Weeds are often nature’s response to bare or disturbed soil. And honestly, while there will always be weeds in your life, you can drastically reduce their presence and effect on your mood, your back, and your garden. Our land would be a lot healthier if instead of asking “how do I kill all the weeds?” we ask “how do I make weeds unwelcome?” While herbicides may give the initial feel of victory, year over year plant and soil health is built differently. Here are our top 3 tips to let nature help you with weed control.
Most weeds grow because sunlight is hitting bare soil, and nature abhors a vacuum. The more living and rooted plant cover you have, the fewer opportunities weeds have to move in. There are a lot of regenerative growing practices that can help cut down on bare space.
Food forest growing use tiered layers (from low lying ground cover to tree canopies) to structure your crops so each plant supports its neighbor.
If going to a full food forest sounds too daunting for you at the moment, at least tighten up your plant spacing so your plants can create a canopy that blocks sunlight from hitting the soil below.
Use biodegradable barriers like cardboard (remove plastic based tape and labels), or biodegradable landscape fabric (like those made of paper, burlap, or wool).
Use lawn clippings, wood chips, straw, and leaves.
Avoid mulch with mature seed heads, aggressive re-rooting plants, or fresh weeds.
Leave a space around the base of new plants and fruit trees to prevent rot and disease from spreading from mulch into your crops.
After harvesting, leave stalks, leaves and other plant residue on your ground over the winter. They will slowly break down to feed and build organic matter in the soil, protect your soil ecosystem from wind and water erosion, act as natural mulch for the winter, and reduce weed germination.
Make it harder for weeds to access the resources they need, such as water and disturbed soil.
Weed seeds on the surface usually bake in the sun or get eaten by birds. But seeds that get worked into the soil have a greater chance of taking root.
Every pass of the tiller can bring dormant weed seeds to the environment they need to grow.
Go low till or no till to preserve soil structure, reduce erosion, and protect soil biology
Use drip lines and targeted direct irrigation instead of sprinklers to make sure only the crops you want to keep get watered.
Manually remove weeds when they are small to stop the development of extensive roots and thousands of seeds.
Grazing animals can become excellent weed managers. Instead of mowing or spraying, let livestock harvest unwanted growth.
Don't own livestock? Many producers hire sheep, goats, or cattle to graze difficult areas.
Contract grazing can help manage: fence lines, orchards, solar farms, vacant lots, and fire-prone areas.
Visit local feed stores, use local classifieds, or a livestock matching site like Match Graze to find animals in your area that can help.
Chickens naturally scratch, forage, and eat many young weeds and seeds. When managed carefully, they can:
Reduce weed seed banks
Control insects
Fertilize soil
Disturb emerging seedlings
Remember that not every weed is safe for poultry, so learn which weeds are safe for chickens to eat before enlisting their help.
Healthy soil creates the conditions where your crops can flourish, while weeds lose their competitive edge. Synthetic chemical fertilizers just dump food without actually contributing to the long term biology your plants rely on. Redmond is here to help you build up the energy and nutrient exchange in your soil and bring it back to life.
Soil Test Kit: Our easy to use kit takes the mystery out of amending your soil. With digital results in just 6-8 days, you can save money and skip the expensive guess work.
Mineralyte: Redmond’s rich soil amendments create the ideal environment for both plants and soil biology to grow.
Soil Microbes: Populate and quickly revive your soil with our fast acting, concentrated soil probiotic.