Nothing ruins a beautiful garden more than a bunch of unwelcome weeds. Weeds not only tarnish your backyard aesthetically, but they compete for nutrients with other plants—which can have an adverse effect on your garden’s health. Don’t wait until you have waist-high weeds before taking action! Check out our tips for stopping weeds before they even start.
Stick To The Plants
Like everything else that grows in your garden, weeds love water! When watering your garden, be sure to mainly target the base of your plants. Watering bare soil will promote the germination of weeds and watering your plant’s leaves will spread and promote disease.
Stop Playing With It
Try to avoid stirring up soil as much as possible, as weed seeds can lie dormant under your soil for years. By disturbing the soil, you can bring some of these seeds to the surface, where all they need is a bit of sunlight and rain to blossom.
Spray Before They Appear
Take a trip down to your local landscaping supplies store and purchase some pre-emergent herbicide. Simply spray this highly effective weed control product all over the surface of your garden, to prevent the germination of weed seeds. Unlike more poisonous herbicides, pre-emergents won’t harm your established plants.
Weed A Little, More Often
Without the right weed prevention and maintenance, your small weed problem can quickly get out of hand. Whether you prefer to hand weed or spray herbicide, take 10 minutes out of your busy schedule a week to eliminate all the weeds from your garden. Leaving weeds too long will enable them to flower and spread their seeds rapidly.
Don’t Give Them Sun
All weed seeds need is the sun in order to germinate and grow. Mulching is a great way to cover your bare soil, while making your garden look more elegant and inviting. There are many different types of mulch available depending on what look you’re after. Also, planting your seedling rows closer together will create more shade and reduce the amount of sunlight your soil receives.
Don’t Go Cheap On Soil
High-quality soil is not only more beneficial to the overall health of your garden, but it will be less susceptible to weed growth. Low-quality soils can have all types of trace elements, as well as a variety of dormant weed seeds just waiting for their opportunity. The better the soil, the less likely your garden will suffer from pest and disease infestations.
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