Wondering whether it's possible to prevent weeds from growing in the first place? You're not the only one. We have gardeners contacting us all the time asking whether it's possible to put preventative measures in place early to lessen the workload later down the line.
You'll be pleased to know that the answer is yes! It is possible to prevent weeds from growing before they start, you just need to have a plan of action and execute it at the right time of year. We'll walk you through a lawn weed prevention plan so that you can start preventing weeds from growing in your own garden.
How to Prevent Weed Growth
These are our top tips for preventing weeds from growing in your lawn:
1. Cultivate carefully
While you may think it's a good idea to turn over the soil in your flower beds every once in a while, you should do this with caution. While tilling the soil will provide some much-needed aeration for your flower beds, you might accidentally bring dormant seeds and bulbs to the surface. If you're lucky, these will flower and make a nice addition to your flower bed, however, there is a slight chance they'll be unwanted plants that may compete with your favourite flowers.
For that reason, we'd recommend cultivating your garden carefully, keeping an eye out for bulbs and seeds in the soil and avoiding unnecessary tilling. The less you disturb your flower bed, the lower the chances that weeds will grow in the first place.
2. Mulch flower beds
Mulching flower beds regularly is a great way to prevent weeds growing in the first place. By applying a thick layer (2-3cm) of organic matter to the top of the soil, you can effectively suffocate any weeds that are trying to grow through. Better yet, as the mulch decomposes, it will add nutrients back into the soil, meaning your flowers will thrive!
An alternative way to mulch your flower beds and prevent weeds from growing in the first place is to apply a manmade material like tarpaulin. Applying tarpaulin to areas that you don't want weeds to grow through is not only cost-effective, but it also lasts much longer than organic mulch too. The only downsides are, it's not great for the environment & it won't add any nutritional value to your soil - so choose wisely.
3. Grow plants close together
It's true that weeds take advantages of areas that are free from other plants. If you have bare patches in your lawn or big gaps between the flowers in your flower bed, you can expect to see unwanted weeds growing through. What can you do to prevent this? Grow plants closer together and make sure that bare patches of lawn and overseeded. A thick, healthy lawn and full, flourishing flower beds will be far more effective at keeping weeds at bay.
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Help - my garden is overrun with weeds!
If you've been unsuccessful at preventing weeds from growing in the first place, you might be wondering what you can do. Well, treating weeds on your own can be tricky, especially if you don't know what species of weeds you're dealing with. Don't worry, the Lawn and Weed Expert team have decades of experience treating weeds in lawns and gardens. Get in touch to find out more!
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Read More: How to Fix a Lawn That's Mostly Weeds
