Prevention

• Soil Preparation:
• Keeping weeds from getting started is easier than getting rid of them.
• After preparing garden soil for planting, let it set for 7-10 days.  Then slice off newly emerged weeds with a hoe, taking care to disturb the soil as little as possible.  Disturbing the upper layers of the soil causes new weed seeds to be brought to the surface and gives them a chance to germinate.
• Mulches:
• Many Pathway gardeners have found that putting down a layer of 4-6” of grass clippings has been an effective solution at keeping weeds at bay.  Make sure that the soil is effectively cleared of weeds before you put it down.  It also gives your plants a nitrogen boost.
• Plastic films also make an effective mulch to deter weeds.
• Hoeing:
• It’s helpful to think of hoeing as prevention rather than a way to remove weeds.  Cultivation by hoeing is just a shallow stirring of the surface soil in order to cut off small weeds and prevent the appearance of new ones. Keep the hoe blade sharp and emember to slice or scrape off the weed tops just below the surface.  Don’t chop into the soil—you’ll just bring up more weed seeds to germinate. 

Getting Rid of Weeds

• Weeding by hand:
• Old-fashioned, hand-pulling is simple, effective, and can be surprisingly therapeutic after a rough day. :)