Emma Miller
Weed control is a process familiar to every gardener. Their proximity to other crops prevents the growth of a good harvest, and the process of getting rid of weeds is a lot of trouble every season.
How to get rid of weeds at home
Experienced gardeners recommend several ways to quickly and effortlessly reduce the number of weeds on the plot:
- Pull weeds with your hands, not with a hoe or mattock;
- use drip irrigation instead of a hose and sprayer;
- do not fertilize the soil with manure, which is full of weed seeds;
- dig beds with a pitchfork;
- cover weeds with a dark cloth – without light, they die;
- use mulch in between the rows – a layer of at least 5 cm.
Absolutely ideal and a win-win option – sow on the plot siderata. Weeds grow poorly where there are other crops. That’s why plant mustard, rye, or rape – they will not only become a competitor to weeds but also clean the soil from diseases.
How to kill weeds – methods
There are several proven ways to get rid of weeds on the plot. Remember that none of them will get rid of unwanted vegetation for good, but will help to live without it for at least one season.
Digging
The most time-consuming, but also the most effective method of fighting weeds. This way you can get rid of plants that do not disappear after any other manipulation – couch grass, dandelion, gout, sagebrush, and others. It is necessary to dig over an area where there are no other plantings, it is best to use a pitchfork, not a shovel.
Burning out
If you have dill, parsley, or carrots growing on your plot, burning is an ideal option for getting rid of weeds. As a rule, this method is used before the first sprouts appear, the tool is a blowtorch. With it you run it along the surface of the ground, burning out the excess weeds.
Weeding
This procedure is carried out several times a season by dacha owners, it should be done constantly – if you leave weeds, they will damage your plants. You can take hoes, shovels, hoes, and other tools. Completely weed in this way is not removed, but you will damage the top part. During this time, the neighboring crops have time to get stronger and grow.
Depletion
The peculiarity of this method of getting rid of weeds is that you have to constantly prune the leaves, stems, and roots of plants. Thus, the weed spends more energy to recover, and then dies altogether. The method is especially effective in the fight against thistle, hogweed, and bitterroot.
Is it possible to bury weeds in the ground – options for application
All those weeds that you have removed from your beds, will be useful in the economy. For example, you can prepare a herbal infusion from them and feed the plants:
- From celandine – for spraying shrubs;
- from nettles – to stimulate growth;
- from dandelions – for pests and bacteria;
- From wormwood, from an insect called a weevil.
You also always have the option of simply dumping the weeds into the compost heap and waiting for the bacteria to do their work themselves.
