Keeping Weeds at Bay Naturally

Maintaining a relatively weedless garden might seem impossible, and it mostly is. Yet, keeping your garden free of out-of-control weeds, weed infestation, or other weed related problems is possible, and it can be done without the use of harmful chemicals or sprays. With some diligent attention, good old-fashioned elbow grease, patience, and a few trips to your local garden store, you can have a garden free of problematic weeds and bursting with bountiful vegetables, flowers, and whatever you desire to plant.

Poor soil with little nutrients naturally present can allow weeds to grow, getting a good foothold, and soon running rampant throughout your precious garden space. Instead of using commercial fertilizer to add the required nutrients your soil so desperately needs, organic mulch and compost made from your own lawn clippings and kitchen waste can do wonders. Extra nitrogen is usually what soil needs most and can be found in organic fertilizers at your local garden store or supplied by adding alfalfa, cottonseed, or soybean meal, also found at your garden or feed stores. Compost made in your own backyard is much cheaper than purchasing these meals and often richer in essential ingredients like phosphorous or potassium as well. Of course only use grass clippings from your naturally or non-treated lawn for your mulching. Remember that fall brings falling leaves that should be mulched as well, as they are chock full of nutrients that will benefit your garden as well. If you want to be able to visually see how well each particular plant or vegetable is doing, it is helpful to keep them separated into rows, so that you may walk between them, providing yourself the easy access you need to do the necessary maintenance. Also, keeping your plants neatly bunched in this way allows you to apply water from your garden hose reel in a focused, well-meaning way, making sure the necessary H2O is never wasted and will benefit your garden in the ways it should. Now for the elbow grease; many find weeding their garden relaxing, even therapeutic. Hoping you feel this way as keeping your weeds at bay, organically, involves a lot of pulling by hand, and often. If you’re lucky, as I am, you have a budding gardener that really likes to get dirty. A four-year-old weed-puller can be most helpful, and only requires minimal education as to what should and should not be pulled out. Family time at our house is often spent on knees around our garden and flower beds, pulling weeds, singing songs, and just enjoying ourselves, so give that a try too!

Through diligent manual weeding, organically mulching and composting, you can have a garden you can be extremely proud of while at the same time being environmentally conscious, and reap the rewards of a bountiful garden each and every year.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garden hose reel, landscaping, and much more.