WEEDING

Photo: Alchemilla mollis (ladies mantle)

Photo: Young brambles could soon take over if not kept in check.

I’ve been doing some weeding this week - creating some room around small plants to give them a chance of survival in the flowerbeds. I must admit I don’t enjoy deciding which plants are weeds, after all a weed is just a plant in a place where I don’t want it to be. For example, Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s mantle) is an attractive plant sold at garden centres. Take your eye off it for a moment and before you know it, it’s taken over the garden and heading for the neighbours patch. O.K, it can be very effective ground cover but you may not want it covering all your ground! Weeds of any kind left unchecked in the garden can totally smother a flowerbed so in creating and maintaining your garden some weed control is necessary. Mind you, weeds can have their uses. For example, they are usually an accurate indicator of the condition of the soil. If Horsetail is a problem, then this is a sign that the ground is too wet and drainage is needed. Nettles tell us the soil is very fertile. The plant stores the nutrients from the soil in their leaves giving rise to the claim that one helping of nettle soup in spring gives your body enough iron to last the whole year. If annual weeds such as chickweed or groundsel are left to grow in the vegetable plot until they mature, then hacked down and left to rot, they will release nutrients back into the soil to feed the crop. The leaves lying on the ground also helps to keep plant roots cool and helps retain moisture too. The weeds should be chopped down before they go to seed though (and weeds such as dandelion, dock, bramble, Elder or Ash should be removed as soon as they’re spotted). This mulching means we escape the toil of fiddly weeding and we don't have to get the hosepipe out in a dry spell. So this summer, if you see my garden full of weeds, my story is that the weeds are working for me, making fertilizer and mulch, giving me plenty of time to sit back and relax on my comfy garden chair!

Weeds

Weeds can be divided into three groups,

Annual, Perennial and woody stemmed. Here are a few examples;

Annuals: Meadow Grass, Chickweed, fat hen.

Perennial: Ground Elder, Bindweed, Japanese Knotweed

Woody: Holly, Sycamore, Cotoneaster, and Ivy.

It would do no harm to look up the beneficial contents of the weeds before they are pulled up. I have a great book called The Wonder of Weeds and it makes for a very interesting read (I will let you know the author when I get the book out of a box in the attic!)


Types of weeding.

Hand weeding-Choose a dry day when the soil is moist and use a hand fork or trowel to help pull up the roots.

Smothering- Spread strong black plastic or old carpet over the soil. This will need to be in place for at least six months over spring and summer to work.

Digging out-Use a garden fork to remove the weeds, this method is effective for removing weeds with long taproots such as dandelion.

Hoeing-Pick a dry day to prevent half the soil in the garden sticking to the blade. There are three main types of hoe, one to push, one to chop and one to get into small areas. Once you get used to the one you have I’m sure all three movements can be achieved. Life is confusing enough as it is without having to decide on which hoe to work with.

Chemicals-The final resort. For large areas and ground preparation for lawns. Always identify the weeds before attempting to control them. Apply in spring or early summer for best results. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

Horticultural.