Weed prevention is one of the tasks of gardening that not only is time consuming, but is probably the most annoying. And sure, we could use chemical filled herbicides, but we don’t recommend it and here’s why: herbicides not only wash away and pollute our water, but they also kill important pollinators. Check this post out on why pollinators are important and how you can attract them to your garden.
So what can we do instead?
We’ve put together
5 Ways To Naturally Prevent Weeds
from growing in your yard and garden all year long.
1. Smothering.
So you’ve planted a garden, but you still have weeds growing? No problem! Just cut the weeds low to the ground, and then place either newspaper or cardboard over them. Cover with some mulch, and you shouldn’t have much of a problem with weeds. If you see a few stubborn sprouts shooting up, just repeat the process again. Not only is the method cost effective, but it’s also highly efficient and safe for the environment.
2. Cook Them.
Did you know that you can pour boiling hot water onto weeds and it literally cooks them. The next time you boil some tea, use the leftover water to pour on the pesky weeds.
3. Plant Close Together.
The more space you have between your plants, the more the sun will expose the ground. And the more the sun exposes the ground, the more opportunity for weeds to germinate. To avoid this, we recommend planting some flowers closer together, and digging a deeper hole to allow for root growth.
4. Vinegar.
What can’t vinegar do?! This process should NOT be used near precious flowers and vegetable plants. But it is great for sidewalks, driveways, and anywhere else that doesn’t have your gorgeous plants near them (maybe the ones you got from Garden Valley Farmers Market?). And sure, there are certain recipes that you can look up on Pinterest, but we recommend using undiluted white vinegar. Just add to a squirt bottle of your choice, and spray away!
5. Hand Weeding.
This method is not the most fun, but it is HIGHLY effective. The ideal conditions for hand weeding (if there are any) are with damp soil, maybe after a fresh summer shower? The key to this process is this: do it often. Just like cleaning a house, the more frequently you do it, the easier it is.
Here are some tried and true tools that we recommend adding to your garden tool collection to make weeding your garden and yard much easier:
Garden Knife- great for digging in tough areas
Kneeling Pad- for protecting your knees while digging
Garden Hoe- cuts weed roots deep under the surface
Garden Cultivator- breaks up the top layer of dirt
What are some ways that you’ve found to be super helpful in preventing weeds?
Comment below and let us know!
Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook or our Instagram. And if you’re wanting to check out our other blog posts or needing more inpsiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team