Ardmore Victory Gardens
So you have weeds
Weeds in your garden are such a pest and ultimately end up killing your garden before it was even fruitful. Learn how to cultivate and control your weeds before they control you.
Garden, but make it weed free
Mulch
Mulching can be one of the easiest and most effective ways to control weeds. Mulch helps keep the soil cool and moist and deprives weeds from light. Keep the mulch around 2 inches deep, but avoid over-mulching as it it could reduce oxygen levels in soil.
Water Selectively
Water only the plant! In most climates, depriving weeds of water reduces weed-seed germination by 50 to 70 percent.
Pull Immediately
There is a saying “Pull when wet; hoe when dry”. Try to cut off weeds below the soil surface with a sharp hoe, but be mindful as hoeing must be shallow because most vegetable roots are near the soil surface and can be easily damaged.
Composting Weeds
After you pull or hoe all of the weeds, heat treating the weedy compost destroys many of the microscopic life-forms in the compost. Try to reprocess cooked compost for 2-3 weeks before using it in the garden. Place it in a plastic storage bin with a handful of earthworms borrowed from your garden and it will soon be laced with humic acids and other plant-pleasing compounds.