This morning I went out to the community garden plot to meet new gardeners. I also took advantage of the time to plant my potatoes and weed the herb garden.

It was glorious. Within five minutes of pulling weeds, I felt my nerves ratchet down about five notches, and I actually started thinking. That’s a rarity anymore. In my typical routine of running from one project or activity to another, it was bliss to focus on one thing.

But I know weeds are something that can bring the most enthusiastic gardeners to their knees. Literally. Some people, like me, absolutely love weeding; it’s relaxing for them and a pleasurable way to spend the time. Others avoid it at all costs. Ultimately the weeds win and they end up completely frustrated. These, more than just about anything, will turn a new gardener into a non-gardener.

How to Kill Weeds

We’ve had issues with weeds at the community garden. A couple of years ago, when we had a lot of moisture and everything grew like gangbusters, some of the plots had some so large they kept breaking the string of the string weeder. I ended up going in with a machete to cut down the jungle. And, unfortunately, those weeds went to seed to become a problem for the next gardener.

One of the first things you can do in the spring is to use a pre-emergent when you plant. When I planted my potatoes this morning, I removed any precocious weeds, then sprinkled corn gluten to minimize the weeds that would come back from seed. (The one thing you don’t want to do with a pre-emergent is to use it on something you just seeded.)

Once the perennials weeds are removed and the pre-emergent is sprinkled over the area, the next step is mulch. Be generous. In pathways, I like to put down multiple layers of newspaper or cardboard, then put straw or some other type of mulch on top of it. It saves a lot of effort not having to weed in pathways. Around the plants mulch helps hold in moisture, plus any unwanted plants that come through are typically easier to pull.

There are plenty of other ways to take care of the weed issue. One of my favorites, when we don’t have gale force winds, is to flame them. Fire is your friend when it comes to knocking back the weeds, although it probably won’t kill them completely. Vinegar is another option. Use it straight or heat it up and add salt and drop of dishwashing detergent. It works the best on broad leafed weeds.

Benefits

When it comes to weeds, my friend Janice has a really good perspective on them. She says, “Let the problem be the solution.” For example, the dandelions that burrow down in the soil so deeply bring up nutrients that are out of reach of other plants; plus they break up the hard soil. She pointed out even bindweed and thistle have a function (although she doesn’t encourage people to leave them since they tend to be a bit too prolific).

When Janice weeds, she often pulls them out and sets them on the ground as mulch so the nutrients go back into the soil. That’s something to think about before you pitch them in the trash, unless of course, it’s going to seed and you don’t want to create more of an issue.

Weeds are one of those garden pests that don’t chew up plants, but can become so bad that they literally consume them with a mass of green tentacles. Thankfully, even if you’re not someone who relishes a mediation with weeds, there are ways to take care of them.