Weeds such as dandelions and bindweed are perhaps the bane of most gardeners’ lives. They compete with plants for sunlight, water and goodness in the soil and they can spread pests and disease too. How to prevent weeds from growing in a garden is one of the most frequent questions that gardeners ask. We’ll attempt to answer this here, along with tips on how to avoid weeds in a garden to begin with.
Get rid of weeds whilst they are young
If you’re looking at how to prevent weeds from growing in the garden, then one of the best techniques is to pull them up as soon as you spot them. During the summer months when weeds are growing at their most virulent, it really does pay to go out regularly into the garden and wander around spotting weeds. If you dig them up early whilst they are young, they are easier to remove. Plus it reduces the chance of them spreading.
Mulch
Mulching can be used as ground cover to prevent weeds in a garden. Whether you’re growing flowers, shrubs or vegetables, a layer of mulch will help block sunlight from the soil which the weeds need to grow. Mulch is generally made from shredded bark, and you need a thick layer of about three inches to ensure weeds can’t grow through.
Avoid bare soil
If you’re looking at how to prevent weeds in garden beds, then you should avoid leaving too much empty soil as weeds will inevitably start growing. You can either cover up bare soil with mulch, or try growing more plants or shrubs. You should aim for fairly dense planting so that there is little room left between plants in which weeds can start growing.
Garden in pots and raised beds
If you’re looking at how to prevent weeds in a garden, then you could consider growing crops or plants in raised beds. Walking on the soil around your plants can lead to the soil becoming compacted and consequently means that only weeds will survive. Growing plants or crops in raised beds, pots and containers means you avoid treading on the ground and compacting the earth. The other advantage is that you tend to use a specialist compost with pots and containers which also leads to fewer weeds.
Don’t let weeds release seeds
One of the best ways to reduce garden weeds is to avoid letting them seed in your garden beds. If you don’t have time to go round and pull up the weeds, then at least get rid of any flowers or seed heads that have developed. Seeds, if allowed to take hold and germinate, will cause another layer of problems for you to deal with.
If you’re looking at how to prevent weeds in garden paths, then preventing the release of seeds is key.
Introduce artificial grass
Another tip on how to prevent weeds from growing in a garden is to introduce fake grass. A synthetic lawn will look amazing all year round and needs very little maintenance. With false turf there is no need to spend hours treating your lawn or trying to remove and keep on top of the weeds.
A fake lawn is not totally immune from weeds, especially if the artificial grass has not been installed properly, but there are several tips for quickly and efficiently dealing with weeds on fake turf.
Looking at how to prevent weeds from growing in your garden? Try an artificial lawn from Astro Warehouse.
If you’re looking at how to prevent weeds from growing in a garden, introducing false grass could be the solution. You’ll get a beautiful lawn with no unsightly weeds.
The process for artificial grass installation with Astro Warehouse includes laying a weed membrane to prevent unwanted plants spoiling the grass. The fake lawn also acts as a barrier for the sunlight reaching the earth which again helps to prevent weeds from coming through.
Our artificial grass range is premium grade quality, it also comes by the roll so it can be supplied to you at unbeatable prices. Samples? Order yours here.
Don’t forget to check out our installation guides for help fitting false grass on any type of surface.
Questions? Get in touch with our expert team.