Ask a Master Gardener: No easy fix for pesky weed problem

Q. Last year we could not keep up with the weeds in our garden. However, we do not want to use any chemicals. Is there another way to clear several square feet of weeds?

A. Weeds compete for the nutrients and moisture WE intended for the desired plants in our gardens. Plants cannot flourish in an environment where they are struggling for food and water. Some plants like walnut trees or tree of heaven control their territory by putting out toxins, inhibiting the growth of other plants. Unfortunately, there is no easy fix. However, you can reduce the need for endless weeding by following some effective gardening practices:

ŸThe best time to attack weeds is when they are young, tender and actively growing. Manually removing weeds, either by hand or with a weeding hoe, is the safest and most selective method available. Hand-pull weeds when the ground is moist — the weeds will pull out much easier. It should be encouraging that every time you pull a weed by the roots (before it goes to seed), you're controlling weeds the best way, as well as pulling minerals from deeper soil to the surface where the shallower-rooted plants can use them.

ŸUse a hoe to eliminate annual weeds since they die when you sever the stems from the roots just below the soil surface.

ŸNever compost weeds with pests, seeds, or diseases. The heat from the compost doesn't always destroy these.

ŸA thick layer of mulch keeps light from reaching weeds. Without adequate light, the plants don't produce enough chlorophyll to enable further growth.

ŸMost of these plants sicken and die before you even notice them. The few plants that do manage to stick their leaves into the light will be shallowly rooted and very easy to pull. Organic mulches — straw, grass clippings, leaves, shredded bark — nourish the soil as they decompose. They are fairly effective weed barriers. For even better weed protection, use several sheets of newspaper. Put several pages thick into a tub of water and then spread on the garden, and cover them with a good thick layer of mulch.

ŸPlace a thin layer of mulch (2-3 inches) around the base of plants, shrubs and trees to help conserve water, manage weeds and enrich the soil.

ŸYou can let the sun help you get rid of persistent weeds, if you're willing to leave the garden go bare for six weeks in the summer. In late spring or early summer by pull out as many weeds as you can from the garden. Then, moisten the soil and cover it with clear plastic, weighting or burying the edges. Leave the plastic in place for six weeks. When you remove the plastic, the sun will have cooked weeds that would otherwise have sprouted.

ŸThe best defense against weeds in the lawn is a healthy lawn. Wait until the grass is about 4.5 inches high before cutting back to 3 inches.

ŸSpread grass seeds on thin patches in the spring or fall. Spread top-dressing on your lawn before seeding and after aeration to improve soil and reduce weeds.

ŸWhen soil becomes clogged or compacted from ordinary use, break up the soil by raking and leaving the remaining pieces of soil on the surface.

ŸYou can suppress the growth of weed seeds early in the season by spreading corn gluten meal over the area where they're growing. Corn gluten meal, a by-product of corn processing that's often used to feed livestock, inhibits the germination of seeds. However, once the weeds have gone beyond the sprout stage, corn gluten will not affect them. Also, corn gluten doesn't discriminate between seeds you want to sprout and those you don't want, so avoid using corn gluten meal where you have sown the seeds that you want to grow.

Detailed information on corn gluten and other organic week control methods can be found on the ATTRA (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service) website under Weed Control.

Doing these things consistently for a few seasons will expel the invaders for good … unless new weed seeds blow in. Persistence is your most important long-range weapon against weeds.

Ÿ Provided by Mary Boldan, Mary Moisand and Donna Siemro, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners. Send questions to Ask a Master Gardener, c/o Friendship Park Conservatory, 395 W. Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016, (847) 298-3502 or via e-mail to cookcountymg.com@gmail.com.