Gardening requires a lot of time and patience, and it can take months to be rewarded for your blood, sweat, and tears. Although at times it can be gruelling work, there’s no greater reward than finally seeing the fruit of your labour blossom and bloom as you stand back to admire the carefully-cultivated beauty of your garden.
But then of course, in comes every gardener’s worst nightmare: weeds. If left untreated, weeds can do untold damage to a garden, quickly overrunning the flower beds and invading everywhere they can reach. There’s a lot of information out there on how to remove weeds, but have you ever taken a moment to ponder WHY those weeds are growing in your garden?
Why Are Weeds Growing in My Garden?
1. You’re Creating a Hospitable Environment
The average weed is not as fussy as the plants you might actually want in your garden. Whilst your prize flower bed may require lots of time, attention, and a carefully monitored pH level, weeds seem happy to grow anywhere and everywhere, from the gaps in the pavement to old boots left out in the rain!
That said, weeds do prefer...
- Overly sunny locations
- Areas with thinning grass
- Warm areas, e.g. where lawn meets concrete
- Wide open spaces
- Hard, compacted soil
- Wet, loose soil
2. You’re Not Removing Them Properly
Does it feel like you’re constantly digging up the same weeds from the same spot, again and again? Well, you might actually be doing just that. When removing weeds, you need to make sure you’re digging out the roots. If even a small amount of root is left in the soil, it can allow the weeds to grow back and spread.
Weed seeds can lie dormant for long periods of time; some can even remain viable for up to 50 years! If anything is left behind, you might think you’ve removed everything, only to get a nasty shock the following year when conditions are right and they start sprouting again!
3. You’re Not Disposing of Them Properly
As important as it is to make sure you’re removing the weeds properly, it's just as important to make sure that they’re appropriately disposed of. Hours spent painstakingly searching for and digging up any evidence of weeds will be wasted if the weeds are dumped near the very beds they were dug from, where their seeds can easily spread again!
How to Deal With Recurring Weeds
So, you’ve got weeds growing in your garden and want to get rid of them for good. Now that we've explored some of the factors that might be encouraging those weeds to grow, what changes can you make in your garden to fight back?
1. Adjust the Environment
Once you've identified what it is about your garden that's encouraging weed growth, it may be time to make some changes. For example, if your garden is exposed to high amounts of sun and your soil is hard and overexposed, stop mowing your lawn so low; let your grass grow a little and give the soil some shade. Ensure that your grass is kept dense and thick to reduce sun exposure and leave weeds minimal room to grow.
It can take a little experimentation and trial-and-error to find the perfect balance between warm and cool, wet and dry, hot and cold. It can be difficult to find that balance when there are so many variables in play, and in some cases, the best thing to do is just give it time; watch and see which techniques are working for you and which ones aren’t.
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2. Weed Proof Membrane
If you’re hesitant about using chemicals in your garden to manage weed growth, you might want to invest in some weed proof membrane. Also known as weed barrier or landscape fabric, weed proof membrane supresses weed growth whilst allowing drainage, letting air and nutrients pass through into the soil. It’s easy to install, low maintenance, and can be used for a number of landscaping purposes.
3. Mulching
Mulch can be used to smother weeds, effectively killing them. As an added bonus, once the mulch starts to decompose, it releases nutrients back into the soil, giving a little boost to your garden! Mulching is a great, chemical-free way to protect your garden from troublemaking weeds.
4. Pre-emergent
Pre-emergent nips weeds in the bud (pun intended) and stops weed seeds in your soil from germinating. They’re specially formulated to target specific weeds, so you don’t have to worry about damaging the rest of your garden.
Identifying why weeds are growing and taking steps to get rid of them can be exhausting, and it may feel like an uphill battle when those leafy menaces just won’t budge. If you’re struggling with weeds in your garden, maybe it’s time to call in the experts; we offer a premium weed control service that can help you regain control of your garden. Click the link below to find out how using our services can save you time and money in your battle against the weeds!
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We hope this information has been useful to you, and you’re feeling ready to go forth and conquer those weeds! If you have any questions about weeds, lawn care or the services we offer, you can Contact Lawn & Weed Expert for more information and advice. If you think you might be interested in our services but aren’t sure which service is right for you, reach out to arrange your FREE lawn survey with no obligations.
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