There’s nothing worse than ugly weeds ruining your garden’s aesthetic, but luckily, there are ways to keep weeds from growing back.
There are endless varieties of weed-killing products on the market, but it’s hard to tell which one will actually eradicate your weeds for good – not just provide a temporary fix. Luckily, you can add several proven methods to your arsenal to keep your yard looking its best.
Keep reading for all our best tips and tricks to eliminate unsightly weeds and keep them from growing back.
What Are Weeds?
The definition of a “weed” might vary from person to person. The main explanation is that weeds are plants without any valuable properties.
Most people can agree on which plants are weeds and which are not, but their use cases might vary. For example, farmers and naturists might find use in particular plants that others may not. That said, everyone can agree that weeds are frustrating nuisances to anyone who is gardening, harvesting, or aiming to create a beautiful yard.
Characteristics of Weeds
What characteristics define weeds? And what makes them so undesirable?
According to Penn State University, all weeds have at least one of the following characteristics:
- The ability to grow many seeds
- Rapid growth
- Seed dormancy
- Seeds are highly durable and can last even if buried for a long time
- Ability to adapt with ease
- Existence of vegetative reproductive structures
- Ability to sustain themselves around humans
The biggest reason why weeds are so undesirable is that they can harm vegetation that is useful to humans. Weeds are unuseful for humans and wreak havoc on other valuable plants. They’re truly unwanted pests.
Weeds compete for space, sun, and water. With their ability to multiply and adapt, they can take down a large crop in a blink of an eye. Weeds also decrease the quality of the crops you’re harvesting, interfering with the harvest. They can host diseases and provide shelter for unwanted guests, like insects. Weeds can also produce chemicals that are harmful to plants and humans alike.
Benefits of Weeds
Weeds certainly have a bad rap, but are there any benefits? You might be surprised to find out that there are!
Here are a few benefits certain weeds might offer:
- Helps stabilize soil
- Provides homes for some animals and food for others
- Provides nectar for bees
- Some weeds can be used as filler to beautify an area
- Weeds can add organic material
- A few weeds can be consumed by humans
- Since weeds are tricky to eliminate, they have provided many people with jobs to help keep those menaces at bay.
Weed Prevention
Weeds are frustrating for everyone. They may have some merit, but weeds cause more harm than good overall. They’re also stubborn and can be quite difficult to remove. Weed removal takes patience, dedication, and hard work. Once you’ve finished weeding for a season, the last thing you want is to have to repeat the task in a few months.
Here are some tips to help keep weeds from growing back in the future:
1. Grow Plants Closely Together
Weeds love and seek out space. If there is a nice spot of empty space in your garden, they will find it and claim their territory. One way to help reduce the number of weeds is to plant your desired plants together. Before you start planting, create a plan to use up the space effectively. Purposefully plant items close together to reduce the area where weeds can grow.
Additionally, you might want to consider growing your plants in a block pattern instead of a row pattern. A block pattern can help eliminate the space that weeds need to grow. Each plant comes equipped with a recommended spacing guide, so follow that guidance as you plan the layout.
2. Pre-Emergent
A pre-emergent is a practical option to stop weeds from growing before they arrive. Many pre-emergent herbicides can target specific weeds and their families. Those herbicides help to prevent weeds from germinating in the first place. The best time to apply a pre-emergent is in the early spring before plants germinate.
Once you have applied the herbicide, make sure that you water the area afterward to ensure that this chemical will stop weeds in their track. Water carries the herbicide deep into the soil to help attack the weed.
3. Mulch
Mulch provides many benefits to help detract weeds from growing. Mulch keeps the soil moist and blocks out sunlight to stop weeds from infesting the area. When applying mulch, stick with the two-inch rule– if you add more than two inches, you begin to deprive the other plants of much-needed oxygen.
Keep an eye out for birds or other animals that bring weed seeds with them. Make sure you pull the weeds before they grow too deep and the roots hit the soil.
4. Restrict Water
Weeds, like other plants, need water to grow and thrive. Restricting the amount of water they receive will naturally reduce their numbers. This can be tricky because you also don’t want your desirable plants to suffer. Strategically water the plants you want and deprive the weeds of the liquid they need. Using a drip or soaker hose beneath the mulch is an effective way to water the plants you love and starve the weeds you hate.
Let Summit Lawn & Pest Control Help
If your yard is currently the bane of your existence, keep weeds from growing back with Summit Lawn & Pest Control. With over 10 years of experience in the green industry, it is our mission Control to provide Utah County with high-quality service and affordable rates. We formulate the best products available on the market today so that your lawn can become the best-looking property in your neighborhood.
Whether you need a pest exterminator or lawn services in the Utah County, Utah area, our high-qualified technicians have the necessary experience to help solve your problem. Contact us today to get started.
