Week 6 - Weed Control

For episode/article 6 for This Week in the Garden, we’ll cover weed control. Weeding is my least favorite part of gardening, and it might be the chore I dislike the most! In this article, I’ll cover different ways to control weeds, and show you what I’ve done in my garden.

There are really two ways to go about controlling weeds in the garden, organically or conventionally. Everybody has their preferences, and my goal isn’t to sway you one way or the other, but rather to give you options so that you can make the decision that is best for you. With each of these methods, there are pros and cons.

Organic weed control focuses on removing weeds mechanically. Whether that’s through hand-weeding, tilling, hoeing, or using a cover, these methods require some physical labor. No matter which methods you use, everyone will have to weed by hand at some point, but I think everyone’s goal should be to limit how much weeding by hand is done (because I hate weeding by hand!). Tilling or cultivation is a great way to remove weeds in alleys, but can be difficult between plants. Hoes work well in that area depending on how careful you are. I prefer scuffle hoes, because they remove the roots too, instead of just the stems/leaves. To get better success with tilling/hoeing, wait until the soil is dry, that way the roots will dry up and not re-establish.

Another option in organic weed control is covering the soil. This involves less work than the other methods and is used frequently in both organic and conventional farms. There are really three main options for ground cover, straw or hay, mulch, or plastic/fabric cloth. I prefer using straw or hay because they’re relatively cheap compared to the other forms, and they can be left in the garden and will degrade by the following season.

Conventional control includes the mechanical options listed above but also includes the use of synthetic herbicides. These are broken down into pre-emergents and post-emergents. As their name suggests, pre-emergents control weeds before they come up, while post-emergents control weeds after they’ve come up. Pre-emergents are best used after transplanting, or once seeds have emerged. Post-emergents can be used before vegetable seeds have come up to kill existing weeds, or they can be used around vegetables to control weeds in alleys. Remember when you’re choosing herbicides to read the label to make sure it can be applied safely in the garden. If you have any questions about pesticide safety, check out our video on reading the label, and choosing the correct product.

In my garden, I use a combination of the methods. I start by using a post-emergent to kill the weeds where I want to plant. Then I till the soil. If I’m planting a transplant, I’ll plant it and put pre-emergents around the plant and I’ll cover everything in stray/hay. If I’m planting seeds, I’ll plant the seeds and cover the area in stray/hay, except a small area where I planted the seed. Once the seed emerges, I put out a pre-emergent and I cover the area with more stray/hay. This has worked well so far this year. The few weeds I’ve had have been easy to pull, as the roots don’t establish well through the stray/hay.

Here’s a quick tip on spraying post-emergents around susceptible vegetables. You can cover the vegetables on weed-filled beds will Solo cups or buckets and spray the bed with a post-emergent that would normally damage the vegetable. Just be sure it’s not too hot outside, or you can damage the plant. Also, be careful removing the container, as it might have chemicals on the sides.

That’s all for this week’s article from This Week in the Garden. If you’ve missed any articles check out our website where we keep them archived and fill out our form if you have any comments or questions. And of course, stay tuned until next time from This Week in the Garden.

-Adam