Ecolonomic Life

Dandelions are a very familier weed and seems to really like flower beds and lawns. Photo from Grian Herbs Knowledge Base.

If you’ve ever had your own garden you know the dilemma of weeds. They are always getting in the way and can be real pains in the neck (and back). If you don’t really care about the environment then toxic herbicides are the way to go, but they are harmful to more than just those weeds. Herbicide run off is toxic to wild animals and even children who play near the place they were sprayed, not to mention other plants and insects as well. The chemicals can also ruin the soil. The solution is a lot better than getting down on hands and knees and plucking the weeds out though. There are things you can do that are good for the environment and will make those pests a little more manageable.

Planning is the key to a weed free garden. Fall is sadly making its way around the corner (where did the summer go?) which means that those gardens are going to wither away. This is a great time to attack the issue of weeds before the spring comes next year. If you have a flower garden with annual flowers then at the end of the summer or whenever the flowers start to turn brown, completely dig out the garden. This way you are pulling up any seeds of perennial weeds that will return the next spring. This is very important in vegetable gardens because harmful insects can also live in the ground.

Once spring arrives and you are planning on starting a garden the next step would be to lay down a protective

The right tools will make gardening easier as well as aid in the reduction of weeds. Photo from the Garden Tool Buyer's Resource.

covering that will be buried later. There are very nice landscaping fabrics out there that are designed specifically to keep weeds out. Newspaper can also work and is far cheaper, but it will degrade after time and I’m not positive about the effects the inks may have on the ground. Once you have placed down a protective fabric or covering bury it in gardening mulch. This is what you will be planting your flowers and plants in.

These few steps will greatly minimize weeds coming up, but it won’t eliminate them. If you do have weeds come up, they should be very easy to pull because they are rooted in mulch and not soil. If they happen to get through the fabric than dampen the garden area first and then pull the weeds, it will be much easier.

If you do want to use a spray you can use either a corn gluten spray or a vinegar spray. Corn gluten is great because it will kill the weeds as seeds, but it is not good for gardens that are already planted or have seeds that you do not want to kill. Vinegar will kill any weeds that are already grown. Spray the weed directly and make sure you don’t spray any plant you want to keep. The stronger the percentage of vinegar, the more likely it will kill weeds. This spray will work great for driveway and walkways where weeds tend to show up.

Those are just some ways of dealing with those pesky plants. Are there anyways you have found of getting rid of weeds and eco-friendly way?