Weeds are the bane of all gardeners. Over time, an effective weed control program should reduce the number of weeds appearing in your flower garden.
The first time you prepare and plant a flower bed, you will probably find too many weeds to count springing up among your flowers. This is disheartening and discouraging and potentially maddening.
All those happy little weeds are partly due to the prime growing conditions you have now provided: enriched and loosened soil, water, nutrients, and open ground free of competition. Weeds are the survivors of the plant world, they are strong competitors and will take full advantage of the opportunity to overtake your coddled flowers.
The weeds' successful and immediate reappearance is also caused by the myriad seeds that sit in the soil seed bank just waiting for an opportunity to sprout. These seeds are a ticking time bomb just below the soil surface: each time the soil is disturbed, more seeds are brought toward the surface where they are able to germinate. And germinate, they do!
So your weed control strategy needs to be a smart one. Since I dislike weeding as much as the next person, I'll suggest some "work smarter, not harder" methods for controlling them without bending over and pulling them out one by one. I don't know about you but I have better things to do!
Before Planting
Clear your flower bed thoroughly before planting. If necessary, dig perennial weeds by the roots so they can't sprout and regrow later. (See Clearing A Flower Bed).
After preparing the soil (See Soil Preparation), wait a week or two for the soil to settle before you plant. This also allows quick growing weed seeds to germinate. A quick,light raking or scuffling with the hoe just before you plant will eliminate these. Do not rake deeply and do not till the bed again, or you will bring even more seeds close to the soil surface where they too will begin to grow.
... jump to Flower Garden Weed Control Part Two
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copyright 2006 Barbara Martin
