If you have not understood why weeds appear in your garden in the first place, please read my blog on Why do you get Weeds in your Permaculture Garden. That will set up a good context for this article, which covers the key ways to prevent weeds in the first place.
So if you are tired of de-weeding your garden all the time, here are 5 tips on how to reduce the occurrence and density of weeds in your garden.
1. Plant Cover Crops - If your plants of interest are big plants which you have to keep well spaced, then plant a cover crop on the surface. A cover crop is a short plant which runs across the soil making a carpet on it. Clover, mint, coriander - they all act as cover crops for your soil.
2. Mulch your soil - this is the only way to keep down weeds and feed your soil at the same time. Plant trees to generate enough biomass of your own to mulch, or buy wood chips from a wood chip processor in your area.
3. Do not Over Water - overwatering results in soil panicking about being swept away or eroded, and its reaction is to trigger weeds to hold the soil in place.
4. Do not remove the weeds - if the weeds are not competing with your plants of interest for sunlight, do not remove them. By removing them, you will disturb the soil, and it will produce a fresh set of weeds.
5. Don't De-Weed Generally - only clear weeds when you are ready to plant something else. Do NOT remove weeds, clear the ground and leave it exposed soil, as weeds will grow again in a vacant plot.
Follow these tips to manage your weeds, and start making friends with them. Many weeds are useful, not just to keep the soil covered, but also because they provide flowers for the bees, or give some medicinal benefits for humans.
