Managing Weeds

Anyone who has a lawn or garden knows about the dreaded "w" word: weeds.

Weeds can cause all sorts of problems for a yard. You could spend hours weeding your lawn and garden and still not be completely free of weeds. A little knowledge can go a long way in managing weeds. Just follow some simple steps to keep weeds from growing out of control.

• Be careful where you dig. Weed seeds are almost always plentiful in the soil of your garden, yet the deeper the seed, the less chance there is of weeds becoming a problem. The weed seeds in the top inch or two of the soil will present the biggest problem. For this reason, you need to make sure the soil stays covered. Don't dig any more than necessary and when you do dig, fill in the hole with plants or mulch.
• Use mulch in the garden. Mulch is a great way to keep soil moist and cool. It also deprives weeds of needed sunlight. Organic mulches can actually bring out weed-fighting friends, like crickets. The mulch should be about two inches deep to keep the weeds at bay.
• Mow high. Keeping lawn at least three inches high will keep sunlight off weeds, hampering their growth.
• Don't go bare. If you have bare spots on your lawn, apply lawn seed so that new grass will have a chance to fend off the weeds. The best time to lay grass seed is early spring.
• Water plants, not weeds. This is where drip irrigation can really pay off. A drip irrigation system allows water to be delivered to the roots of plants, while leaving weeds high and dry.