Simply put, a weed is an invasive plant, growing where you don’t want it. The aim in an organic garden is not to eradicate them all, but to keep them at an acceptable level.
How Do Weeds Spread?
-Seeds: Spread by wind, water, animals and mechanical propulsion
-Runners and stolons: Runners are creeping stems which grow along the ground, while stolons are stems which arch over and produce roots at the tip, event before touching the soil
-Bulbs and bulbils: Fleshy storage organs that break off easily when the plant is dug up or pull out.
How To Control Weeds?
-Know your weeds: Recognising a weed, and knowing how it survives and reproduces, helps in choosing the most effective method of dealing with it.
-Take time to clear perennial weeds effectively before any permanent planting
-Never leave soil bare: plant it, cover it or sow a green manure
-Mulches can both prevent and eradicate weeds – for little effort
Unfortunately, preventative measures can never be rigorous enough to eliminate the need for some weeding. The key is to do the weeding when the weeds are small, which means weeding regularly
Methods:
-Hand weeding: It’s the only really selective organic method of control. You can use a hand fork or weeding hoe to loosen them, when necessary
-Hoeing: It works best against seedling weeds (annual and perennial)
-Thermal weeding: They kill weeds with a short blast of heat; you don’t need more than a few seconds. The plants do not burn, they simply wilt and die. This method is mainly used in hard surfaces, such as, paths, drives and patios.
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