Weeds are generally perennial or annual in nature and they grow from seeds. They are unwanted plants or grasses that can damage your beloved plants. Weeds occupy space and utilize nutrients from the soil that are meant for the plants. Growth of lots weeds can affect the overall appearance of your garden and it is important to get rid of them effectively so that they do not appear to cause harm to your plants.
There are many types of weeds that can emerge in your garden and it is crucial to identify them so that you can take necessary steps to remove them. Weeds can be broadly classified into two types which are Grass Weeds and Broad Leaf Weeds. As the name suggests, grass weeds are thin and grass like in appearance and the other ones have broad leaves. Some of the common weeds that can be found in gardens are Annual Bluegrass, Foxtails, Nettles, Dandelions, Bindweed, Twitch Grass, Horsetail, Goosegrass, Crabgrass and Carpetweed.
There are several physical and chemical methods of getting rid of the weeds from the garden. Non-chemical ways of removing weeds are generally preferred by the home gardeners as they do not want to use toxic chemicals and herbicides in the garden. Some of the common methods that can help you to control the abnormal growth of weeds in your garden are-
Cultivation -Cultivation is the most common method which is used extensively in home gardens. Farms and fields are cultivated with the help of big tractor mounted cultivators. Home gardeners can use hoe to get rid of the weeds from soil level. While hoeing, make sure that you do not go deeper as it might bring the buried seeds closer to the germination area.
Hand Pulling -Hand pulling is probably the easiest way of removing weeds if they have not spread and covered a large area. You can occasionally remove the weeds by hand whenever you come across one while strolling in the garden. This way the flower beds will be clean and free from weeds. However, hand pulling is not feasible if the weed growth is quite high and you will have to rely on alternate methods to get rid of them.
Mulching- Mulching is an effective way of keeping the weeds away from the plants. Mulch cover on the soil does not let the weeds to germinate and grow easily. Mulching can noticeably reduce the growth of unnecessary weeds in your garden.
Herbicides- Herbicides are chemical in nature and they can be sprayed to kill the weeds. Herbicides can kill the weeds in germination stage and they can also destroy pre existing mature weeds. However, it is advisable not to use herbicides in the home gardens as they can also cause damage to some of the plants.
Fumigants -Fumigants are also chemical in nature and they kill all the living creatures in the soil like weeds, seeds, insects and disease carrying organisms.
Groundcovers -Cover crops or ground cover plants are also beneficial in controlling weeds. Groundcover plants spread on the ground and they do not allow the weeds to grow.
These are some of the methods that can help you in getting rid of weeds from your home garden. It is important to realize the fact that you can not get rid of them completely as they will emerge again over a period of time. However, you can control them effectively so that they do not spread in the entire garden.