Safe, organic weed control methods are right here - and there are many. I don't advocate using obnoxious chemical herbicides. I describe only organic weed control methods and they work. Click here to read why doing nothing is no opt-out. But you can tackle it easily - see below.

Bark mulch provides a natural setting for mounds of perennial flowers

Check my Gardening Store THIS PAGE: Sheet Mulch Weeding Tools Rotavate? Flame Weeders Natural Organic Weed Inhibitor Garden Friendly Contact Weed Killer Lawn Weeds One Step At A Time Knowing The Weeds 6 Good Weed Control Methods 4 Bad Weed Control Methods Compost & Weed Killers

Weeds sprout on open cultivated sites just as you start to grow your plants. Annuals from seed, perennials from regrowth. There's a second flush in the fall, some grow nearly all year around.

But you don't need to use nasty herbicides to clean your garden. One or more organic methods from mulch, gardening tools plus rotavator, gas flame weeder and, all natural organic feed/weed for lawns and organic leaf burners for drives & rockeries etc..., will keep your garden under control.

My preferred methods are mulch and gardening tools. You may, as I do, enjoy gardening little and often, or... prefer to sit back while a layer of mulch keeps the weeds down. Below you'll learn about these organic weed control methods and more... plus handy links for U.K. and American gardeners.

Suppress Weeds in Beds, Borders, Around Trees that's neat

Mulch is an additional surface layer that suppresses weeds by excluding light - the most important method of organic weed control. It's also used as an aid to plant culture.

My Mulch pages start on this link - to prevent perennial weeds select sheet mulch - I detail neat fabric mulches for lawn borders, and rings for trees.

You can also use sheet mulch to reclaim rough land - while at the same time you can plant through the sheet see below.

It's no opt-out to do nothing - if you really don't have time to tackle part of your garden, leave it and don't worry. Weed cover protects soil and growing roots improve drainage. Before seed dispersal try to scythe them down for composting. Go one step at a time. See sheet mulch to reclaim rough land and as a passive organic weed control alternative.

Sterile weed killed land stagnates

Lots of work to do here... ... ...sometime later	Come to think about it?... It takes no time to cut down & cover with permeable sheet

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Persistence with mulch eliminates recurring weeds inside 3 years, but often within 1 year.

Organic weed control with gardening tools

Organic weed control is most satisfying done with the right garden tool.
1 - GROUND FRESHLY INFESTED BY PERENNIALS
Remove spreading underground stems (rhizomes) of perennial weeds with a fork - e.g. Mint clump pictured right, Stinging Nettles or Couch Grass. Slip garden fork shallowly under undisturbed matted stems and roots to easily lift whole clumps. Details here. Forks manage weed clumps better and don't chop and multiply them like a spade does.

2 – TAP ROOTS, DISTURBED WEEDS & AUTUMN DIGGING
Use spade to lift deep tap roots whole e.g. Docks, Thistles, Dandelion. To trench dig, skim weed tops and green manures into bottom of each new trench and bury under soil of next trench. Completely remove rhizomes of pernicious weeds as you dig. Follow by mulch in spring if necessary or with potatoes.


3 – RE-EMERGANCE OF WEEDS ON CULTIVATED AREAS
An effective cultivator easily drags the weeds to the surface.

Pictured right--> the perennial stems of Couch Grass ready to pick off the soil surface after 1 minutes cultivation with my highly effective long handled cultivator.

4 - WEEDING ANNUALS OFF THE SURFACE
The best long-handled tools for skimming weeds off are the Dutch Hoe, Push-Pull Hoe, and Swoe. They effortlessly remove annual weeds between rows, around plants, and other cultivated areas. You can acquire the specialised garden tools (U.S.A.) to easily really tackle organic weed control.

5 – SMALL SCALE WEEDING
The secret of success lies in regular attention e.g. after mowing, weed the borders and edges and; take out small weeds whenever you see them. The Culti-Weeder (U.K.)   Culti-Weeder (America) is my best hand-weeding tool.

Discover more about comfortable and effective hand weeding tools here.

More information on my best specialised interchangeable tools is here.

Crowd Out Weeds With Good Strong Plants

The reason I often say: leave the weeds, is that they prevent more weeds growing and reduce work over time. But seriously, that doesn't apply next to crops or pretty flowers. However, you can choose plants that smother the ground so effectively that weeds simply don't have enough light, or space to grow in.

After digging, potatoes are invaluable organic weed controllers. They compete strongly for light, water, and nutrients. Digging and weeding is followed by growing potatoes, then by weeding again while harvesting. Gardeners are encouraged by a rewarding crop and the land is improved.

Rotavating

N.B. One-time rotavating won't tackle small infestations of perennial weeds as chopping increases the number of plants and re-growth. Only consider this for heavy weed infestation. Only rotavate when soil is dry and growth good. Repeat on regrowth over 2-3 months. Some soils are damaged by rotavating.

Fast Solutions In Difficult Situations

WOW!r Plus Pre-Emergence Weed Control & Fertilizer Also feeds & weeds vegetable beds

CHECK THIS LINK FOR AN ORGANIC FEED AND WEED
Can replace the hoe, reduce weed invasion of flakey lawns and much more... ... click here

TWO NATURAL SOLUTIONS
to spot treat weeds growing in drives, paths, rock gardens and among flowers click here

This link compares quick and nasty Artificial Weed Killers (Herbicides) with Weed Control Products made of Natural Organic Ingredients.

Flame Weeders

Here's an organic weed control method against weed seedlings:- contaminating seed beds, between crop rows, rockeries, driveways, paved areas and walls. (Not for use against larger established plants.) A good alternative to hand weeding.

Weed Flamers burn propane or parasene gas; some burn lliquid paraffin to give a more powerful flame. High temperature (without actually charring) destroys leaf proteins and bursts leaf cells. The sugar supply to weed roots is halted and the roots die. Crops may be touched but they avoid the intense heat that plays on weeds. Some flamers have a hood to protect adjacent plants.

One report advises against flaming between green beans, but its good for use between onions, carrots, maize, and many others. Farmers sometimes flame along rows just before crop seedlings emerge e.g. carrots. It's probably best to avoid shock in the main root development period (weeks 6 - 12).

A small flamer ideal for clearing paths, pavements, and walls is called the 'Weed Wand'. Larger flamers may have a gas bottle carriage and are able to treat wider areas e.g. a lawn seed bed. Flamers are a good organic weed control method to reduce hand weeding and herbicide use.
See Flame Weeders in the U.K.
Flame Weeder U.S.A. - Take care not to ignite dry grass or brush wood that will start a bush fire!
My special page on flame weeders is on this link.

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Cleaning established lawns

Don't muddy or kill the grass by walking on it when wet or frosty. Bare patches invite weed invasion. Re-seed bare patches as soon as possible. Beat the competition with grass seed that germinates fast and establishes quickly.

Scarifying and aeration may also open the turf up to weeds. Wherever you're not re-seeding a thinned out flakey area use Wow Plus! in spring and autumn to prevent weeds emerging.

Wow also feeds the grass. In addition raise the cutting height on the mower. Strong grass excludes competitors. In an organic garden it is acceptable and beautiful to have wild flowers growing in the lawn. Old meadow plants like Medicago, Ajuga, Bellis and Thyme are delightful.

Keeping the lawn cut will reduce existing perennial weeds like Ground Elder and Ragwort. But plants like daisy, dandelion and plantains, spread out flat and survive mowing. If you wish to be rid of them you will need a long sharp knife to cut them out. see the weeding and planting knife.
More on growing, cutting and caring for lawns here >>>

One small step at a time

For the gardener, organic weed control often means facing up to a highly physical task. Remember - you can't do everything at once. Take it one small step at a time. Persistence will pay off.

Concentrate on gardening one small area you can definitely manage, and gradually enlarge it. Organic weed control means avoiding nasty ('artificial') herbicides, so leave the rest wild until you're ready to tackle it.

MULCH
Probably the best method of organic weed control. See how to use sheet mulch to suppress perennial weeds - both organic and plastic, or a wide range of loose organic mulches to combat weeds and for landscaping. Mulching has other benefits too.
Learn more about garden mulching here.

The weeds and the problem

Knowing how weeds reproduce, invade and persist is vital to understanding organic weed control methods.

Perennial Weeds - over-winter by tap roots, root tubers or underground stems (rhizomes). Mechanical weed control needs to remove these parts, but there are other methods. Recognise the weed, learn about the problem and learn about weed control methods.

Annual Weeds - use effective seed dispersal to reinfest the soil every new season. More on recognising & controlling annual weeds...

Organic weed control methods are usually simple and cheap. Organic weed control avoids the poisoning side effects of herbicides. The following section provides an overview.

6 good practises for organic weed control

Aim For 100% Soil Cover - use garden plants, green manures and mulches to completely cover soil. Many weeds are well-adapted to populate open cultivated land. So excepting seed beds, all soil should be occupied.

Use dense ground cover to compete with weeds. Elsewhere surround plants with mulch to provide a dry less penetrable soil surface. Some gardeners routinely germinate seed in trays and plant out through a mulch and so reduce the area of open ground.

Clear Open Cultivated Ground - by hand weeding and using a hoe and fork. Cultivated areas often need cleaning thoughout the season. But with persistance you can be virtually weed free inside 3 years. Don't forget about sheet mulch see above.

Get started as soon as growing commences. The ideal time is a dry day when the soil is soft and not sodden. But spot weed whenever you're in the garden. Clean around young plants, a hand fork or hand claw is helpful. Elsewhere use a sharp hoe to slice off annuals and leave to dry. More on annual weeds >>>

Remove all perennial weeds before planting or sowing. This can be done by forking over the bed in autumn. More on perennial weeds.

Use Mulch - to exclude light from remaining bare open soil. The mulch surface should be dry enough to prevent seed germination. There are many types of mulch:- a 2" layer of woody or fibrous organic material; or sufficient thicknesses of newspapers or cardboard; and plastic sheet. Ensure they are fixed down firmly.
Discover organic weed control using garden mulch here

Prevent Seed Distribution - by cutting down problem areas before they seed. Rough patches often benefit wildlife. But don't let the seeds escape. You may decide it's worth leaving some flowers to give pollen to insects and some seed heads for bird food. They will appreciate this - with barely enough there'll be no surplus. Choose a dead spot sheltered by barriers like a fence or hedge and clean soil. But why not grow native wildflowers instead. I like a nettle patch.

Control Adjacent Areas - to prevent reinfestation. On allotments this can be hard. But when an adjacent lot is unoccupied you could ask the secretary for control until a new gardener is found to take the lease. Regular mowing of weedy patches will usually be sufficient.

Don’t Compost Weeds Directly - place perennials with overwintering underground parts out to dry in the sun or store under water for a time before composting. This applies to dandelions, docks, couch, and others ... It helps to keep these weeds all together. Yet buttercups, clover, nettles and others don't stand uprooting and chopping, and can then be directly composted.
Identify perennial weeds and annual weeds on these links and find ways to deal with them.

4 bad practises

Followers of modern style beware - the results seen at shows and on tv are often an illusion and the practise environmentally insensitive.

Permanent Buried Barrier Membranes - are often thought of as inert. But buried plastic barrier membranes kills off soil life, as they prevent nutrients and air from entering the soil and reduce the earthworm population. Confine this suffocating practise to the smallest proportion of the garden, e.g. beneath a scree garden.

Soil Poisons - they leave the soil barren for many months. Even then annuals may return.

Stripping Off Top Soil - a quick solution that proves you've gone mad. Top soil is valuable. This practise is sometimes done by builders when constructing new houses.

Importing Large Volumes of Top Soil - expensive, but often imports new types of weeds. Loam made from turves is better. Only consider this if you have no soil e.g. making raised beds over concrete.

COMPOSTING AND WEED KILLERS
Another powerful reason for not using artificial weed killers is that this prevents you composting any of the dead weeds. Doing so would recycle the weedkiller which may even harm plants that are supplied with your compost. However, I have compared these with several organic weed control chemicals based on natural materials.

BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN - further information on organic weed control

BOOKS ON ORGANIC WEED CONTROL

For more information try these books.

Controlling Weeds Without Chemicals Jo Readman

ON OTHER WEBSITES: Gardens Alive - for environment friendly garden products like 'Wow!' an organic emergence inhibitor No Dig Gardening - Alan Titchmarsh explains this gardening technique	MORE ON THIS WEBSITE: Perennial Weeds - recognise the weed & solve the problem Annual Weeds - not so tough but they can still spoil the garden party Organic Garden Mulch - protects soil, conserves warmth & moisture Make Garden Compost - turn organic waste into valuable garden compost Green Manures - fill large spaces with nutrient rich crop & simply turn in Companion Plants - reduce pests ^ Top of page
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