Spring is HERE! Time to Get a Head Start on Your Weeding!

Can you believe that winter is finally over and spring is now upon us? It’s such an exciting time of year, full of new beginnings and beautiful gardens. The only drawback to this, of course, is the dreaded weeding. Unfortunately, there is no way around it.

That said, spring is the ideal time to get a head start on pesky weeds, which will in turn, enable you to have healthier gardens for the rest of the year. Not to mention, getting a good handle on the weeding process will help prevent them from multiplying out of control. Like they say, it’s better to be proactive, than reactive.

Annual weeds start germinating in late March, which is the same time that perennial weeds start showing up. Keeping your garden free of weeds can feel like a tiring, endless ordeal, however, there are some tips that can help make this process as painless as possible.

Spring Weeding Tips:

• It is easier to weed by hand when the soil is still moist from the winter.
• Wear gloves to protect your hands from getting prickles and grass stains. You may also be allergic to certain species of plants, so you don’t want to end up with a bad or irritating skin condition.
• Buy special weeding tools at your local gardening or hardware store.
• Use a circle hoe to sever green tops from their roots.

• Try your best to disturb the soil as minimally as possible. This is because if you are turning over a lot of soil, the more dormant seeds are then brought close to the surface and will begin to germinate.
• Be sure to get all of the roots out when weeding or they will likely just produce a new plant in short order.
• After you have eradicated the weeds as best as possible, you will want to apply a nutrient-rich mulch in the form of manure, shredded wood, or aged compost. When you have natural mulch, moisture is conserved, and earthworms love to breed in it. This is great for your soil.

Be sure to make weeding part of your weekly routine to prevent your garden from getting overgrown. In addition to creating more work for you, too many weeds would also have the potential to attract pests and disease.

Need help with your gardening in the Coquitlam area? Give us a call at ATC Landscape today: 604-720-2853.

Proudly serving the Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody), Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge since 2001.