Our Favorite Weed Prevention Methods!
We highly recommend a combination of ALL methods for a weed free environment.
Weed BarrierWeed Barrier prevents weeds, particularly in areas such as borders and pathways. Once covered with mulch or soil it serves as a temporary wall against weeds.
Nothing is impervious, however. Just as you have seen plants on the side of roads grow through asphalt, weeds can push through the cloth. Once established, trailing weeds such as Bindweed can move quickly through cracks and loose mulch on top. Hand DiggingThere is no more organic and tested method than rippin' em out of the ground. If there are simply too many weeds, try to prevent them from going to seed using a weed eater.
If you can control the spread and keep weeds under control, eventually there will be no weeds in your yard. Dandelions are great additions to your garden as they are impervious, great pollinators, and edible! "Weeds" can be great compost after removal, they can occasionally distract wildlife from eating your plants (insert Deer in headlights), they can act as erosion control, and can provide an extremely affordable lawn. |
Mulch3"-4" of mulch can prevent germination of weed seeds. Mulch provides a clean look to your yard, increases water retention, and provides organic matter as it breaks down.
Always clear area of weeds before applying mulch. Weeds still grow within and can seed on top of mulch, so be sure to keep up on hand pulling. Remove mats of seeds that collect on top of mulch. Fluff and refresh mulch annually to retain its useful features! Vinegar & Corn GlutenCorn Gluten can be an effective product to add nitrogen to soil and smother unwanted seeds. The extra nitrogen in the soil makes it more attractive to turf grasses than many of our unwanted plants. It will not impact emerged weeds. This can be a helpful product if seeding a lawn or meadow.
Vinegar is best used on emerged weeds and is only effective on sunny days >72 degrees Fahrenheit. The spray breaks down UV protection of the plant's leaves, allowing the sun to burn it up. |
SolarizationSolarization is a low labor intensity method of killing weeds and the seed bank within the first 6 inches of soil. It is an effective method to kill lawns.
Hand clear perennials weeds with taproots. Water area and lay clear plastic sheets, then weigh down with rocks. Watering increases germination of present seeds so they will emerge and roast. Leave plastic on ground for ~2 months during the hottest days of summer. The heat of the sun will bake the ground up to ~6", effectively killing roots and leaves of present plants. Remove plastic, and you have a fresh surface to work with! *Do NOT till ground after, this will uncover viable seed bank and encourage weeds. |
Sheet MulchingSheet Mulching is the process of laying cardboard over an area to prevent weeds from emerging. To use it most effectively, staple carboard into place and wetdown until soggy. Place 3"-4" of organice mulch on top. This suppresses weeds below the cardboard by restricting their access to light.
A weed is anything you do not want in your garden or simply defined "A plant in the wrong place".
It can be a frustrating and time-consuming process to eliminate weeds. Durango Nursery encourages all natural, earth friendly methods of killing weeds, and only carries products that match this mission. Check out the article below on Safe Roundup Alternatives that includes a Home-Made Weed Elimnator recipe. |
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