Gardening - Weeding and Mulch

As your plants grow, you will find weeds here and there. By definition, a weed is any plant that is not wanted where it is growing. A fine rose growing amidst your tomatoes is, in that case, a weed.

What do you do with weeds? Pull them. Yes, there are herbicides, but you really do not wants to use them near your produce. A tiny gust of wind or a slip of the hand and your lettuce is history, so, just yank them out, chop them up, and add them to the compost heap. If they are tough to pull, use a hoe or a small garden shovel. If your plants are just sprouting or newly set  in the beds, be very gentle near them.

But, there is an alternative, mulch. Mulch is darn near anything you want to use, piled over the bare ground between plants. I would recommend that you buy mulch, in bags for small areas, or delivered by the yard for large gardens. Mulch purchased that way is sterile and won't rot and sprout fungus or mold. I mention that because many communities have programs that provide free mulch from wood chips left from county tree trimming programs. Free is nice but this mulch will rot, smell, and very likely sprout all sorts of fungus and mold, some of which are a bit toxic. If you mulch with this, wear a mask; breathing in spores is not a good thing.

There are other mulches. Stone or gravel is good but expensive. I would use it more in ornamental gardens and it is very attractive. Old, shredded newspapers are very effective but, it is unlikely you will have that many newspapers and they really are not attractive.

Applying mulch is simple. just cover the bare spots between plants to a depth of 2 or 3 inches. Note: do not pile the mulch up against the stems, this can lead to rot. If your plants are still small, just add a thin layer and add more as they grow, otherwise a good wind will blow them and bury your plants.

Mulching has 2 other advantages. As it decomposes, it will add organic matter to your soil, just like compost. Also, it will hold water and you will find yourself saving a lot of time and money on water.