6th May 2022
1. Don't panic
New beds may be surprised to discover weeds sprouting everywhere, and if this is your first year gardening, you may be unsure which are weeds and which are your beloved carrots!
2. Weed sparingly.
If you planted in rows or blocks, you can easily hoe between seedlings and plants.
Get into the habit of hoeing once a week to catch shallow-rooted weeds.
Weeds grow quickly and will require excavating if left unpulled.
weeding advice
3. Rain-soaked weed
Weeding after a rain shower helps to loosen the soil.
Even great if the sun shines...
Dry the weeds on the surface.
4. Don't dig
Turning the soil will make weeds worse.
It brings previously buried weeds to the surface to cover disturbed soil (like a cut on your finger developing a scab).
No dig beds will eventually have fewer tenacious weeds.
5. Prevent weed seeding.
So get weeds before they go to seed and spread.
Grassy patches around your plot...
The honey bees adore our garden because it is near to a meadow. But cats and foxes have covered most of our mattresses!
6. Learn about perennial weeds.
Perennial weeds are far more difficult to eliminate than annual weeds like chickweed.
If you leave a couch grass or dandelion root in your soil, it will regrow!
Pay them and destroy!
Also wonderful in casseroles and full of vitamins!
Remove bindweed, nettles, thistles, and docks.
Never compost perennial weeds!
7. Avoid bare soil.
If you space your seedlings correctly and allow for a hoe between rows, you will make your life easy.
8. Mulch larger plants.
Mulch whatever you can.
That's one less bed to weed.
We use a thick coating of grass or wood chip.
9. Weeding huge regions
In the absence of weeds, it is recommended to cover the raised beds with horticultural cloth or cardboard.
Potatoes create a dense canopy of leaves and are a good cleaning crop.
This shads the soil and inhibits weeds. Regular earthing covers annual weeds.
Not all of them!
While we're talking about weeding, let's speak about insects.
Early weeds are vital for bees and butterflies.
Our honey bees are busy pollinating dandelions, while butterflies hover amongst nettles.
If you have room, establish a pollinator-friendly patch away from your beds.
It's also possible to use weeds to generate natural fertilisers!
New beds may be surprised to discover weeds sprouting everywhere, and if this is your first year gardening, you may be unsure which are weeds and which are your prized carrots!
Keep going as weeds will decrease if you keep up with it!