If you’re thinking it’s far too early for weeds to be an issue at the moment, then you’re wrong. Although weeds feel like a spring and summer issue, winter is usually the time of year when they are preparing for rapid germination and growth once warmer temperatures return.
If you want minimal hassle with weeds this year, then your best bet is to prevent them from germinating in the first place, and that’s a job that can be done now. With many other garden jobs coming to a halt in winter, you can shift your attention to preparing the soil in ways that reduce weed growth in the spring. Weed seeds lie dormant, buried under soil and they can survive years before making an appearance.
They wait for the temperatures to be just right before sprouting and making an appearance in spring.
Being able to manage them while they are under the ground, before germination, is the key to preventing them from becoming a problem at all.
Patches of bare soil that have access to plenty of sun and light provide the perfect environment for weeds to germinate, so try to cover these areas with mulch or crops. This will block the sunlight and prevent the seedlings from reaching the surface.
You’ll also want to minimise digging as much as possible. Since weeds can survive for years underground, digging can sometimes bring them to the surface where they then thrive in the light and oxygen.
If you are planting crops to cover bare soil, try to disturb only the area that is needed for the plant and avoid turning over large sections.
Bare patches of soil that you don’t wish to plant anything in can always be covered with cardboard as well.
This is another effective way to block light from reaching weeds. Simply lay some cardboard down and cover it with compost, straw or wood chippings to keep it in place.
The compost also makes the area look better as opposed to having cardboard visible in the garden. As it decomposes it can also nourish the soil.
Finally, try to stay away from using fertilisers too early. These are only needed when active plants are growing, applying it beforehand can cause the weeds to grow instead and will not benefit your plants at all.
If you want more information on identifying garden weeds, you can visit our knowledge hub here.
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