Mulching

To mulch you can use 2-4 inches things like hey, shredded leaves, brown cardboard, straw, or wood chips to cover the ground around your plants. This blocks weeds from getting the sun they need to grow. Mulch also provides needed nutrients as it decomposes, and regulates soil temperatures.

Be sure to cover the soil between your plants about one inch thick. Avoid placing mulch right up to the trunks of trees or stalks of plants, which can lead to disease or decay.

Some leaf blowers come with shredders the turn yard debris into garden mulch fast saving you the cost of purchasing your own mulch or making your own.

Wood mulches, however, take nitrogen from the soil to break down, so they are robbing nitrogen and nutrients from your plants.

Keep out the Light!

Cover the ground with card board (tape removed), or newspaper. Then cover with your soil. This ensures that the weeds won’t get the light they need to grow. A few perennial weeds might survive but this will cut down you’re weeding considerably. Also, you will save on soil and have happy worms.

Let in light

Place clear plastic across any area where you want to kill the weeds. Leave plastic in place for 4-6 weeks. Let the sun heat the ground. This will kill the weeds and seeds.

Flaming

A propane torch can be used to scorch weeds. It is best for use in cracks in concrete sidewalks. But use extreme caution. Be sure to do it on a wind free day as could also kill nearby grass.

Boiling Water

Boiling water can kill the plants. But may be hard to control if your trying to do spot weeding.

Vinegar

White vinegar contains acetic acid. This acetic acid burns off the tops of weeds but is also likely to kill anything with well established roots. You will need to apply frequently for the vinegar to be most effective. Be careful that you don’t kill nearby plants.

Manually pulling out weeds

This can be therapeutic for some of us. But for others it is not their favorite chore. I recommend a kneeling pad or camp stool for longer weeding sessions. As well as some waterproof gardening gloves.

Weeds tend to come out of the soil easier when the soil is wet and soft. Focus on a small space at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Be sure to remove weeds from the area when done. Most home compost piles don’t get hot enough to kill weed seeds.

When pulling the weed you want to make sure that you get the root out as well, as many common weeds will regrow from any roots left behind. Pull the weed gently at its base, careful to not accidentally snap the roots.

You can use a digging fork or a spade to dig a persistent weed by the roots. Be sure to remove as much of the root system as you can.

Using a hoe

Morning is the best time to hoe the garden this creates dust mulch this may allow new weeds to grow. Let the weeds dry in the sun during the day and then take it to the compost heap. If you hoe the Beds once a week and keep the soil moving over time there will no longer be any weeds left.

Avoid soil disruption

We don’t want to expose the dormant weeds to light and air. Research shows that weeds may be stimulated to grow by a sudden flash of light that you give them when you turn the soil. When the soil is turned at night, weeds growth is slowed as much as 78%!

Off with their heads

If dealing with weeds is too much of a hassle than once a week use a grass whip or string trimmer and cut off their heads before they flower

Trim Garden Edges

Weeds will collect on the edges of your yard or garden. Keep your garden and grass edges trimmed to lower the invasion of weeds into your fertile garden soil. Also, around the fence line is close to the planting beds. You could grow perennials ground roses to shade the edges and make it easier for you.

Give your soil some air

Some weeds grow well in compacted soil. You can rent an aerator from your local hardware store. Using this will reduce the number of deep-rooted weeds and allow plants to get the air water and nutrients they need

No open space

Try to plant your plants close together leaving no open spaces for weeds to grow. At the end of the season, you can plant rye gras, winter wheat, or oats, to prevent weeds.

No water for weeds

Try to avoid watering the weeds. If not watered they will dry up.

Let Them Be

Let them grow for a bit with a sheet of clear plastic over the garden to warm it up and encourage them to grow. Then once they are big enough, hoe or pull them out. Then you can plant your garden.

Eat them

Some weeds are edible when young and tender. Consider harvesting them rather than tossing them in the compost bin.