Controlling garden weeds with IPM
Every garden has a weed or two (thousand!). Here’s a basic IPM approach:
1. Set thresholds
Can you live with a few dandelions in the lawn? Does your formal perennial bed need to be pristine, or is there a spot to leave a milkweed (Asclepias spp.) or two for the monarch butterfly caterpillars to munch on? This will help you know whether you need to act right away when you see a weed.
2. Monitor garden weeds
Perennials that return every year from the roots like dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) may be harder to kill than annuals like lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) that live only one year and grow from seed. Get a weed manual to help you identify potential garden invaders.
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3. Prevent weeds
Lush, thick turf will choke out weeds, so fertilize and water to maintain a healthy lawn. Perennials grown close enough together to shade the soil will also discourage weed seeds from sprouting.
In vegetable gardens, try a cover crop, such as winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) — sow it in early fall so it sprouts and suppresses weeds. Turn the wheat under in the spring before planting, and it will add organic matter to the soil. Conversely, “no-till” methods leave the soil undisturbed, with a hard crust that weed seedlings can’t penetrate. Here you only cultivate a small area where you plant seeds.
Barriers, such as landscape fabric or newspaper, shown in the photo above, can keep weeds from growing for a season or more. If these cultural and physical approaches aren’t enough, take it a step further with a chemical pre-emergent herbicide in the spring to prevent seeds from sprouting in perennial beds.
4. Control garden weeds
Pulling weeds takes out the plant, root and all. But hoeing, mowing or cutting a weed off at the ground regularly will take its toll, and a plant will lose vigor and die without foliage to generate energy. What about those low-growing mats of weeds that you just can’t quite get out of the cracks of the driveway or patio? Try a flame torch to burn the foliage.
Goats, geese, sheep and cows are effective weed eliminators but not very selective and may eat every plant in sight. However, a few goats could clear an overgrown property in no time.
Precautions when using chemicals to control weeds
Finally, chemical herbicides can make quick, easy work of a weed problem. But always use them with caution — some are selective and labeled for broad-leafed plants or grasses, while others will kill any plant. Spot-treat weeds with a hand sprayer using an old bucket with the bottom cut out to isolate the target weed so overspray doesn’t damage nearby plants.
Watch the weather, and be extra careful when spreading or spraying herbicides over large areas — you don’t want any to blow, drift or wash off onto “good” plants or into storm drains.
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