Control Garden Weeds Organically

1 / 3
A couple of thorough weeding sessions with a stirrup hoe early in the growing season, when weed seedlings are small, can greatly reduce weed issues through summer.
A couple of thorough weeding sessions with a stirrup hoe early in the growing season, when weed seedlings are small, can greatly reduce weed issues through summer.
2 / 3
A reason to weed before plants go to seed: one pesky crabgrass plant can produce 150,000 seeds!
A reason to weed before plants go to seed: one pesky crabgrass plant can produce 150,000 seeds!
3 / 3
get to know the right tools for weeding tasks: A hori-hori knife pries out weeds with tough taproots, and a cobrahead can cultivate around tightly spaced crops.
get to know the right tools for weeding tasks: A hori-hori knife pries out weeds with tough taproots, and a cobrahead can cultivate around tightly spaced crops.

Most of the things we do in a garden also encourage weeds. Bare soil in any form is an invitation for weeds to grow because weeds are nature’s opportunists. Most weed plants grow faster than food crops, so weeds will shade or starve out your babies unless you protect them. In addition to basic organic weed-control methods, such as hand-weeding, shallow hoeing, and deep mulching, innovative techniques, such as creating “weed moats,” can help control common garden weeds such as Bermuda grass, puncture vine, and other troublesome plants.

Weed Control Basics

Weed prevention follows a predictable pattern in the vegetable garden. About 10 days after you plant a crop, the bed or row will need careful hand-weeding, followed by a second weeding session 10 days later. Slow-growing, upright crops, such as carrots and onions, may need a third or fourth weeding to subdue weeds, but they’re the exception. After a month of attentive weeding, most veggies will be large enough to shade out weedy competitors. Plus, you can use mulch to block the growth of weeds between widely spaced plants, such as tomatoes and peppers.

Weeding Tools to Topple Weed Trouble

At North Slope Farm in Lambertville, New Jersey, three scheduled weedings — the first two with a scuffle hoe, and the third by hand — are part of the organic weed-prevention program developed by owner Michael Rassweiler. “We like to use a scuffle hoe to go up and down the rows right after germination and then again one to two weeks later, depending on the crop’s growth.” Rassweiler says that hand-weeding is usually needed after the second hoeing, but it’s quick — hoeing between the rows has already cleaned out most of the weeds.

  • Published on May 13, 2016
Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368