Tip of the Week: Tired of the Weeds?

It seems everywhere we look in our yards, there’s another weed sprouting up – and most of us would rather NOT spend our time down on our hands and knees pulling them! Here are tips to get – and keep – weeds under control.

The two most important things to know about eliminating weeds are:
#1 – Deal with them before they go to seed. Those seeds mean another new crop of weeds about to germinate and grow.
#2 – When removing weeds by hand, dig out the roots.When you try to pull the plant out of the soil, it often breaks off at the top leaving the root still in the soil. Hand digging helps get the whole plant out of the ground so the weed doesn’t grow back.

Prevention is the key
Once existing weeds and seeds are gone, prevention is top priority. If left in the ground or allowed to re-seed and return, weeds will compete with your tomatoes for water – something we want to avoid.

• One of the cheapest types of mulch is already in your yard – grass clippings from your lawn. Occasionally catch the clippings as you mow, then place them around veggies to suppress weeds. Bark mulch and weed-free straw also deter weeds and help retain moisture in the vegetable garden.
• Straw and grass clippings are probably not what you want to see in your perennial garden. For these areas, rock and bark mulch offer more attractive options.
• Squash plants are another weed deterrentbecause their very large leaves shade the soil and prevent germination. At the same time squashes deter weeds, they also provide food you can eat. Their huge leaves also add visual interest whether you plant them among edibles or in another open area in the landscape.

Grouping plants close together also helps crowd out weeds. That’s why a lawn that is well-maintained and healthy has fewer weeds. There’s no place for them to grow.

Know your products
All types of weed-control products may be found at local garden centers – ranging from horticultural grade vinegar to traditional weed killers.

• Be sure to read the product label and follow the instructions so you don’t accidentally kill a plant that’s not a weed.
• Some products will kill any plant that’s green – in other words, both the lawn and the dandelions. Other products are called “selective” because the will kill only the dandelions – not the lawn. Know the weeds you have and find those products that best treat them without harming other plants.
• Finally, avoid using pesticides on or around edibles. If you weed your veggie garden and apply mulch, you won’t have to worry much about the weeds

Designscapes Colorado offers comprehensive weed management services. Feel free to get in contact with us at (303) 721-9003 or info@designscapes.org to schedule a service visit.