Organic Weed Control without a Hassel

Organic weed control…now here’s a time consumer. And I guess the quickest way to deal with them is through the use of weed killers, agree?

But the disadvantages of using herbicides are what we’re trying to avoid.

We don’t want to kill the beneficial life forms in addition to the weeds. Life forms like worms.

We also don’t want to contaminate our vegetables, so poison is definitely out of the question.

But here are some organic weed control tips for lessening time and effort.

Using a Flame Gun to Cook Weeds

The aim here is to cook the weeds……not char them.

Cooking the stems and leaves of weeds weakens their roots and the weeds simply die as a result.

It usually takes one episode with the flame gun to get rid of weeds. However some weeds are persistent and may require a second cooking. But the good news here is that after this second cooking ……most weeds will perish.

Some Don’ts when using the Flame Gun

Before we get trigger happy, there are some things to avoid.

Don’t use the flame gun with:

• Conifers
• Evergreens
• Hedges
• Plants with dead leaves

That so you don’t want to set the backyard ablaze.

You also want to avoid creating a bush fire. The heat that's produce by these fires kills worms and other micro organisms.

The best Time to use the Flame Gun

The best time to use the flame gun is just before new shoots appear.

In other words, just before the crops emerge from the soil. Here’s an example…

When carrots are sown in the ground, it takes 12 to 18 days for their shoots to appear. Thus you can allow weeds to grow for the first 10 days. But on the 11th day……remove them with the flame gun.

The carrot crop can now spring up without having to compete with the weeds for....

• Sunlight
• Water
• and nutrients

Using a Rotavator also saves Time and Effort

Although rotavators are somewhat ineffective against perennial weeds……they work well against overwintering annual weeds. They chop up the stems and roots of these weeds.

And what’s even better is……these finely chopped up weeds make great green compost for the soil.

So, because rotavators work great against overwintering weeds, you can use them in spring time. In fact rotavating 2 to 3 times in spring every fortnight is all that’s required.

However, I must warn you...Rotavators are noisy machines and are difficult to use in small gardens. So ensure that you do proper research before buying or renting one.

Mulches are the Most Important Organic Weed Control Agents

Weeds are plants as well. Therefore they need sunlight like every other plant.

But mulches deprive weeds of sunlight by covering the surface of the soil. So weed seeds are unable to germinate.

Simple, isn’t it?

And what’s even better is that mulches are also effective against both perennial and annual weeds.

Mulches are made up of thick layers of:

• pieces of cardboard
• newspaper
• straw
• and hay

And are enough to kill off annual weeds. But for the tougher perennial weeds heavier mulches like an old carpet or plastic works fine.

There are other types of mulches that can be placed around the vegetables for maintaining a weed free garden such as:

• Cocoa shells
• Sand and Gravel
• Composted bark
• Leaf mould

Practicing Good Garden Hygiene Controls Weeds

Garden hygiene simply means being conscious of what you’re doing in the garden. And good hygiene is a form of organic weed control.

Here are 2 guidelines to follow…

1. Be careful of those weeds or their seeds to ensure that they aren’t smuggled into the garden when you buy:
   • Plants
   • manure
   • Mulches that aren’t composted
2. Pay attention to the animals as well. Weed seeds are also brought into the vegetable garden in the droppings of birds or on the hair of dogs and cats.

So these are some ways of decreasing time and effort in organic weed control. But this doesn’t mean that you won’t have to hoe, dig or hand-weed.

You’ll may still have to do these things but the workload will be greatly reduced. But when the time comes to hoe, dig or hand-weed……

Ensure that you break up the work into small tasks. Trying to do it all in one evening can be frustrating.

So give these organic weed control methods a try and see how well they work.

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