Is it possible to prevent weeds from infiltrating your garden? Well, according to the author of Weedless Gardening, Dr. Lee Reich, it absolutely is. In this Backyard Life video, Joe Lamp’l—a.k.a. Joe Gardener—walks you through Reich’s four key steps to a weed-free garden.
How to Prevent Weeds
- Don’t till the soil. Tilling destroys the soil’s natural structure and brings dormant weed seeds to the surface where they’ll then sprout, thanks to the newfound sun, air, and water they’ll begin receiving. In the event they do begin to sprout, however, be sure to pull them as soon as they’re spotted.
- Designate areas. It’s important to make strict designations between planting beds and walking areas. If you’re careful to not walk in your planting beds, you lessen the risk of compacting the soil you’re looking to plant in.
- Cover planting beds with compost or mulch. Organic matter feeds the soil so it can then feed the plants. And, when this organic matter is right at the soil’s surface, it’s in the perfect spot—because, that’s where most of the roots are, too.
- Use drip irrigation in beds. Drip irrigation systems prevent weeds and help conserve water by routing water directly into your soil and plants’ bases, rather than spraying it around your entire landscape and likely feeding weed seeds that have been deposited by either wind or birds.
