some things you need to know about weeding!

I said in my May gardening to-do list that now is the time to get on top of weeds... and I meant it!  Even better right now after a few days of rain because it's easier to pull weeds from moist soil.

I did a little myself this morning.  It's always hard to get started, I admit.  There are so many other things I want to do in the garden right now.  But once I get going, I actually find it hard to stop!  There's always just one more weed over there that I want to get rid of...

Get a dandelion digger tool for those dandelions - you need to get as much of that long taproot out as possible, or it will just regrow.

Don't disturb your soil!  Every time you turn over your soil you bring new weed seeds to the surface, ready to germinate.  This is another good reason to topdress with compost and/or mulch every year, without digging it in.

A little regular weeding goes a long way rather than waiting until everything is out of control!  If you're really busy and don't have time to do a thorough weeding, at least pull the tops off weeds before they set seed.  And this is especially important now before any weeds set seed and then the rains of June suddenly turns all those seeds into new weeds.  

Weeds that grow in patios or other places where you can't get at the root, can be treated with boiling water.  Just make sure you don't gt any other nearby plants!

Once the garden is well established and you have larger plants that shade a lot of your soil, the weeds are pretty easy to control.  I promise!

(Alternatively, if you're looking for some reasons (excuses?) why some weeds may be good for the garden, read this!)

Comments

[Tatiana]

Thanks for the helpful post! Since I'm totally new at this one of my concerns is not even knowing what's a weed and what's not.

I do recognize dandelions and the prickly stuff, but everything else will have to grow a bit more before I sort it out.