Controlling Weeds In An Organic Garden

Especially bothersome to organic gardeners are weeds, though generally they’re the bane of any gardener. Weed killer is used by many gardeners but they can’t be used in an organic garden. What now?

Once you’ve identified your most troublesome weed, find the best way you can get rid of that particular type of weed. Here are a few of the most common weeds and how to get rid of them.

Dandelion is one of the worst offenders. Although some people choose to grow dandelions for their greens, most gardeners just want to get rid of them. To get rid of dandelions, you need to dig out the entire taproot.

You should always pull them up with a hoe before they flower. Then, you need to spread corn gluten over areas that you want to be dandelion free in the early spring. Because of this, a lot of seedlings won’t grow.

Crabgrass is a major pest in many yards and gardens. Besides being tough to pull up, it’s especially hard to get rid of. What you need to do is pull up the entire plant as well as its roots. To suppress further growth, spread down corn gluten in the early spring. You can also mulch to prevent the seeds from germinating.

Considered as a horrible plant is poison ivy. It can cause terrible rashes even with very mild exposure. Don’t let it touch your skin and always wear gloves when you handle this plant.

You must cut the plant at the base, then let it dry out completely. Bury the vines, or throw them away in the trash. Never, ever burn poison ivy, because the smoke can be fatal! You also should never compost poison ivy.

Lamb’s quarters is an edible wild green. Some people grow these for food, but most people think of them as common weeds. It’s difficult to get rid of them. You can hoe or pull up the plants when you see them. To suppress the seedlings, you should mulch heavily.

A plant that many people want to get rid of is ragweed. It’s a very common allergen, and its pollen is a major cause of hay fever. You can use a mower to mow down full-sized plants and you can hoe up the seedlings. What you can do is mulch to cover the areas where it grows. It’s okay to compost ragweed as long as it hasn’t yet gone to seed.

Purslane is an edible plant. Individual plants can be removed by hoeing. If you pull the plants, they can reroot themselves if you leave them lying on top of the soil. Even after it’s been pulled, the seeds of this plant can mature so don’t compost them. You can mulch to prevent these from growing.

Prickly lettuce is a little plants that’s known to be annoying. Always wear gloves when you handle it because it causes itching and burning if it comes in contact with skin. What you can do is pull or hoe the plants or cut the taproot below the soil.

You might wish to leave it alone, as it can attract beneficial insects, but it can carry lettuce diseases. Be sure it’s kept away from your lettuce patches. Because cocklebur is poisonous to livestock, make sure you keep it away from your animals. The plants can be pulled or hoed beneath the soil line. You can compost it if it hasn’t yet gone to seed.

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