He said: “Now is a great time to turn our attention to weeding. The weeds are young, the soil is moist, so the roots will come out more easily.” Weeds are essentially any plants that appear where they’re unwanted.
This is because they can be visually unappealing whilst also competing with plants you actually wish to cultivate.
Alan insisted: “The best time to get on top of them is now. I don’t like using weedkillers. I am an organic gardener and I have been for 40 years. Any kind of chemical herbicide is out.”
Despite maintaining his beds and borders regularly, Alan acknowledges he still encounters “one or two” persistent weeds. To eliminate weeds, all that’s required is a spade and a fork.
Alan, who distributes his advice on his YouTube channel, simply pushes the spade down into the earth and excavates around the weed until it begins to loosen. You cannot merely grasp the foliage and yank it out, as this won’t extract the roots.
Certain weeds possess thick, extensive roots, so ensure you dig thoroughly around the plant to remove them entirely, too. Annual weeds that sprout, bloom and seed once a year should be eradicated before they have the chance to flower.
This prevents additional seeds from falling into the soil and propagating further weeds. Alan suggests employing a Dutch hoe for this task.
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Prevention is also crucial. If your soil is clean and weed-free, you can cover it with mulch.
Alan said: “Mulch is an organic blanket. Generally speaking, one and a half and two inches thick.”
Chipped bark can also be beneficial as it creates a blanket that stifles weed seedlings. Alan applies a layer of bark, roughly 1 to 2 inches thick, around his beds and borders.
Weeds can even infiltrate pots and containers. Now is an opportune time to remove them as they can siphon off water and nutrients intended for the plants.
Alan advised: “Get them out now before they drop their seeds and multiply and damage your existing plants.”
Gravel paths can also harbour weeds, so utilise a Dutch hoe to sever the weeds from their roots by skimming over the surface. Alan explained: “The more root you can expose to the sun, the quicker they will die.”
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