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Roughly 40% of American households now have a garden. Many credit the COVID 19 pandemic for this high number of household gardens. However, a higher number of gardens also means more gardening pests and problems to deal with, and getting rid of them is just another part of gardening.
Among the most common gardening issues are weeds. Anybody who’s walked around in their yards for a few minutes has likely seen weeds, though they might not know how to identify them or get rid of them.
We’ll discuss some of the most common weed control mistakes and how to avoid them in this article.
1. Not Being Proactive
Any experienced gardener will tell you that weeds grow quickly, so it’s important to deal with them as soon as possible. The alarming speeds at which weeds grow have to do with how various weeds function.
As a general rule, plants that we label as weeds have a very short life cycle. They grow quickly, but they also die quickly. They’ve evolved to do that because growing faster gives them an advantage against other plants when competing for resources.
Weeds are often perennial as well, meaning that they grow once per year, but they differ from annual plants because perennials are attached to a main root that stays alive and creates new weeds each year. Thus, if you expect to make any progress against weeds, you’ll need to start early.
2. Not Using a Weed Barrier
If you want a green lawn, one of the biggest favors you can do yourself is to put down a weed barrier. It is a special type of fabric that’s used to cover lawns so that weeds don’t get sunlight.
You can support the growth of desired plants by cutting holes in the barrier around them. That way, the plants you’re growing get the resources they need and weeds don’t.
3. Not Using Mulch
Plants need more than just sunlight to grow. They also need water and nutrients, which they absorb from the soil. While good soil is obviously going to help, there’s another, often overlooked component of a healthy garden–mulch.
Mulch is a mixture of various materials, often plant-based, that cover the soil and protect it from outside elements. Mulch keeps out excessive heat and has been known to trap water in the soil, protecting the plants from excessive thirst.
Also, much like a weed barrier, mulch keeps weeds from accessing the nutrients they need to grow.
Common Weed Control Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Weed control is one of the most important parts of maintaining a healthy garden. Unfortunately, weeds have had millions of years of practice at surviving among other plants, so they’ve gotten quite good at it.
For this reason, it’s important to learn what you can and use it to your advantage. We’ve discussed some common weed control mistakes in this article, but there’s always more to learn when it comes to gardening.
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