The Smart And Simple Tip That Cuts Down On Weeding Time In Your Garden
Raise your hand if you enjoy weeding! Some gardeners do, but many find it to be their least favorite or most challenging garden task. If you hate weeding, you probably really want to know how to get rid of weeds in your garden. You might be surprised to learn of a method that involves no chemical weed killers, suppressing fabric, or intense labor. In fact, one of the least harmful ways to kill weeds in your lawn is simply a matter of the way you plan, choose, and execute your garden plantings.
This tip is all about dense planting — weeds don't get enough sunlight and other resources and are simply crowded out of existence. There are three approaches you can use separately or together: dense planting, competitive planting, and using ground covers. These dense-planting techniques can take time to establish, but are well worth the effort. Once you commit to a densely-planted weed suppression program, avoid common weeding mistakes that cause them to keep coming back. This can include depleting your garden's weed seed bank, not letting weeds go to seed, removing the roots, and making sure the plant you're pulling is actually a weed.
How to use dense planting to suppress weeds
With dense planting, the idea is to put in more plants and space them closer together than you normally would. You don't want any empty spaces or bare spots where weeds can emerge. Plants that already grow densely and quickly are particularly well suited to weed suppression, especially if they form a shade canopy over the soil surface. You can for example fill spaces between pruned box hedges with low-growing plants.
@wyseguide The thing I do to avoid weeds in my flowerbed!
Competitive planting is a more scientific form of planting densely. In this method, you intentionally choose plants for weed suppression. The goal is to choose the right plant types to suppress the specific weeds you want to get rid of. This method works best when a limited number of weed species are present. Perennial native plants tend to compete better than annuals. You may need to use other weed-control techniques until the plants are established. Examples of highly competitive native species include coyotebush (Baccharis pilularis), doveweed (Croton setiger), and creeping wild rye (Elymus triticoides). You can also consider plants known for their weed-suppressing abilities, like buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum).
Densely growing ground cover plants are also effective at suppressing weeds. As they spread out across a garden bed, they naturally compete against weeds for nutrients, sunlight, and water. Some plant species that are particularly effective for weed suppression include the large green-grey leaved lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis), textural grass-like blue wood sedge (Carex flaccosperma), and violet-blooming liriope (Liriope spicata). There are many other ground covers you can plant to help choke out unwanted weeds.