Weeds tend to sprout everywhere in a garden after summer, and now that the weather is getting rainier, they will begin to spread unless you do something about them now.
No one wants to spend ages pulling up weeds, but most natural solutions like vinegar or salt only tend to work on patios, as they harm any grass or plants they touch.
However, you do not have to reach for a chemical solution just yet, as Kristen Raney, the founder of Shifting Roots, has shared there is a easy way to remove weeds without harming a garden.
She said: “Mulch is a material that is placed around a plant to enrich or protect the soil. In other words, gardeners put down mulch to suffocate weeds, retain moisture in the soil, and depending on the mulch type, add nutrients back into the soil.”
Mulching is a simple gardening technique of covering the ground around plants to protect them, and it will also smoother weeds to stop them being able to grow.
There are many different types of organic mulches for a garden, and some of the most popular ones are straw, wood chips, or even grass clippings from a lawn mower.
What is fantastic about mulch is that it not only stops weeds but it insulates soil which shields plants from rain and frost so they are less likely to suffer cold damage once winter arrives.
It will also add more nutrients into the soil, which can help give lawns or plants the energy they need to grow stronger roots so they will grow back quickly next year in spring.
How to use mulch to keep weeds away from a garden
Before you begin, make sure to do your research on the most effective mulch for different areas of your garden. Lawns will benefit from grass clipping mulch, but other mulch that is better for plants like wood chips or compost can smother grass, so be careful.
If you are mulching a lawn: You just need to make sure your organic material is dry and finely chopped up so you have a thin layer of mulch, then you can apply it to the grass.
When mulching plants: You simply apply the mulch directly onto weed-affected areas, just make sure not to put any near the stem otherwise too much water can collect at the base and cause issues like mould.
However, it can also help to make a mulch barrier out of cardboard or newspaper before applying your mulch as this will make blocking weeds more effective.
Mulching is easy, cheap and a natural way to suppress weeds so you can enjoy the last of the warm weather without worrying about these pesky plants popping up in your garden.
