Whacking Weeds

Prevention is the best medicine

The first step to keeping weeds down is to keep your landscape health up. A sick or weak yard is open to infection with weeds. “Immunize” your garden with these simple steps.

• Plant the right plants. Choose species that best fit the microcosms around your house. For example, don’t put thirsty bluegrass in the hot-as-heck strip next to the curb. And whenever possible, choose native varieties that already have built-in tolerance to your local, natural environment.

• Feed your landscape well. Give your plants the water and nutrients they need. Nourish them naturally with organic compost and natural fertilizers on a regular basis.

• Don’t mow the grass too short. Grass needs its leaves for photosynthesis, and chopping it down will cut off its food supply. Adjust your mower to a high level, taking off less than one-third of the blade. Leave those clippings on the lawn (unless they form a heavy or wet mat); contrary to popular lore, they decompose quickly and won’t cause thatch, advises the Ohio State University Extension.

• Mulch, mulch, mulch. Regular additions of organic material around your flowers and trees adds to soil and plant health and locks in moisture. Best of all, mulch reduces trespassing seeds and seedlings by cutting off sunlight to them (see “Much Ado about Mulch,” page 81).

Don’t let them get comfortable

When weeds do rear their ugly little sprouts, follow the regimen below—the sooner the better. Like unwanted guests, if you allow them to settle in, it’s hard to make them leave!

• PULL. Don’t just yank off the tops; dig up that root system too. Don’t throw weeds on the ground; some varieties easily resprout.

• MOW. Sometimes simply cutting the weeds to the ground will stunt their growth. It’s a good place to start when the patch is large. Follow up with pulling, hoeing, or weed-control treatments.

• HOE. This tried-and-true method chops up those stalks and roots. The more elbow grease, the better. Poison ivy and other menacing plants should never be pulled, chopped, burned, or mowed because then their irritating substances can spread through the air and on clothes. To remove hazardous plants, rely on a defoliating spray or a professional service.

• CORN GLUTEN MEAL: Although it has yet to take off in the marketplace, corn gluten meal is so effective as a pre-emergence weed control that it has been patented. When wetted, it inhibits root growth of undesirables such as crabgrass, dandelions, smart weed, barnyard grass, redroot pigweed, common purslane, lamb’s quarters, and foxtail. You may not see results for a few seasons, and it requires reapplication twice a year, but the wait will be worth it. Commercial products come in an unprocessed powdery form, granulated, or in pellets.

• SPRAYS: Look for those that advertise “food-grade” ingredients or that are certified for use by organic growers. Most contain potassium salts of fatty acids, but a few new ones on the market use acetic acid (vinegar). These too are non-selective and post-emergent, meaning they kill all plant growth, not just weeds. The greatest benefit of a spray is the precise aim. In addition, there are organic products specially developed to defoliate poison ivy or eliminate moss growth.