How to Keep Weeds at Bay

How to Remove Weeds

Weeds can quickly overwhelm your garden and fight for space with the plants which are meant to be there.

So, you need to find a way to get rid of them without killing or harming your other plants, or the wildlife in your garden. You then need to stop them from growing to get yourself out of the vicious cycle of controlling them.

Below are some ideas on how to control weeds in your garden, whether your space is already established or you’re preparing a new garden bed.

How to get rid of weeds

Unfortunately, you can’t get rid of weeds completely, especially if you don’t want to cause damage to existing plants. But there are ways to limit their growth.

When gardening, make sure you always wear gloves and outdoor work boots. You will also need eye protection if there is a risk of debris. You can buy PPE from Speedy online.

1. Weed membrane

Weed membrane acts as a barrier, not allowing sunlight to reach the soil, but still allowing sufficient water and air through for the existing plants.

It is a good long-term solution, so great if your plants are there year-round, rather than there being a revolving plant selection every season.

You can either cut out holes to fit the membrane over your plants or cut patches to place around the plants. Bear in mind the patches will have to overlay with each other, to ensure no gaps.

Keep the membrane down by placing heavy stones on top, so it won’t be blown away by the wind.

2. Mulch

Mulching around your existing plants can help suppress anything which isn’t meant to be there, including weeds and grass. This is because sunlight and air can’t get to the plants.

Mulching is an easier option if you have several plants and cutting the membrane to fit would be time-consuming and difficult.

You can mulch using homemade woodchips, which is great if you’ve just cut down some branches or pruned trees. The bark won’t decompose quickly or be disturbed by wind easily.

Grass clippings are another great idea. Collect once you have mowed the lawn. Just ensure there’s no chance of roots on the clippings.

Before mulching, remove visible weeds. The mulch should be a few inches deep.

3. Remove by Hand

Preferable to using weed killer is removing the weeds by hand. Most weeds pull up easily; it is one way in which they can be identified.

If you can identify them, avoiding using a weed killer will mean there’s less risk of harming nearby plants and wildlife.

A weeding tool can make light work of this. They can sink into the ground and pull up the entire plant, including the root. This is a great option for dandelions and other hard-to-remove weeds. A hoe, cultivator, or hand trowel can also work.

If the weeds in your garden will be easy to pull out, just arm yourself with a pair of gloves and some work boots. Dispose of the weeds in garden waste—don’t add them to a compost bin or similar.

How to limit weeds in a new garden bed

If you’re starting new, the best way to reduce the likelihood of weeds is to get rid of the soil currently in the bed and replace it with new soil.

This can mean you need to buy a lot of soil, so if your garden beds are particularly deep, just remove the top few feet before laying down a weed membrane and replacing it with sterile topsoil.

If what you’re planting will develop large roots, you can instead lay down cardboard. This will smother the weeds and any grass, before rotting down.

Rotavating your soil can also help. This churns up the soil, disturbing current roots and improving soil quality and aeration. While it doesn’t necessarily remove the weed root, it can kill existing roots and make future ones easier to pull out as the soil is not as compact.

Then, plant as you would normally!

READY FOR MORE GARDENING TIPS?

If you want more tips for your garden and how to use gardening tools, take a look at our Gardening How-To guides and videos.

Open a Speedy account online or visit us in-store for all your tool hire needs, ready for the nice weather so the gardening can commence.

Speedy has more than 200 local service centres across the nation, hire counters in selected B&Qs and nationwide 4-hour delivery. It has never been easier to hire the tools and equipment you need.

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