How To Keep Weeds Out of the Garden

All of the seeds that were planted are finally coming up and produce is growing. The biggest struggle when gardening are all the weeds, am I right? I used to struggle with them myself years ago. I’m sharing how to keep weeds out of your garden once and for all. It does take a mix of prevention, maintenance, and sometimes a little elbow grease.

Prevention

1. Mulch Is Your Friend: Spread a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch (wood chips, straw, or shredded bark) or inorganic mulch (gravel, landscape fabric) around your plants. It blocks sunlight, stopping weed seeds from sprouting. Refresh it yearly as it breaks down. I use raised beds and intermix the wood chips in with my compost.
2. Landscape Fabric or Cardboard: Lay down breathable landscape fabric or overlapping cardboard sheets before mulching. This creates a barrier that still lets water through but keeps weeds at bay. Poke holes for your plants, if desired.
3. Dense Planting: Space your garden plants close enough to form a canopy when mature. This shades the soil, leaving little room for weeds to grow. Check spacing needs for your specific plants to avoid overcrowding. For instance, I planted cabbage over the winter in one of my beds. Down the center, I planted carrots. The cabbage grows higher than the carrots, keeping it shady and cool for them to grow. No weeds at all.
4. Healthy Soil: Feed your soil with compost or organic matter. Your soil matters and makes a difference. Strong plants out compete weeds for nutrients and water.

Maintenance

1. Pull Early and Often: When you do see weeds, yank them when they’re small—roots and all—before they seed. Use a hand weeder or hoe on dry days so the roots dry out and die. Wet soil makes pulling easier but can leave roots behind.
2. Hoe or Cultivate: Lightly disturb the top inch of soil with a garden hoe weekly to uproot tiny weed seedlings before they establish. Avoid going too deep—you don’t want to bring buried seeds to the surface.
3. Water Smart: Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to water only your plants, not the bare soil where weeds lurk. Less moisture between rows means fewer weeds.

Long-Term Tricks

1. Solarization: In summer, cover bare soil with clear plastic or netting for 4-6 weeks. The heat cooks weed seeds and roots. It’s a slow burn but works wonders.
2. Cover Crops: Plant fast-growers like clover or rye in off-seasons. They smother weeds and enrich the soil when tilled under.

Organic weed control keeps your garden chemical-free while still tackling those pesky invaders. Here’s a rundown of effective, natural methods:

Natural Herbicides

1. Vinegar: Use household vinegar (5% acetic acid) or horticultural vinegar (10-20%) in a spray bottle. Hit weed leaves on a hot, sunny day for max burn-down. It’s non-selective, so shield your plants. Works best on young weeds; older ones may need repeat sprays.
2. Boiling Water: Pour it straight onto weeds in paths or between pavers. It kills tops instantly—great for annuals, less so for perennials with deep roots. Avoid splashing desired plants.
3. Salt: Mix a strong solution (1 part salt to 2 parts water) and spot-treat weeds in areas where you don’t want anything to grow (like gravel). Use sparingly—salt lingers in soil and can harm nearby plants.

Pre-Emergent Control

1. Corn Gluten Meal: Spread this organic byproduct (about 20 lbs per 1,000 sq ft) in early spring or fall. It stops weed seeds from sprouting by inhibiting root formation. Time it before weeds emerge—it won’t kill existing ones. Water it in lightly.
2. Cover Crops: Sow clover, buckwheat, or annual rye in bare spots or off-seasons. They outcompete weeds for space and nutrients, then get tilled under to boost soil health.

Notes

• Persistence: Organic methods often need repetition, especially for tough perennials like bindweed or quackgrass.
• Safety: Even natural stuff like vinegar or salt can mess with soil balance if overused—target carefully.

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Weed-Suppressing Companions

Companion planting is a natural, organic way to manage weeds, boost growth, and keep pests in check by pairing plants that play well together. It’s like matchmaking for your garden—some plants help suppress weeds by shading soil or releasing compounds, while others support each other’s health. Here’s how to use it to keep weeds out and improve your garden:

1. Marigolds: Their dense growth shades soil, and they release a chemical (alpha-terthienyl) that can inhibit weed seed germination. Plant them around veggies like tomatoes or peppers. I plant marigolds in most of my beds.
2. Nasturtiums: These sprawl and cover bare ground, blocking light from weed seeds. They also attract pests away from crops like squash or beans.
3. Clover: A living mulch, clover smothers weeds while fixing nitrogen in the soil. Sow it between rows of heavy feeders like corn or broccoli.
4. Sweet Potatoes: Their vining habit carpets the ground, choking out weeds. Pair with taller plants like pole beans that won’t mind the sprawl.
5. Oregano or Thyme: Low-growing herbs that spread out, shading soil and outcompeting weeds. Great around carrots or onions.

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See My Tips On Planning a Spring Garden

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The Benefits of Using Raised Beds

I have a dedicated post just on raised beds. They truly have been a game changer for my garden. They are not only pretty but having them also contributes to little to no weeds. Read all about The Benefits of Using Raising Beds.

Classic Combos for Weed Control and More

1. Three Sisters (Corn, Beans, Squash):
   • Corn grows tall, giving beans a pole to climb.
   • Beans fix nitrogen, feeding the others.
   • Squash’s broad leaves shade the soil, reducing weed growth. The trio creates a weed-hostile microclimate.
2. Carrots and Onions: Onions’ strong scent deters carrot pests, while carrots’ deep roots loosen soil. Plant densely to limit weed space.
3. Tomatoes and Basil: Basil’s aroma repels pests, and its bushy growth helps shade out weeds around tomato bases.

How It Works

• Shade: Sprawling or bushy plants (like squash or marigolds) block sunlight, stopping weed seeds from sprouting.
• Competition: Fast-growers (like radishes) gobble up water and nutrients before weeds can.
• Allelopathy: Some plants (e.g., rye, marigolds) release chemicals that stunt weed growth. Use these strategically—they can affect crops too if overdone.

Practical Tips

• Plan Spacing: Check mature sizes so companions don’t choke each other out instead of the weeds.
• Timing: Sow quick growers (like radishes) early to establish a weed barrier before slower crops (like peppers) take off.
• Layering: Pair tall plants (sunflowers) with ground-huggers (clover) for full coverage.

I hope these tips and tricks will help you have a wonderful weed free garden. As soon as I started implementing these techniques, my weeds started disappearing from my garden beds. My favorite of these is using marigolds, really good compost and wood chips. I never have weeds. Occasionally, I’ll get a piece of grass that grows up but that is it. Happy Gardening!