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Home > Home & Garden > Articles > Why are we so obsessed with weeding Some weeds are actually quite attractive.

Why are we so obsessed with weeding Some weeds are actually quite attractive.

01:00 Sat 01st Sep 2001 | Home & Garden

A.� There is a saying popular among advocates of wilder more naturalistic gardening which goes along the lines of� 'a weed is just a plants whose virtues haven't been discovered yet.' There is no must about weeding. If you like certain plants that are categorised as weeds leave them in by all means, just don't try to put a less robust ornamental plant from the garden centre in with it and expect it to thrive.

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Plants that are commonly described as weeds are ones that we have no control over, that come up where we want and spread quickly making our carefully plotted displays look untidy.

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Q.� But are they actually doing our garden plants any harm

A.� Weeds are a bit like monopolistic big businesses, they have the potential to grow so fast that smaller competitors either suffer or give up altogether under the onslaught. Just think of an average garden after a heavy summer downpour followed by sunshine. Weeds such as dandelions, bindweed, ground elder etc just seem to appear overnight.

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Weeds feed veraciously take up valuable moisture and if left unchecked can shade out smaller garden plants. Some of the ground cover and clinging types can also smother and distort young growth. Some will also harbour pests�such as snails and slugs and diseases.

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Q.� But if they are so rampant aren’t we fighting a losing battle

A.� A weed free garden would be a desert. You will never get rid of them completely, but there are some basic rules that will help you keep on level terms.

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Q. What are they

A.� The first mistake many of us make is starting to tackle the weeding too late. If you leave it until the summer they have had a chance to get established and will already have gained the upper hand. Start hoeing and hand weeding in early spring as soon as you see seedlings emerge.

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The second common mistake is the blitzed earth policy, pulling and ripping for all you're worth. Too often the net result of this is to leave all or part of the root in the ground allowing the weed to regenerate, all too often even stronger. This approach also has the effect of disturbing the soil, which will bring the up the buried seeds of other weeds to the surface to generate.

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It is important to get to weeds before they have a chance to set seed. Some are startlingly quick to flower and it's important to get to them before they have a chance to spread their offspring far and wide. If you do pull weeds when they are in flower don't add them to the compost heap. If you do the compost you spread on the garden the following spring will be full of seed.

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Q.� What about prevention

A.� Hoeing works by lifting the roots of seedling weeds and consistently weakening bigger ones, but it has to be done regularly, week in week out.

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However, tough customers,�such as bindweed for instance, need more drastic action. You can batter them into submission by pulling and digging up as soon as they emerge, but this can take years and more often than not is actually counterproductive as you will inevitably leave part of their spaghetti like root system behind. Unless you are opposed to using any chemicals in the garden this is where biodegradable herbicides with glysophate are such a blessing. They work by being applied to the leaves either by spraying, watering or painting on and then transfer the poison down to the roots. Always make sure you follow the instructions.

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Another excellent way of keeping weeds down is by smothering them. A thick layer of woodchip around valued trees and shrubs will prevent weeds from germinating, or, if you have a large infested area a covering of black plastic, left on from early spring to late autumn smothers the weeds which die back due to lack of light.

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By Tom Gard

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