The Popular Gardening Task That May Be Making Your Weed Problem Worse

Although the practice of tilling gardens to prepare them for planting has come under scrutiny in recent years for its disruptive effects on soil structure, it's still popular with gardeners. The primary purpose of tilling is to remove weeds in the soil before planting. Tillers work to eliminate weeds by chopping them into tiny pieces and burying their seeds. The problem with this process is that buried seeds — some of which have lain dormant in the soil for years — can be brought to the surface by the tiller. With the help of sunshine and warmer temperatures, these seeds will grow into weed plants. Some of these weeds can germinate with a minute amount of soil coverage as well.

Tilling can encourage weeds of species that have adapted to soil disturbance, as well as perennial grass weeds. Fragments of chopped up weed root fragments can grow into plants, too. Bottom line: Tilling is among common weeding mistakes that cause them to keep coming back.

Farmers and gardeners are considering revised practices that lessen soil disturbance, such as reduced-till and no-till methods. Because these methods may not remove as many weeds as tilling does, and because some seeds have adapted to low-till and no-till techniques, an integrated weed management strategy may be needed. Supplemental weed-control methods include herbicides and crop rotation. Sheet mulching, also known as lasagna gardening to create a new planting bed, is also an option. With this method, weeds are smothered by having materials, often sheets of cardboard, placed on top of them. If no-till sounds like the way to go for you, soak up everything you need to know to start a no-till garden.

A unique method that includes tilling but deals with weed seeds left behind is called the stale seedbed technique. Start by tilling the garden two weeks before you plant. Just before you plant, eradicate weeds that have germinated from the left-behind seeds, using a no-till method, such as herbicides, light cultivation, or flame weeding with a propane torch.