Our gardens will always have unwanted plants that alter the aesthetic as single specimens or that choke out desired plants. A weed could be an annual that wont spread far or it could be an aggressive colonizer, which is why its important to identify weeds quickly.
Here are six reasons why you might have too many weeds, like this dandelion, and what you can do to prevent them.
A thickly planted garden leaves little room for weeds to establish.
Not enough plants. When you walk in a forest, woodland or natural lakeside environment, do you see different layers with lots of vegetation, or a few of the same plant dotted in the landscape? Likely, its the former. Nature desires rich layers and no fertile space left unfilled.
Lets use more plants in our gardens. Ground-layer plants and matrix planting fill in the low gaps so that weed seedlings cant get a foothold. Midlayer plants like taller grasses and thick flowering perennials shade the soil. Shrubs and trees of various sizes round out the design. Not only will these layers, working together, compete well against weeds, but they also will present a lush, attractive garden all year.
RELATED: See How Creeping Juniper Can Help Fill Your Garden
Using less wood mulch decreases ideal habitat for weed growth.
Too much mulch. Mulch can help regulate soil temperatures and compete with weeds, but mulch also tends to keep plants at a permanent establishment phase.
Plants love to touch and communicate, their roots and leaves sharing vital information and resources not to mention working in concert to battle weeds. A swath of mulch is actually an inviting open space for weed invasion, because theres nothing nature wants to do more than fill in the gaps.
RELATED: Learn More About Mulch Here
Setting plants close together removes spaces for weeds to dig in.
Plants spaced too far apart. Throw away the plant tag that comes in the pot, and instead do online and book research. How does your newly acquired plant grow? Does it send out runners, self-sow, or is it a clumper? How fast does it grow? What size do others see it reaching especially local folks with the same soil and climate?
It may just be that your plants need to be spaced closer together to prevent weeds from popping up. When I install new gardens, I often use plugs of something like shortbeak sedge (Carex brevior) as a ground cover matrix. At a minimum, Ill space these plugs 12 inches apart, but 8 to 10 inches would be even better. Theyll fill in faster. I even do this spacing strategy with potted perennials, putting in milkweed, aster, nodding onion or Joe Pye weed at half the distance recommended.
Pulled weeds that leave ideal pockets for weed seeds. What happens when you yank a weed out of the soil? A lot of soil gets pulled up as well, creating a hole. This is essentially leaving lush conditions for a weed seed to germinate. If youre fighting an annual weed, consider cutting down the plant so that it cant flower and set seed. You wont be disturbing the soil and creating a space for invasion. This method often works only for annual weeds that havent yet flowered. For perennial weeds, youll need to consider deep digging.
If gardens are matched to local climate and site conditions, the way this native garden in Los Angeles is, extra resources that weeds love wont be needed.
Too much water and fertilizer. If youve chosen plants suited to your site conditions, you wont need extra watering or fertilizer the TLC that weeds absolutely love. Theres no need to overstimulate your beds if your garden plants are already thriving. Tilling can also stimulate weed growth, as it brings up buried weed seeds and helps create conditions conducive to germination.
RELATED: Contact Landscaping Companies Near You to Remove Weeds
Landscape cloth. This barrier fabric doesnt always work to prevent weed establishment. Many weeds have tough roots that punch through it or grow laterally to find a gap. Wind blows in soil particles and creates a thin layer above the fabric for germination no matter the mulch depth. The weed barrier also prevents nutrients, oxygen and water from cycling between the soil and the world above plant roots need to breathe too. Finally, landscape cloth is just a pain in the neck when you want to add new plants.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/real-estate/2017/05/30/6-reasons-why-your-garden-has-weeds.html
