Wednesday, April 11, 2012

How To Control Weed In An Organic Garden

By Orsen Taylor


Especially bothersome to organic gardeners are weeds, though generally they're the bane of any gardener. Many gardeners choose to use weed killer to get rid of weeds, but you can't do that in an organic garden. What do you do now?

What you need to do is identify your most troublesome weed and deal with it the best you can. Here are a few of the most common weeds and how to get rid of them.

Dandelion is known to be one of the worst offenders. Although some people choose to grow dandelions for their greens, most gardeners just want to get rid of them. You need to dig out the entire taproot if you want to get rid of dandelions.

You should always pull them up with a hoe before they flower. And you can spread corn gluten over the areas you wish to remain free from dandelions in the early spring. Because of this, a lot of seedlings won't grow.

Crabgrass is a major pest in many yards and gardens. It's hard to get rid of and tough to pull up. You must pull up the entire plant, including all of its roots. To suppress further growth, spread down corn gluten in the early spring. You can also mulch to prevent the seeds from germinating.

Considered as a horrible plant is poison ivy. Even with very mild exposure, terrible rashes can be caused. You should always wear gloves when handling this plant, and don't ever let it touch any part of your skin.

You must cut the plant at the base, then let it dry out completely. You can either bury the vines or throw them away. Smoke from burning poison ivy can be fatal, so don't ever burn them. Do not compost poison ivy.

An edible wild green is lamb's quarters. Most people think of them as common weeds although some people grow these for food. They can be difficult to get rid of. You can hoe or pull up the plants when you see them. You need to mulch heavily if you want to suppress the seedlings.

Ragweed is a plant that many people want to get rid of. Aside from being a common allergen, the pollen also causes hay fever. You can use a mower to mow down full-sized plants and you can hoe up the seedlings. To cover the areas where it grows, you need to mulch. You can compost ragweed if it hasn't yet gone to seed.

Purslane is known as an edible plant. By hoeing, you can remove individual plants. The plants can re-root themselves when you pull them and leave them lying on top of the soil. The seeds of this plant can mature after the plant has been pulled, so don't compost them. You can mulch to prevent these from growing.

Prickly lettuce is a little plants that's known to be annoying. Always wear gloves when you handle it because it causes itching and burning if it comes in contact with skin. You can pull or hoe plants, or cut the taproot below the soil.

It can carry lettuce diseases even if it can attract beneficial insects. You need to keep it away from your lettuce patches. Keep cocklebur away from your animals since it's poisonous to livestock. The plants can be pulled or hoed beneath the soil line. If it hasn't gone to seed, you can compost it.




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