can be a tedious process that leaves your body screaming for a massage. But no dead weeds are left behind using this method. So remember to start small—weed just a small space well—instead of weeding a large space incompletely. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch A thick layer of organic mulch will keep light from reaching weeds, hindering any potential growth and nourishing the soil in the process. Without sufficient lighting, the chlorophyll needed to aid further growth isn’t produced, and most weeds die off before they become an issue. While persistent plants may find their