This article discusses how to control weeds in your vegetable or flower garden without dangerous chemicals. It is not intended for weeds in lawns or other applications. Note that our goal is to "control" weeds, not totally eliminate all weeds. That is nearly impossible in an area where you expect anything else (flowers and vegetables) to grow. You can, indeed, eliminate all weeds in a given area, but nothing else will grow there either.

The focus here is on home backyard gardens of small to average size. If you have a very large garden these procedures would require a lot of labor and time or some assistance.

First, we need to understand weeds and how they grow.

Weeds are plants, just like your vegetables or flowers. They require light, water and nutrients to grow. They are produced from seed or root (like blackberries). Some weed seeds are airborne, therefore, it is nearly impossible to totally eliminate weeds in the same area where you are providing light, water and nutrients in order to grow desirable plants.

If you deprive weeds of one of their three requirements, they will not emerge or if already growing, they will die. In other words, take away either water or light or nutrients and weeds can not survive. Of these three, light is the easiest to eliminate.

Your success in eliminating weeds depends on a twofold strategy. First, removing existing weed seed and roots from your garden soil, then eliminate light so new seed can not germinate. So, here's the plan:

 

Eliminate Existing Weed Seed and Roots

This step is very labor intensive, but necessary. Prior to planting your desirable flowers or vegetables, you need to remove as many of the existing weed seeds from your garden soil as possible. As soon as the soil is workable in the spring, turn over the soil and hand pick any roots, debris, seedlings or anything that appears to be an emerging weed. Ideally, this would be done with a rototiller. If unavailable, you will have to use shovel, pick, rake and hoe. Wait 4 days, then do it again. As long as your back holds out, do this as many times as you can, but at least twice.

 

 

Eliminate Light

Next, cover your garden with newspaper, at least 5 sheet thickness. If possible, this should be done at least 2 weeks before you plant your garden. Use rocks or clean (weed free) compost to anchor the newspaper so the wind does not blow it away. The newspaper will eventually turn into compost and will not harm your soil. Meanwhile, it will block light from any weed seeds under the newspaper.

 

Next, plant your flowers or vegetable plants. If planting seedlings (small plants which you started indoor) cut a small hole about 2 inches in diameter in the newspaper and plant the seedling through the hole. If planting seeds, cut an oblong slit 2 inches wide and as long as you want your rows to be. Plant the seeds in the opening in the newspaper.

Some people advocate using plastic sheeting or weed cloth (available at garden shops) instead of newspaper. I do not favor this because the plastic will stay in your soil forever, altering your soil composition. Also, weed cloth, in my experience, is not as effective in blocking weeds and it is nearly impossible to remove once roots grow through it.

You will find a small amount of weeds that try to sneak up through the holes you cut in the newspaper (where you planted your desirable plants). You will simply have to handpick these weeds. However, they are few and not persistent.

Ridding your garden of all weeds is difficult and you may be tempted to just buy a super lethal weed spray. These chemicals do work, but do you really want poisons in your garden? Especially on vegetables you intend to eat? Use the methods presented here and you can bite into that bell pepper from your garden knowing it is organic and safe for your own children to eat.

Our Articles: