Tips to Reduce the Need to Weed

Annie Klodd, Extension Educator-Fruit and Vegetable Production, shares these tips on how to have a weed free garden.

For most gardeners, weeding is one of the most arduous tasks in the vegetable garden. Save time, save your back, and save your energy: these 3 tips will reduce the need to weed.

1: Mulch in May once the soil has warmed Thick straw mulch creates a physical barrier to suppress weeds. Mulch creates a powerful physical barrier to weeds. Common mulch choices for vegetable gardens include straw, grass clippings, and chipped leaves. Apply these mulches liberally to create a 2 to 4-inch mat, which suppresses weeds from germinating and growing. Plantbased mulches have the added benefit of adding valuable organic matter back into the soil.

Landscape fabric also works well to suppress weeds. It is most appropriate for transplanted vegetables, since holes can be cut into it to plant seedlings.

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