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Weed prevention
The old saying of prevention being better than cure is never truer than when you apply it to weeds
Extract taken from Gardening for Dummies by Sue Fisher, Michael MacCaskey and Bill Marken, priced £14.99, published by Wiley.
You can save hours and hours of work by putting down a weed-stopping barrier in the form of a mulch or planting membrane. Your plants will look a whole load better too, as they can concentrate on growing rather than doing battle with weeds.
In the following sections we give you a selection of materials to keep weeds at bay. Some are fairly costly and very effective, while others are cheap or entirely free but are not long lasting. You pays your money and you takes your choice!
Mulches and membranes
Before putting any mulch or membrane around your plants, make sure that the ground is clear of weeds, especially perennial ones, and give the ground a good soaking. Take care not to pile mulch around plant stems because this can cause rot.
Choose mulches and membranes from this list:
Chipped bark. An attractive material that makes a really good contrast to border plants. Apply in a layer at least 5 centimetres (2 inches) thick. Bark can encourage slugs so you may need preventative measures, particularly if you used chipped bark around hostas and lilies, their favourite plants.
Cocoa shell. Similar in appearance to chipped bark, but repels slugs into the bargain. Don't use cocoa shell mulch if you have a dog, because the material is toxic to them and a few dogs find the taste of fresh mulch attractive.
Garden shreddings. You can shred woody prunings to make your own bark mulch. Apply as for chipped bark, but stack for four to six months before use because freshly shredded materials take nitrogen, a vital nutrient, from the soil.
Garden compost or well-rotted manure. Compost of manure suppresses weeds when you apply them in a 10-centimetre (4-inch) layer and rots down to improve the soil and feed plants. However, most compost and manure contains some weed seeds!
Mushroom compost. Mushroom compost is a high-quality horse manure that has been used for growing mushrooms. It often contains lime, so is not suitable for use on lime-hating (ericaceous) plants such as rhododendrons and azaleas.
Planting membrane or landscaping fabric. You cut out the holes for plants through this woven plastic matting. Very effective but looks ugly, so disguise it with a thin layer of chipped bark. Excellent for use on slopes because it helps stop soil washing away.
Black polythene. Although cheaper than planting membrane, polythene doesn't let water through, so you need to water your plants regularly.
Newspaper or cardboard. Lay whole newspapers or sheets of cardboard with the edges overlapping, and keep in places with a thin layer of soil or bark to stop weeds from popping up. Dig up the paper of card into the ground after one season.
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