Your garden is planted- time to rest! Right?

Wrong. There’s no rest during garden season! Kidding. Sort of.

What is my secret for weed-free gardens? I don’t have one.

*This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase from one of these links.*

In fact, my biggest crop every year is “weeds”. Each and every year I vow to stay on top of the garden weeding but that is so much easier said than done!

My biggest piece of advice when it comes to keeping your garden weed free is, don’t shoot for perfection and give yourself grace! If you go into it believing that your garden should always be “picture perfect”, you will set yourself up for disappointment. Do the best you can and be okay with less than perfect.

Weeding is important to your garden though and you don’t want to let it get too out of control if at all possible. Weeds suck up vital nutrients and water that your plants are depending on!

1.Weed often

Try and get into the garden every day to do a little hand-weeding. Just a few minutes every day will help you stay on top of it. There is nothing worse than looking at your garden and realizing it’s entirely covered in weeds. That can take days to remedy and by the time you are done, you will have to start over. Even a quick swipe of the hoe on a different area each day will help prevent the weeds from taking over.

Tip: Weeds pull up much easier after rain or in the morning when the soil is moist. When the soil is dry, the weeds “grab on” and are harder to pull up.

2. Small tiller

A few years ago we invested in a small, used tiller at an auction and it was one of the best things we have purchased for the gardens. It fits nicely between rows, is easy to start and haul from garden to garden, and saves me lots of time.

I use this almost daily and it is my #1 tool to help me keep weed growth to a minimum.

Like everything in life, it’s not perfect. If your rows are not spaced far enough apart, you can accidentally harm your plants. It also doesn’t do a complete job and I almost always have a “row” of weeds between the tines but a quick swipe down the row with a hoe takes care of it. In my book, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

3. Good ol’ hoe

That made me laugh. Maturity doesn’t always win.

In all seriousness, the basic garden hoe is a gardeners best friend! If bending over and hand pulling weeds is just too hard, use a hoe to pull them up. Frequently running on between rows will also keep your soil loose and prevent the weeds from taking hold/sprouting!

Simple and effective- right up my alley!

4. Mulch, mulch, mulch!

I am a huge supporter of lots and lots of mulch in the garden! A nice layer of mulch prevents weeds from getting the sunlight they need to grow. It also helps keep moisture in the soil- great for healthy plant growth!

My two favorite types of mulch are shredded paper and grass clippings. You can also use hay/straw, newspapers, and leaves. Keep adding more until you have a nice thick layer and you should minimize your weed growth by a considerable amount!

When using mulch, be sure to leave some space around the plant itself to prevent too much moisture/rot.

5. Ground cover

I personally don’t use this often because of the size of our gardens but I know many people swear by using a ground cover such as black plastic. This works similar to mulch by blocking out the suns rays, thus preventing weed growth.

Lay it down, cut slits/holes for your plants and seeds and there you have it! Some weeds will still make their way through the openings you created but it will keep it to a manageable level.

Ground cover can be found at any gardening store. I have also used old carpet laid down in between rows. This worked well but was a bit cumbersome to store in the off-season.

I hope these ideas help you gain an edge on the war against weeds! Just remember- there will be weeds, no matter what you do. Do your best and don’t stress too much, gardening should be fun!

All of the hard work will be well worth it at harvest time 🙂

Thank you for stopping by the homestead!

Until next time,
Melissa

More gardening posts: