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3 tips to avoid using chemicals to kill garden weeds.

May 7, 2013 By Jill Anderson 2 Comments

 

Picture a garden in summer sunshine with lots of birdsong, the gentle buzz of bumble bees and healthy, pretty plants.

www.andersonlandscapedesign.co.uk/blog

Apart from the lovely song, birds in the garden will eat up all sorts of pests that attack your plants and we need bees to pollinate fruit and flowers. So we need to encourage them as much as possible, and you’re much more likely to do so if you don’t use any chemicals.

It’s really simple  to stop using chemicals that kill weeds. It will need a bit more effort in the early stages, then it all takes much less effort and you get the results.

 www.andersonlandscapedesign.co.uk/blog

It is a bit like a battle, so here are three weapons for your armoury to help you combat weeds.

1. Mulch

Spread a layer 4″/10cm thick of material over the surface of the soil, it will exclude light and stop weeds germinating. There are lots of different materials you can use such as chipped bark, but I prefer to use home-made compost. It’s easy because it’s right here and doesn’t cost anything, but we occaisionally have to bulk it up with bought compost/soil improver as we can’t produce enough. You can also use thick card-board, but it doesn’t look very good and is best kept for the allotment where it works a treat.

www.andersonlandscapedesign.co.uk/blog

2. Hoe

This stops tiny weed seedlings in their prime before they get big and have to be dug up, which is far more time consuming. Just make sure that you know the difference between weed seedlings and seedlings of plants that you want to keep.  Plant seedlings are usually near the parent plant, which is helpful as the leaves are usually similar.

3. Weed

Remove weeds as they appear and before they set seed, this is much easier to do after a light rainfalll when the soil is damp. It’s particularly satisfying if you get to them just before they disperse their seeds, then you’ve also killed of lots of potentail weeds too.

Happy gardening.

Jill

images: Jill Anderson

 

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Related posts:

Some helpful tips when you’re shopping for plants The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013 – inspiring gardens Some of the best gardens at The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2013 A simple garden task that’ll make a huge difference to your garden.
Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: organic gardening, plants, roses, weeds

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Comments

  1. Hugh Cassidy says

    May 8, 2013 at 7:23 am

    Lovely write up with practical advice and nice pictures.

    Reply
    • Jill Anderson says

      May 8, 2013 at 11:49 am

      Thanks Hugh, I like to have nice inspiring pictures, even when I’m writing about weeding!

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Jill Anderson.
This is where you’ll find good, solid information about gardening, growing fruit & vegetables and how to keep it all looking good.
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The healing, calming power of nature in one photo. The healing, calming power of nature in one photo.
These wonderful autumn colours won’t be around for much longer. But that’s ok, because now is what matters, & their fleeting beauty makes them even more precious.
It’s easy to see how being among trees & nature is so beneficial for our health & wellbeing. 
Have a great Sunday.
Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it lo Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it look spectacular with this bold front door.
Today has been hard work, after a lovely time last week in Norfolk. The north coast there is spectacular. Realising these last few months, that there are so many beautiful places here. 
Have a nice evening.
Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Vis Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Visiting to see the Anish Kapoor sculptures, which are amazing, but unprepared for the beauty of the grounds & garden. 
Such a treat, worth coming to Norfolk for this alone!
Hope you’re keeping well, & managing to smile some of the time. x
P.S. more of Houghton Hall & Anish Kapoor on my stories
We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberrie We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberries, after coffee & cake, sitting in the churchyard - the cafe was full, & the churchyard is a quiet, peaceful spot..... as you’d expect.
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It gets sun for about 4 hours only, you can order the bulbs now for planting in September. It’ll reappear every year & waft delicious scent around your garden, or through your windows.
Have a very happy Monday x
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Enjoy the rest of your Sunday x
Hope is a decision I’ve thought long & hard abou Hope is a decision
I’ve thought long & hard about how to view the tumult in the world we’re living in now. 
The only thing that works for me, is to choose hope.

It’s a tall order, but avoiding mainstream news & speculation helps avoid the anxiety, that’s often waiting in the wings.

One day soon there’ll be grandchildren clambering over this again.
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