First define your weed.:- Wild flowers?....Native plants?....Too vigorous, or invasive plants?.....

Not all wild plants are weeds, while some 'garden plants' are, which are your weeds? A plant out of place?.........

Why kill weeds?

a) They compete with garden plants for light, water and nutrients.

b) Many harbour pests & diseases.

c) Some produce seed inhibiting chemicals.

d) Most are very vigorous and invasive.

e) Many are unattractive.

Identify Your Weeds Wild flower and gardening books & magazines may help. Ask your gardening neighbours.

Consider the nature of your weeds:-

Perennial/Annual/biennial....methods of spread - Seeds, stolons & runners, bulbils etc. ..............and their position in relation to other plants, defines if and how best to get rid of them.

Decide on your strategy..................Identify your priorities,..................Get your timing right

CULTURAL PREVENTION.

1) Top Priority - Stop weeds seeding 'One years seeds...Seven years weeds'

2) Don't plant perennials on ground infested by deep rooted perennial weeds.

3) Don't put weed seeds and roots of perennial weeds in your compost heap.

4) Limit grass/border edges wherever possible. Deep cut edges, use some form of barrier,

edging or path, with or without chemical barrier.

5) Close planting leaves less room for weeds to invade.

6) Mulch,Mulch,& Mulch Garden compost, Leaf mould, Bark if you can afford it ...

or shred your own ! Covering the soil with black plastic or carpet prevents growth.

7) Be persistent, don't weed only every now & then, weed all the time. You will only win as

long as you keep it up. They will of course win in the end! Sorry.

Methods of weeding Advantages and Disadvantages:-

Hand Weeding..Good long term if you weed as you go.

Disturbs the soil, exposing more weed seeds

Waste of time for deep rooted persistent weeds.

Teach the children early, when young they will quite enjoy collecting some for you!

Mechanical methods.............

Hoeing is good for big areas of surface rooting, annual weeds around food crops.

Don't hoe round surface rooting plants.

Regular cutting weakens & eventually kills many weeds

Mowing will kill tall growing weeds but not 'rosette' forms.

Rotavating can be a good preparation, but exposes weed seeds and cuts up roots & stolons.

Heat - a flame gun is a very useful alternative especially for small weeds and it kills seed.

Chemical ..........Chemical herbicides

USE OF GARDEN HERBICIDES:-

*Use STRICTLY in accordance with product labels. Not to do so is not only courting disaster...it is ILLEGAL.

*Ensure SAFETY precautions in use, storage & disposal.

*If used, only use as a sensible part of an overall strategy.

1) Total, long lasting. Usually combined with preventatives. For paths, & areas not used for any cultivation.( Don't use over tree or shrub roots.)

2) Contact / non- persistent

Kills green leaves on contact only, wet foliage.

Vigorous perennials may re grow, but is useful to stop seeding.

Breaks down in the soil, & does not prevent plant growth.

Use under & between shrubs & trees, & spot weed.

3) Translators (Glyphosate)

Kills very effectively from lightly sprayed, growing foliage, back down the plant to the roots.

Takes time (often 3-4 weeks) to work fully. Plants must be left to die down fully, not removed too soon.

4) Selective Weed killers

Kill only specific types of plant, leaving others unharmed even if wetted. e.g. Lawn weed killers kill only broad leaved plants. Another kills only grasses.

5) Pre-emergence herbicides

Applied to cleared soil prevents surface growth and germination.