Gardening Secrets - How to Get Rid of Weeds Naturally

Gardening can be a rewarding pastime for many reasons: it helps improve mental well-being, reduces stress, and gives us a connection to nature. It can be a long and back-breaking task.

Here are some home gardening tips to assist you in making the process more efficient. If it's about growing greener grass, fighting ants or keeping plants healthy, these easy tips can be extremely useful.

Don't Forget the Weeds

Weeds are an essential part of gardening, and while they can provide the appearance of your flower garden, they could also pull nutrients away from your plants. This can lead to weaker crops and less vibrant landscaping, so it is important to tackle them on a regular basis. There are numerous natural alternatives to chemicals that may cause harm to the earth. This will give you more time to enjoy your garden.

Growing your plants in a dense manner is among the most effective ways to fight the weeds. This will allow your plants and vegetables to grow big enough to shade out weeds, and keep them at bay for a much longer period of time. Another effective method to cut down on weeds is to mulch! By adding a layer organic material like hay, leaves or newspaper and cardboard, you can reduce the number of weed seeds capable of germinating.

Avoid disturbing the soil in your garden by avoiding turning the soil too much. This will expose the dormant seedlings, and bring them up to the surface where they are more easily removed. Instead of raking the soil, try using a hoe to gently "tickle" the surface. This won't disturb the soil structure and will leave all beneficial microbes, fungi and insects in their place where they belong.

Keeping the edges of your lawn and garden neat can also help prevent weeds from invading the area. This is especially useful for those who are starting a new garden, or have a weedy and wild area. Weeds will have a lower chance to grow in the fertile soil.

When weeds do appear, be sure to tackle them before they become a problem. This will stop them from growing into full-grown plants that will compete with your veggies for water, nutrients and sunlight. Waiting until they are larger will make it more difficult to remove them and eventually make your crop a mess.

Another suggestion is to boil water to kill weeds right at the root, making it difficult for them to re-grow. This is a great solution for small patches of unwanted weeds or if you don't have the time to manually pull them out.

Add Organic Matter

Organic matter in soil, made up of decomposing animal and plant material, enhances the structure, aeration, water-holding capacity and the root penetration of garden soil. It also feeds many microorganisms, which create a healthy ecosystem in soil.

Garden soil that has too little organic matter clumps and forms clay-like clods that limit the flow of water and nutrients. Organic matter can bind the soil particles into porous granules or crumbs that enable air and water to move through the soil. Organic matter is able to hold moisture (humus holds up to 90 percent of its weight in water) and can absorb and store nutrients until required by plant roots. It also provides a habitat for beneficial organisms that decompose weeds and other harmful organisms.

Organic material can benefit all types of garden soil, but is especially important for Gardening Secrets sandy and clay soils. Organic matter can enhance the capacity of sandy soils to hold and release water and nutrients and can also help loosen and aerate clay-based soils.

The most organic matter comes from animals and plants which are primarily carbon-based. Materials like coffee grounds, banana peels, shredded leaves and grass clippings are good. These can be added to your compost pile, which will help to add organic matter and feed earthworms, which will help to aerate and enrich your garden soil. You can also purchase bagged amendments such as peat moss, composted cow manure, pine bark fines, and even potter's mix (which often includes perlite, a light plant material that helps aerate).

Incorporate organic matter into your soil prior to when you plant each season. If you're using raw, unfinished organic matter such as manure or rotting leaves apply it to the soil for a month prior to planting to allow it time to break down and become available to plants as they require it. If your soil is sandy or clayey, apply 1 to 2 inch of material. If it is loamy and fertile and loamy, you may need to use less.

Relax and Enjoy Yourself

A garden flower is not only a place for food consumption. It's also a place of beauty and adventure. There is nothing more satisfying than the satisfaction of growing something from seed and watching it blossom or preparing an excellent meal right out of your own yard. Take advantage of variety and interest when you garden, and you'll have a garden that will last for generations.

As an incentive for completing the Kitchen Tasks within your Village (Zone), you can receive Sabethe's Gardening Secrets. It gives you an extra buff to aid in your Gardening.