Gardening: Cultivating to Control Weeds

Several years ago, we hired a lawn service to weed-and-feed and cut our grass. This was a delightful break for us, and they did a super job with the lawn. In fact, we were so pleased, that we enlisted their help to carve out a few flowerbeds in the backyard.

That's where the trouble started.

The crew dug out the sod and dumped in some soil. That's it. I plunked in some perennials, and waited for results. I have been pulling weeds and digging up stubborn grasses ever since.

Had we dug deep enough and cultivated the garden areas well before planting, my horticultural existence would have been much simpler.

Planning for flowerbeds and other landscaped areas can pay off in spades in the long run. A few basic steps can save you a lot of trouble later. Cultivating your garden areas in advance will provide ideal environments for your flowers, vegetables, shrubs and other desirable vegetation.

Prepare the ground well before planting.

When you dig out the ground to prepare for a new garden bed, unroll black plastic or gardener's cloth in the fresh space. Anchor the cloth with rocks or bricks until it is covered. Fill the area with fresh potting soil (not garden dirt), so you do not repopulate the area with your old vegetation.

The plastic will prevent weeds from growing up into your garden, and it will also help to retain moisture in the bed.

To plant your flowers, vegetables, and other desirables, punch holes through the cloth exactly where you want to place your flowers.

Include assertive ground covers among your plantings.

Plant highly motivated vegetation to prevent weeds from cropping up. Add aggressive ground cover to your garden. (I like creeping phlox, mosses, and sedum.) Planting flowers and other vegetation close together will prevent the sunlight from reaching the soil, thus halting the grown of undesirables. Leave no empty gaps for weeds to inhabit.

Keep your garden well-mulched to keep weeds out and moisture in.

Be persistent when you pull out weeds.

Eliminate weeds completely as soon as they appear, before they have an opportunity to become established and spread.

Yank out those weeds! Be sure to get all of the roots, or the pesky plants will come back with a vengeance! Be sure to wear gloves when weeding, as thistles and other nasty invaders can shred your fingers.

Use herbicidal compounds very cautiously.

If you employ chemical weed killers, be careful. This is powerful stuff. Take care that you spray exactly what you intend to kill, as these are fairly indiscriminate poisons. Also, if it rains, you may have to reapply.

Here's a tip for spraying weeds without killing neighboring plants. Cut the tapered end off a two-liter soda bottle. Make a small hole in the base as well. Place this over a weed (like a dome). Spray into the hole. The herbicide will cook and kill the weed without affecting anything else in the garden.

Enjoy the fruit of your labor.

A well-planned landscape can be a colorful source of joy. Instead of fighting back insistent weeds and overgrowth, you can relish your lovely plantings.