When it comes to learning how to get rid of weeds in vegetable gardens NATURALLY, there are a few methods we can follow to try and mimic what we see in nature.
Of all the reasons why you wouldn’t want your vegetable garden covered in weeds, the main one is that it makes your crops and other plants compete for resources such as nutrients, water and sunlight.
This can lead to your crops growing less vigorously, to a point where they can become weak and sickly.
In this article, I’ll explain how you can get rid of weeds in your vegetable garden naturally, as well as explain why you may have weeds growing and the role which they play in nature. As an added bonus, you’ll discover how valuable weeds are as resources to your organic garden.
The Bottom Line (at the Top!)
What’s the bottom line when it comes to having a weed-free vegetable garden?
Well, put simply – your soil needs to be covered at all times, using techniques such as cover cropping and mulching.
This limits the ability of weeds to receive sunlight, meaning they can’t photosynthesize (the conversion of sunlight energy into sugars), meaning they don’t stand a chance of taking over!
How Some People Control Weeds
Some people kill weeds by using common household ingredients, such as white vinegar, salt and boiling water. These might be okay for concrete paths and places where you don’t intend on growing other things.
However these methods may impact the conditions of your soil, so it’s not something I’d recommend doing around your vegetables or plants you care about.
For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on methods which don’t require any of these and instead look at methods observed from nature.
How Nature Controls Weeds
Nature doesn’t pour white vinegar, salt or boiling water when it’s done with a particular plant species (or “weed” as we call them).
Instead, over time the weeds themselves make conditions favourable for the next species in line while making them less favourable for themselves. Ultimately (and literally) digging their own grave!
It’s all part of a very slow process called Ecological Succession (God’s ingenious work if you ask me). Without getting into too much detail, basically when soil has been disturbed, either by humans or nature, certain species adapted to those conditions take hold and eventually make conditions favorable for the next species in line.
So the weeds actually get rid of themselves. Although, it’s worth noting that nature doesn’t see weeds as we do. To some of us, weeds are an inconvenience, but to nature, they are part of the process which builds soil and ecosystems.
Normally though, we don’t have the time nor the patience to wait until the weeds phase themselves out, not to mention it’s a slow process which takes years.
So this is where we can step in and try to mimic what nature does, but speeding up the succession process to our advantage.
The Reason You Have Weeds in Your Garden
Before we explore how to control weeds naturally, I think it’s important we understand a bit about weeds. As the saying goes, “keep your friends close but your enemies closer”.
I say enemies because that’s how a lot of people regard them as. But it’s actually quite the opposite as we’ll soon discover.
Weeds are friends, not foes. “Weeds” are a label we’ve put on plants which are not welcome.
Although they’ve gotten a bad name for themselves over time, they really are nothing more than just “unwanted” plants. They are simply plants which have evolved to perform certain functions in nature.
Some of these functions include de-compacting soil, nitrogen-fixing, calcium harvesting, potassium harvesting, biomass-building, erosion control, etc., etc.
In other words, they perform reparative, conditioning and soil-building functions.
Weeds are the symptom of a problem or particular condition in the soil, rather than the problem themselves.
We see them as the problem because they interfere with other plant species which we choose to grow. Others find weeds to be an aesthetic problem.
So to answer the question… Why do you have weeds in your vegetable garden (or any garden for that matter)?
Simple. It’s because that’s how nature fixes problems with the earth’s soils, eventually turning everything back into a forest.
When you have bare soil in your garden, nature sees this as an opportunity to cover it by growing certain plant species to protect that soil from erosion, fix the state of the soil, add fertility, etc.
This then favours other species which start to take over, and the process continues until the area majors in trees.
Soil is full of weed seeds. Within one square metre (approximately 3.2 feet) there can be thousands of different weed seeds just waiting for the right conditions to germinate. And if you disturb the soil by tilling, for example, you’re inviting weeds to start popping up in that area to start the succession process all over again.
Learning to Read Weeds
Weeds are a tool which you can use to understand the condition of your soil.
We can learn to read what weeds are telling us. By knowing what weeds you have in your garden and understanding the roles those weeds play in nature, you can get a better picture of the conditions of your soil and fix any issues accordingly.
For example, if you have Dandelions growing happily in your garden, it may be an indication that your soil is compacted, as these plants have thick taproots which push through compacted areas. Among other things, it could also mean your soil is lacking in calcium.
If you have Burr medic (a.k.a Burclover or California burclover), it could indicate a lack of nitrogen or fertility, as these guys fix atmospheric nitrogen with the help of a particular type of bacteria which colonise on their roots, increasing the fertility of your soil.
Do you have Bracken fern all over the place? It could be a sign that your soil is deficient in potassium, probably due to past fires.
The point is that weeds have a job to do. They are earth’s natural soil builders and conditioners, and are the first line of pioneers in disturbed soils, making way for the next set of species in the succession.
By taking the time to understand the weeds you have in your garden and the symptoms which they reveal to us, we can learn things such as the nutrients our soil may be lacking (or oversupplied with) and the physical conditions of your soil.
This knowledge can help us determine what and what not to plant in particular locations, and what actions we may need to take to fix the problem.
So, familiarise yourself with the weeds you have in your garden and what roles they are trying to play.
Weeds are a Valuable Resource
Before looking at how we can beat the weeds at their own game, let me explain how valuable a resource they are and how we can use them in our organic garden.
Below are just some of the key ways in which we can use weeds to our advantage:
- They can be used as mulch, feeding the soil over time
- Turned into a powerful fertilizer (check out this article on how to do just that!)
- Feed them to chickens, goats, worms and other animals
- Added to compost piles
Weeds such as Comfrey are considered to be dynamic accumulators, which means they have deep roots which extract minerals from deep within the soil up to their leaves, where they can then be chopped and dropped on the surface to add those minerals to the upper layer of the soil.
Some weeds are also edible and can have medicinal uses. Of course, make sure you do thorough research on the plant you intend to consume beforehand.
All of these ways of using weeds allow us to recycle the nutrients and energy they store within them, helping us close the waste loop, and adding to the overall fertility in our garden.
Controlling weeds naturally
As mentioned earlier, the basic idea when trying to control weeds naturally in a way observed in nature is to not give them a chance to grow.
This is normally achieved by either shading and crowding them out with other species of our choosing, or by mulching. Both methods create a constant ground cover. At times you may also have to pull them out by hand – which you’ll soon learn why.
The basic idea is simple though. Keep your soil covered at all times, regardless of which method is the most appropriate for your situation.
Let’s expand on these a little more.
1. Mulching
Mulching has a number of benefits. However, when it comes to weeds, covering the soil with a thick layer of mulch, such as straw, wood chips, grass clippings or leaves, can help block out the sunlight leaving weeds unable to photosynthesize.
Think of a forest floor covered in leaf litter and other organic matter.
You could also use a landscaping fabric, but ideally, you’d want to get your hands on organic materials such as those mentioned above.
This way, not only would you be covering your soil but you’ll be feeding it at the same time (through the help of worms and micro-organisms). A win-win solution!
If you can’t get your hands on natural resources to use as mulch, you can use cardboard which will also break down over time.
2. Living Ground Cover (Such as a Cover Crop)
Similar to mulching, by maintaining a dense ground cover or “living mulch” you’ll make it harder for weeds to grow. Again the idea is to limit the ability of weeds to receive sunlight and crowd them out by a species of our choosing.
If you have a densely planted, no-dig vegetable garden, you can normally get away without too many weeds. However if the crops and plants you’re growing allow the slightest bit of sunlight through, it gives weeds the chance to germinate and grow.
Another way is to sow a dense cover crop or green manure, which is basically a crop which you sow, let grow, then cut back and drop as mulch in order to build soil and improve soil structure. You would then sow your vegetable crops for example, which would benefit from the nutrients and organic matter added by the cover crop.
This is an excellent way of keeping the ground covered, while at the same time building soil and improving soil fertility.
By selecting a fast-growing leguminous species such as red clover or cowpea, they’ll not only out-compete and smother weeds but also attract bees and other beneficial insects. They’ll also aerate the soil, reduce water runoff, retain moisture and reduce erosion (among other benefits).
Timing is important here as you want to ensure your selected species grow fast enough before the weeds can take over.
The main idea is to win the spatial race with the weeds, by having your soil covered at all times.
There are countless species to choose from when deciding which species to use as a ground cover or living mulch. However, a fast-growing nitrogen-fixer, adapted to your climate, with a good amount of biomass is typically what you’d want.
3. Pull Them Out by Hand
Probably not something you wanted to hear, but the truth is that weeds can be sneaky little things which are determined to grow. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, they will still pop up here and there, which is completely normal.
When you do find a weed after applying the above methods, just pull them out while they’re still young to lessen the threat to your crops, and drop them right where you find them!
This is a great way to return the “stolen” nutrients back to that area of the soil while adding to the overall organic matter without disturbing the soil. You can aslo chop them up just a little to limit the chance of their roots getting back into the soil.
Sometimes you may have species considered “invasive”, such as certain types of Blackberry. In these cases, you’d want to start by physically removing the bulk of them or unleashing your goats on them to take back control.
After that, just follow the same methods listed above to keep the soil covered.
Conclusion
So there you have it. A brief look at how to get rid of weeds in vegetable gardens naturally.
Apart from being a great natural resource, weeds are tools we can use to figure out the general conditions of our soil.
And remember that they are a natural response to disturbed soils. So always limit the amount of disturbance to your soil, and keep it covered!
