Tips to keep the weeds from taking control

There have been times when the weeds really took over our garden and mulch beds.  I recall these years specifically when the kids were babies.   Time to do anything that required two hands was at a minimum, and weeding just wasn’t done.   We always paid for it the next year.

Since then, we do our very best to keep things weeded.  I am NOT saying we always succeed with weeding.  Believe me!!

The sight of weeds beginning to flower means that very soon, you will have lots of little seeds planting themselves right in your garden…  This is the one BIG reason to weed regularly!

Here are some ideas to keep the weeds away.

1. If you don’t have time to do a lot of weeding, at least pull out the weeds that are going to be reseeding!
2. Use tools like those in the photo above. The long handled tool is amazing.  After some research, I found it is called a loop hoe.  Here is a link to some info on it.  It scrapes the weeds right out and works great between rows of veggies in the garden.  It works best if the weeds are able to sit out a day or two above the dirt to dry up.  If it rains right after you do this, often the roots will take hold and those weeds will grow again.  This is also known as a stirrup hoe.
3. A little hand trowel is a huge help! If you don’t already have one, purchase one that is sturdy and thick.  We have bent so many of these over the years and had to throw them away!  So buy one you will not have to replace!
4. Use mulch and newspaper when possible. This spring, we put down 20 cubic yards of mulch.  About every two or three years we mulch around a bunch of trees and also some beds that are full of limestone rocks.  We ALWAYS put down about three layers of newspaper before the mulch.  Using newspaper under your mulch really does make a difference.  Mulching can be a lot of work, but well worth it, and great exercise!
5. If you have a gate in your garden, mulch the path where you walk. Those weeds are always so hard to get out since the soil is so compacted from constant foot traffic.  Put thick cardboard down under the mulch and you will have no weed problems for a year, or maybe two!
6. If you have children living at home, have them help with the weeding!  Mary still can’t focus on the task to be a lot of help, but our older two can and do help us.

This week, I found this article online.  http://www.realfarmacy.com/this-familiar-weed-is-actually-a-powerful-health-food/    If you would like, you can help lower your grocery bill, and even add some of these plants that most of us consider weeds, to you dinner! (If you try this, let me know how it goes!)

If you have any ideas that would help other readers, please comment or email me at gwen@backtosomebasics.com !