Celebrate National Weed Your Garden Day with These Timely Tips

Published on: June 13, 2023 Written by: Callie Works-Leary Comments: 0

Tags: weeds

callie works-leary pulling weeds in her north texas garden

It’s National Weed Your Garden Day!

To celebrate, here are my best tips for keeping your garden free of weeds….

What exactly is a weed?

A “weed” is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, growing where it is not wanted. Weeds are not just wild plants, but also cultivated plants that are growing where they shouldn’t be.

Why are weeds a problem?

Weeds are unsightly, but they also compete with your existing plants for light, nutrients, and water. They can even harbor damaging pests and diseases. Keeping your garden weed-free is one of the best ways to keep your plants happy and stress-free.

How to prevent weeds in your garden

Prevention is the best medicine for both you and your garden.

To prevent weed problems, do this:

Maintain a layer of mulch on all soil surfaces to a depth of at least three inches.
Never let existing weeds flower and go to seed.
Minimize tillage. Each time that soil is disturbed it brings seeds to the soil surface. After incorporating amendments like compost or organic fertilizer, return mulch to the soil surface as soon as possible.
Avoid large gaps between your plants. Not only is it more aesthetically pleasing when things are planted in groupings that appear to be one large mass (especially in perennial gardens), properly spaced plants that are just touching will shade the soil below and prevent weed growth.
Use drip irrigation so that the water goes exactly where you want it to go. Sprinklers water both your plants and your weeds. Switching to drip irrigation allows you to deliver water precisely to the plants that need it.

How to tackle existing weeds

There are soooo many weed “garden hacks” on the Internet, and the majority of them are useless time-wasters. When it comes to weeds, the best way to safely deal with them is the old-fashioned way: pulling them out by hand.

One of my favorite tools for easier hand-weeding is my trusty hori hori knife. I can use it to pry the weeds out, or I can use it to slice through weed roots just below the soil surface.

A.M. Leonard Hori Hori Knife

$28.93

Every gardener needs a hori hori knife. We use this indispensable tool for transplanting, digging weeds, and cutting open bags. The bright orange handle keeps it from getting lost in the garden.

Buy Now

The Dallas Garden earns a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

11/20/2024 10:04 pm GMT

Upcoming events and classes

Saturday, June 17, 10:00 am (live online) – Garden Design Basics
Tuesday, June 20 (on-demand mini course) – FREE! Best Pollinator Plants for North Texas to celebrate National Pollinator Week

Thursday, June 22, 6:30 pm (live online) – Made in the Shade: Plants for Low Light Areas

Saturday, July 15, 10:00 am (live online) – Best Ever Fall Vegetable Garden

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Callie Works-Leary

Founder of The Dallas Garden School, Callie is an expert garden educator with 17 years of personal and professional gardening experience. She specializes in growing food, small-space gardening, managing community gardens, and plant propagation. She has an MBA from Southern Methodist University, a bachelor's degree from Skidmore College, and served as a horticulture intern for the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. Callie is a member of the Native Plant Society of Texas, The Herb Society of America, the National Garden Bureau, and is a Certified Texas Master Gardener.

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