Removal of Weeds

Eliminate weeds organically by depriving them of light, nutrients and water. Barriers, hand-weeding and drip irrigation are the best strategies. To create a new garden bed, remove or kill all the existing plants. The simplest way is to cover the area with black plastic or tarps for several weeks in early spring or mid-summer. Once everything under the barrier is dead, add a thick layer of organic compost and plant your garden without disturbing the soil underneath. As they mature, new plants' roots will reach the decomposing layer and draw nutrients from it.

Mulching heavily between plants will also help prevent new weeds from sprouting, as well as conserve moisture. Barriers also work well in established beds. Use newspaper in layers of 10 pages for an inexpensive barrier to apply around large plants. Cover it with an organic mulch to hide the paper, which will slowly decompose while providing an effective barrier to the light. To plant something between the larger plants, just dig down through the paper. In other instances, the most effective strategy to combat with weeds in existing lawns or garden beds is hand-weeding. This is most easily accomplished while the weeds are very young and haven't established strong root systems yet.

A number of tools can make this task easier. With a scuffle-hoe or pointy triangular hoe, you can hack weed roots without kneeling. Make sure you get the complete root when pulling weeds with long taproots, like dandelions, or they'll return. For those who prefer to use chemicals for a quick fix, Roundup is the most highly recommended product to use. Use the concentrate and mix your own to save money. Other people have had good success with boiling water or a diluted vinegar spray to spot treat weeds.