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Affordably Outwit Weeds! Tips for Eliminating Weeds

 

Affordably Outwit Your Weeds!

Weeds are no fun! Make the job of staying ahead of unsightly weeds easier by following these steps.

  • Have Fun; Get Your Jam On; Get Your Zen On; “Read” a Book.  While weeding is necessary, it need not be a chore. Why not multitask? Crank your favorite tunes or enjoy the quiet sounds of nature.  Listen to an audiobook. Engage the family in fun weeding competitions. 
  • Weed When It is Wet ~ Our Favorite! Weeds are much easier to pull when the ground is wet. Plan weeding sessions for right after watering.
  • Weed early in the season. If you focus most of your weeding efforts early in the season you wíll find yourself with less weeding later. After planting, remove weeds as soon as you see them. As your plants mature, their leaves will start to cast a shadow on the soil making it more difficult for emerging weeds to take hold.
  • Let mulch do the work. The more you mulch, the less you’ll have to weed. A deep layer of mulch around plants will benefit your garden in several ways by discouraging weeds, conserving soil moisture, regulating soil temperature, and adding organic nutrients to the soil as it decomposes.
  • Weed often, for short periods of time. Breaking down one large job into a series of small-sized tasks makes any unpleasant chore seem easier and less intimidating. For some of us, summer is short. Fifteen or twenty minutes a day or two a week is far preferable to giving up an entire Saturday once a month. Remember, it’s not necessary to banish every weed in the garden all at once. (and probably not possible). Weed more often, but for shorter periods of time.
  • Minimize the Work by Removing Roots. If new weeds continue to emerge in the same exact spot you’re weeding week after week, make sure you’re not leaving the roots behind. Some weeds spread by roots and tubers underground. Remove them completely the first time, roots and all, and be done with it.
  • Pull Weeds when they’re Tiny. Older weeds have more time to establish root systems and are harder to pull out. Get them when they’re small and they’ll be much easier to remove.
  • Deadhead Them. If you don’t have time for an involved weeding session, at least pluck off any visible flower heads on weeds before they have time to go to seed. Make sure you toss flower heads in the trash and not the compost pile.
  • Use Two Hands. This sounds silly, but it really works. You’ll cut the time you spend weeding in half if you can learn to weed using both hands at the same time.
  • Weeding Should Not be a Pain. While weeding, change positions frequently to avoid placing strain on any one part of your body for extended periods of time. Stand up, sit on a bucket, kneel on a piece of foam, and use tools ergonomically designed to lessen the strain on your muscles and joints.