Q.
Weeds!!! I have more weeds in my garden than I can remember ever having
before. I guess it is because this year we had so much early rain. Can
you give me any advice to make help me get rid of the weeds more easily?
I prefer to not use chemicals.
A. Getting
rid of weeds is not a realistic prospect, managing them to minimize their
negative impacts can be done. In managing weeds, persistence is a
critical weapon in your arsenal. Weeds quickly get out of hand if you do
not deal with weeds on a regular basis, whether your approach is to use
cultural or chemical weed management practices. The moisture that some of
New Mexico had during May and June has resulted in earlier and more abundant
growth of weeds.
Cultural weed management practices include a number of things. Irrigation
methods that localize moisture will help reduce weed growth during periods
between rains. Mulch can also help reduce weeds and make them easier to
remove. Use of low-growing, spreading groundcover plants can serve as
living mulch with the same effect. Frequent removal of weeds manually is
also important.
Irrigation by drip irrigation, olla irrigation, or other means that directs
water to limited areas where it most benefits desired plants conserves water
and weakens weeds that try to grow elsewhere on rain water alone. Without
supplemental water, weeds will grow more slowly and give you more time to
remove them. It is easier to remove weeds from most soil, so whenever
possible remove these weeds soon after a rain. In areas of irrigation,
frequent weed management will be necessary.
In areas away from irrigation a scuffle hoe is a useful tool. A scuffle
hoe is one that cuts weeds just at or just below the soil line. In the
case of annual weeds this removes the weed and by minimizing soil disturbance
reduces new weed seed germination. If the weeds are perennial weeds they
will grow back from their roots, but frequent cutting with the scuffle hoe will
weaken the weeds to the point that they grow back very slowly or not at
all. Chopping the soil with a traditional hoe or digging with a shovel
disturbs the soil and brings new weed seeds to the surface where they can
germinate. Weed seeds buried deeply in the soil may remain alive for many
years, but do not grow until they are near the surface and receive sunlight.
Mulch helps reduce weeds by reducing the light at the surface of the soil and
inhibiting weed seed germination. Perennial weeds may come through the
mulch, but because the mulch conserves moisture in the soil, the mulch can make
it easier to pull the weeds. Some scuffle hoes can work through a layer
of mulch and may be employed to remove weeds growing in mulch. The choice
of organic mulch (wood chips, straw, or bark) or inorganic mulch (crusher
fines, gravel, cobbles, and such) depends on the plants in the landscape and
garden. Some can tolerate the heat that inorganic mulch accumulates, but
others need the organic mulches that do not generate as much heat from our
plentiful New Mexico summer sunshine.
Understanding which weeds you have growing in your garden and landscape is
important in managing the weeds. I referred to annual and perennial weeds
and mentioned some of their characteristics. The annual weeds (puncture
vine/goatheads, pig weed, purslane, mustard weeds, spurge, some grasses, and
many others) must grow from seeds each year. Some germinate in the fall
and survive the winter, some germinate in late winter, and some do not begin
growing until the soil warms in late spring. If you prevent them from
forming seeds you can reduce the potential weed problems for the next
year. However, since weeds seeds can persist in the soil many years
before germinating, they will continue to reappear, but you can begin to reduce
their presence by your persistence. Perennial weeds (silverleaf
nightshade, globe mallow, bindweed, and others) grow from seeds as well, but
they also are able to regrow from buds on their root systems. Pulling
newly germinated perennial weeds before they can establish their perennial root
system helps reduce the problem. As they regrow from established root
systems, frequent removal of the tops will help diminish the food reserves in
the roots and weaken the weeds over time. As they become weaker, they
become easier to manage.
Send
your gardening questions to Yard and Garden, Attn: Dr. Curtis Smith, NMSU
Agricultural Science Center, 1036 Miller Rd. SW, Los Lunas, NM 87031. You may
also send to cwsmith@nmsu.edu or leave a message at https://www.facebook.com/NMSUExtExpStnPubs. Curtis W. Smith,
Ph.D., is an Extension Horticulture Specialist, retired from New Mexico State
University’s Cooperative Extension Service. NMSU and the U.S. Department
of Agriculture cooperating.
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