The Ultimate Guide to Weed Control

Weeds are a common complaint among fellow gardeners. Their competitive nature and ability to thrive in all climates can sometimes prove challenging, so knowing the best garden weed control methods can save you time and money! Whatever you’re growing, weeds can be a nuisance and a competitive threat at any time of the year, so give your fruit seeds, vegetable seeds, or flower seeds the best chance to grow and bloom into tasty treats and beautiful arrays of colour by understanding how to control weeds in garden beds. 

Here at Mr Fothergill's Seeds, we have plenty of experience dealing with unwanted weeds in your garden, so we’ve put together the ultimate guide to weed control with all the information you need. Understand how to control weeds in garden beds and more. But before we get into the best weed control, it is important to understand why weeds thrive in your garden.

Why Weeds Are Making Your Garden Bed Home

Bare disturbed soil is a huge contributor to weed pressure. Have you ever noticed once you have removed a patch of weeds that, before you know it, they are back? Pioneer plant species, including Farmers Friends and Stinging Nettles, love these environments. The soil also has what is called a ‘’seed bank,’’ and this contains thousands of weed seeds. Anytime you disturb or flip soil, you will reveal more of the seed bank to the surface, where they can germinate.

How to Prevent Weeds from Growing

With the clever use of plants in your garden, you can limit the bare environments that weeds favour. Ground covers such asDichondra look spectacular when grown in the small gaps along paths and pavers where grass or other weeds would otherwise self-sow. 

Adding good-quality mulch to your garden will help keep the seeds on the surface smothered. Wood chip is a good choice if you want something long-lasting, making it suitable for walkways and paths. For veggie beds, you can use sugar cane mulch, as it breaks down faster and can aid in water retention of your soil, too. 

Permanent flower beds and native gardens will benefit from using a horticultural landscape fabric or weed mat. These are available in natural fibres like jute, which will break down into the soil after a period of time. We advise against using plastic weed mats, as they can causeoverheating in your garden beds which may stress plants, theyare also prone to breaking down, leaving your garden a mess.

Simply roll out the matting and secure it with garden stakes or pins. Cut holes in the fabric where you would like to plant. To finish it off, top it with some mulch. Another alternative to a weed mat is to use cardboard, dampened with the hose and finished with a topping of your preferred mulch.

The Best Methods for Weed Removal

If it’s too late to prevent weeds from growing, then understanding the best way to control weeds in a garden is essential to ensuring you properly remove the threat of weeds from your veg patch and flower garden. Without using proper methods, you leave your garden beds susceptible to the threat of weeds, but with the following tips, you can completely remove the threat of weeds. 

Controlling weeds

Controlling weeds is a simple task at the seedling stage. This can be as easy as using a garden hoe to cut through and fluff up the soil underneath the seedling. This is extra effective on a hot day as the plant roots will dry out and die. 

Hand removal

Hand removal is another popular choice for weed control and can be pretty rewarding and therapeutic. Gently tease the plant from the soil or use a handheld weeder tool. It is best to pull any seed heads off the weeds and place them in your waste bin or drown them in a bucket of water before adding them to your compost heap.

No-dig gardening

No-dig gardening is a weed control method that involves layering cardboard, compost, and mulch on top of existing grass or weeds. It is best if weeds and grass are mown down before layering materials. Lay down some plain cardboard over the grass, ensure the edges overlap, and top off with a thick layer of compost—about 15 cm. Plant into the compost and mulch over the top. It is best to use green waste-based compost, as composted manure in these quantities can burn young plants. The seedlings eventually send roots down through the cardboard and outcompete the weeds beneath.

Herbicide treatment

Herbicide treatment may be a necessary option for your garden if other methods have failed. Certified organic and conventional products are available in your local garden supply store that are designed as a selective or non-selective herbicide. Consult with your local garden centre to find what option suits your needs. 

Homemade weed killers

Many gardening forums suggest making DIY weed killers using salt, vinegar, or other household ingredients. While these are a great option for use in paving cracks as a ‘path weeder’, we advise against using them in garden beds as they can accumulate in your soil and cause your soil to become unproductiveand, therefore, unsuitable for growing your desired plants.

Heat treatments

The use of a flame or steam weeder is another chemical-free option. The direct heat causes damage to the cells in the leaf, and the plant cannot recover. If you don’t have access to either of these, try boiling water and pouring it directly onto the weeds. This method works best on young seedlings of annual weeds such as chickweed and nettle.

Gain Control of Your Garden Bed with Mr Fothergill’s Seeds

Take back control of your garden beds by implementing the best garden weed control methods, giving your produce and beautiful blooms the best chance to grow healthy, bountiful harvests. Be sure to browse our full selection of premium seeds designed to make gardening simple and accessible for everyone. Explore our range of gardening tools to make removing weeds all the easier.

You can find our range of seeds online or at all good garden centres and major hardware stores. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us or take a dig deeper into our gardening advice blog.