So you’ve applied mulch, and despite your best efforts, you see weeds sprouting through!
Weeds compete against your other plants for resources – namely water, nutrients, sunlight, and space. If they end up winning this competition, it can spell disaster for your other plants.
Some weeds here and there are not really a problem. But once they start spreading a little too much they can kill your garden and ruin the aesthetics of an otherwise beautiful lawn.
It’s annoying to know that your mulching efforts haven’t paid off as much as you would like. After all, one of the reasons you laid down mulch is because it’s supposed to suppress weeds.
But nothing is 100% foolproof, especially when it comes to gardening. Mulch will help, but it won’t stop all weeds.
So how do we go about removing these weeds and preventing them in the first place?
Removing Existing Weeds
You can remove and kill weeds on a day-by-day basis. Once you see weeds popping through the mulch, be sure to remove them as soon as possible. That way, they won’t have a chance to spread.
Remove the weeds on the surface and the root system beneath. You want to pull out the entire root structure to remove any chance of the weeds spreading.
Another option is to use a herbicide and spray the existing weeds directly. You can purchase these from a store or make your own at home. Commercial herbicides usually use the chemical glyphosate.
For a home remedy, a combination of vinegar, water, salt, and dish soap can be used as a contact herbicide. This can act as a contact herbicide – it will kill the weeds as they grow but may not necessarily kill the root system.
Whilst removing weeds is a great way of dealing with a current weed problem, you also want to stop weeds from growing in the future.
How To Stop Weeds From Growing
So how do we go about stopping weeds in the first place?
First, let’s start with some tips before you mulch.
Weed the soil first, then you may decide to apply a pre-emergent herbicide. The herbicide will prevent weed seeds from completely germinating.
Landscape fabric can also play a big part in weed control. You can lay this down on the soil before applying the mulch. It’ll prevent weeds from getting sunlight, as well as weed seeds from taking hold in the soil. Landscape fabric also acts as a physical barrier to weeds and will literally stop them from growing through the mulch.
When it comes to the mulch itself, make sure that it is laid at a sufficient thickness. For most mulch types, this is roughly 2 – 4 inches. If your mulch is too thin, then sunlight will easily penetrate the soil and help germinate dormant weed seeds.
You can apply these methods even after laying mulch. Simply rake the mulch to the side so you can deal with the soil directly.
Mulches That Help Prevent Weeds
Did you know some mulches are better than others at fighting weeds?
Mulches with coarser textures and larger chunks are good at suppressing weeds. Organic mulch-like wood chips and inorganic types like stone and gravel work well to help prevent weeds.