weeding
There’s one job in the garden that I think almost all gardeners will agree they dislike, and that’s weeding! It can be back-breaking, tedious and time-consuming work, however I think there are strategies we can all use to make weeding more bearable.
But first, what is a weed? Well, it’s anything that grows in your garden that you don’t like. I’m very happy with the Cow parsley and Carex pendula along the riverbank, however the Forget-me-nots are treated as weeds because they will literally take over given half a chance.
Generally speaking weeds fall into two camps; annual, meaning they seed and grow afresh each year, or perennial, which may die down in the winter, but grow back with a vengeance the next year from the same root stock.
Annual Weeds
As the old gardener’s saying goes, “One year’s seeds, seven years weeds”. Goose grass, Herb Robert, Honesty and Himalayan Balsam are amongst the most common annual weeds in our garden. Dealing with annual weeds is all about timing, preventing the weeds from flowering and seeding is the key tactic.
So early in the season a thick mulch can do a lot to suppress weeds from germinating, however often hoeing is one of the most effective methods of control. Make sure your hoe is clean and sharp. Hoeing on sunny breezy days helps the young weeds to dry and die more quickly. Hoeing in the wet can simply move the seedlings around the border. Do this often to break the flower and seed setting cycle, though take care not to damage the early shoots of any of your border perennials. Sometimes a hand fork may be a better option.
Perennial Weeds
These are different beasts which require different tactics. Hoeing is great at preventing the plants from becoming established. Herb bennet, Dandelions, Couch grass, Bindweed, Ground elder, Nettles, Lesser celandine, Creeping buttercup, Ivy and Brambles have all made their home in our garden and many are still there!
The key is removing the roots where possible, with the more pernicious weeds those roots will be deep in the ground and often perennial weeds will reshot from just a fragment of root. Careful and often repeated excavation is required. With our Ground elder infestation, I reluctantly used glyphosate to weaken the plants over 2 years. It worked, making it easier to remove the plants and roots. There’s been no large scale return, with vigilance being the tactic of choice. With Ivy, cutting the plant at the base and removing the root is the best cause of action.
I have left a corner of our garden with Nettles, Creeping buttercup and Meadow grass, along with piles of branches and logs, to create a wildlife habitat so that’s one less area I need to worry about!