Did you know? Pulling out weeds after the ground has been soaked after it has rained, is the best time to weed. The wet ground makes it easier to get the weed completely out of the ground.
Weeds are always a pest for any gardener, so it is always pertinent to pull them out at their root, to ensure you get the entire pest out.
Why do you need to weed?
Weeding allows for your soil and therefore plants, to benefit from the water and important nutrients that make up the soil. Weeds can either draw these important nutrients from the soil or otherwise release harmful chemicals into the soil.
What is a weed?
A nutrient absorbing garden intruder. However, identifying a weed is normally a tricky exercise, especially if you are a beginner and unless there is an odd plant growing out of your driveway or paving, then they can be relatively difficult to identify.
According to lovethegarden.com, “ Weeds can be annual, lawn, perennial or woody.”
Annual weeds: Such as chickweed, speedwell etc, usually last for one year or one season. These are usually the weeds you will find growing anywhere and everywhere.
Perennials: When we try identify perennials, look for those that keep reappearing. Some perennial weeds may even look like flowers, like the Bindweed, but if you have already planted within your garden, you will easily identify what you have not planted – and can officially call it a “Weed”.
Woody weeds: Have a woody stem and are somewhat unattractive to the eye.
Then there is the lawn weeds. These kinds of weeds grow over vast areas and absorb all nutrients that would normally benefit ones grass. One such weed that can be easily identified falls within this group, that of the dandelion.
How to pull out a weed?
From the flower bed: Using your hands, dig around the plant and find the roots until you are able to pull the entire root out of the ground.
From the paving or similar: Wetting this area will allow for the weed to be easily removed. However, water is a precious resource and may not be ideal. You may also try using vinegar to kill them instead of using harmful chemicals. Put the vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the weed and leave for a few days.
For many gardening enthusiasts, you will find that you spend more of your time removing things from the garden, than planting. However, the better you prepare the soil and flower bed, the better your flowers and plants will grow, bearing in mind they are correctly positioned.
