How to get rid of weeds in the garden: the best ways

No matter how much effort you put into growing vegetables, if you don't fight weeds on your plot, you won't get good results. Harmful plants compete with cultivated plants for resources, such as food from the soil, moisture, and sunlight.

Experienced gardeners claim that there are five effective methods of weed control. OBOZ.UA tells you about them and their features in more detail.

Manual weeding

This is the oldest method of weed control proven for thousands of years. It is also the most environmentally friendly, but at the same time quite laborious. It means that throughout the season, you will occasionally weed the soil in the beds and remove the green part of the weeds and their roots by hand.

There are not many advantages to this method, but the disadvantages are quite serious. Usually, when the weeds sprout and you can start weeding them, they have already managed to take away some of the resources from the vegetables. In addition, in the process of weeding, you can damage the tool or accidentally remove cultivated plants. The efficiency of this method is also low because not every root system of the weed can be completely removed from the ground.

Herbicides

Herbicides are chemicals that kill weeds or inhibit their growth. They can be effective even on large areas. And modern preparations are safe for humans and animals.

However, such agrochemicals can harm beneficial crops and soil. In addition, harmful plants develop resistance to herbicide products over time.

Herbicides should be chosen carefully, based on specific needs. For example, selective chemicals will help to remove specific plant species from the site, while non-selective chemicals will destroy everything you treat, even useful crops. Some chemicals are applied before germination, others work on annuals, and some even have a prolonged effect and inhibit weed growth throughout the season. Consultants in a specialized store will help you choose the right product for you.

Green manure

Green manure can also inhibit the growth of weeds such as wheatgrass. For example, wheat, barley, rye and other cereals grow quickly and block the sun from harmful sprouts. Buckwheat wins the competition for food and moisture. Lupine and mustard release substances that slow down the growth of other plants.

Mulching

Mulch not only retains moisture in the soil and helps to better regulate its temperature but also blocks sunlight, which prevents weeds from growing. It is also a completely environmentally friendly method. Straw, wood chips, pebbles, and grass clippings - all-natural materials - can be used as mulch. You can also use agrofibre. Mulching can reduce the use of herbicides and the frequency of weeding.

Ground cover plants

These types of plants work in much the same way as mulch. They create a dense carpet of greenery through which weeds cannot grow. This method is best used in gardens or ornamental areas of vegetable gardens. Some types of roses that creep along the ground, carpet shrubs (cotoneaster), evergreen conifers (some types of juniper), certain deciduous perennials (stonecrop, periwinkle, ajuga, thyme, moss phlox, etc.) are considered ground cover plants.

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