The best ways to deal with weeds in your garden
These are some of the simple and inexpensive ways you can remove weeds from your garden and prevent them from coming back.
Weeding is an arduous task that most gardeners would rather avoid. However, there are a few straightforward methods to eliminate weeds and stop them from resurfacing. One easy approach is to simply pull unwanted plants out of the ground, a cheap and chemical-free option. Horticulturist Louise Sales advises addressing annual weeds promptly before they produce seeds.
Target plants with flowers to prioritize their removal. For weeds with deep roots, like capeweed and dandelions, it's crucial to extract the entire root system to prevent regrowth.
In cases of stubborn weed patches, boiling water and vinegar can be effective. Sales notes that while vinegar burns the foliage, it doesn't reach the plant's interior, making it unsuitable for systemic treatment. It's less effective on weeds with underground stems, as they remain unaffected. To intensify vinegar's potency, sales recommends adding salt.
Gardening Australia suggests using salted vinegar as well. In spring, sustainable city living educator Koren Helbig employs "chop and drop", cutting weeds at their roots and layering the leaves on the soil for natural fertilisation. She also enriches the soil with organic pellets and activates biochar to retain water and nutrients. Many common weeds can be composted after removal.
To deter weeds, Helbig creates barriers using cardboard from local businesses and covers it with bark mulch, blocking sunlight and smothering the unwanted plants. Sales also supports this method, emphasizing the effectiveness of thick cardboard layers. Helbig further enriches her garden with edible ground covers like marjoram, thyme, nasturtiums, and warrigal greens, which help suppress weeds through competitive living mulch.
Gardening coach Kate Wall also stresses the importance of planting in empty spaces to prevent weed growth, choosing plants that thrive in your conditions and won't become invasive. It's essential to consult local council websites for a list of prohibited garden plants in your area.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
