With so many of you receiving your veg plants from us over the next few weeks, with a long (hopefully) growing season ahead, we have put together a useful guide to all things weed-related.
Do I really need to worry about weeds?
In our opinion, yes. This is for various reasons – partly because too many weeds will make it harder for your veg plants to thrive as there won’t be so much access to soil, nutrients and sunlight. And if that’s not a good enough reason, then knowing that weedy patches give slugs and snails an excellent hiding place may persuade you! All those weeds growing in the edges of beds actually encourage slugs and snails and that can mean you’ll have a real battle to protect your veggies.
Before you plant out in spring
This is the time to really go all in with your weeding. Get properly involved and dig them out by the roots. Get as many out as you can before you plant out your plugs. Honestly, the clearer your plot is now, the easier it will be to keep on top of weeds over the rest of the season.
After planting
- Mulch. Use a leaf mould, or compost to cover the surface of the soil. It’ll help to suppress weeds and it gives and easier surface to hoe (below). An alternative is to use grass clippings or “Strulch” which is quite effective (check their directions for use though before using as it needs to be applied carefully).
- Hoe regularly. Every 2-3 days, simply run a hoe along the surface of the soil. This will uproot the tiniest of seedlings before the roots have time to properly take hold. If this is done on a dry day then all the better as they seedlings will die on the top of the soil rather than cleverly re-rooting.
- Use a hand fork to dig up deep rooted weeds while they are still small. Don’t wait until the dandelions are full sized. Don’t wait for the dock leaves to send their root down 3 or 4 inches into the soil. Get the hand fork out early and you can easily dig them out without disturbing the soil too much for veg plants.
Later in the season when you’re bored with weeding
We know, from our own experience, how easy it is to give up with weeding later in the season when the weeds look quite small compared to your veggies. We get it. One thing to be wary of though, is when the weeds develop flowers and seedheads, because then they re-seed very quickly. Please refer to points 1, 2 and 3 above, and try not to give up on your weed management!
Dealing with persistent weeds
Some weeds, like bindweed, docks, nettles etc are extremely persistent. If this is the case, your best bet is to pull them up as soon as you see them so that they don’t have a chance to get strong – the quicker you pull up shoots, the better. Eventually their root system will give up. Just keep at it.
What about weed membrane etc?
These are a good idea – there are lots of biodegradable and sustainable options out there now – as you’ll be able to cut holes into the membrane and plant your veggies whilst keeping the soil underneath fairly weed-free. They are effective and useful if growing on a large scale.