Dealing with Weeds

Dealing with Weeds – Seedlings or Established Plants

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The biggest factor in deciding how to deal with weeds is whether they are small seedlings or established plants. The latter are far harder to control and survive more brutal attacks than seedlings, which succumb to almost any weeding regime. To put it another way, those common weeds of bare, well-cultivated soil may be legion but are all relatively easy to deal with and pose no problem for the diligent gardener. In some ways, seedlings do not need to be identified (except by their habit of springing from seed and their being vulnerable), but it is easier to get rid of them if you can recognize the different types from an early stage. A good idea is to put some garden soil in a tray on the windowsill and watch the seedlings come up. Remove any duplicates, leaving one of each sort to grow on until you can identify what it is. This soon gets your eye in and will simplify weeding out the commonest offenders earlier on.
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Established weeds are a different matter. They are much more difficult to control because their reserves allow them to survive many weeding attempts and to grow through mulches. The worst are the spreaders, which root and run everywhere, such as mints, stinging nettles, and bindweeds. It is essential that you recognize these early on so you can deal with them promptly. Tap-rooted weeds, such as docks and thistles, also recover from light weeding and need several attempts to clear them. These are often a problem in lawns.