Weeds in the lawn, flower bed or vegetable garden are among the uninvited guests that many gardeners want to get rid of as quickly as possible. But what really helps against dandelion or goutweed and at the same time protects the sensitive ecological balance? With our tips you can get rid of the unloved plants, even without chemicals.

Weeds should be removed along with their roots

Tip 1: Don't let weeds stand for too long

It is important to remove wild herbs as quickly and regularly as possible, even before they set seeds. If the wind is already carrying them away, it is only a matter of time before the seeds will sprout elsewhere.

If you don't have much time, you should walk through the garden every day and remove the flower heads directly. In this way, the newly germinating weeds can be severely decimated.

Tip 2: Weed properly

Depending on the type of wild plant, other destruction methods are recommended. It is best to cut out varieties such as dandelion or thistles deeply, as these have roots that reach far into the earth. If you simply ripped off the greenery, new plants would develop from these within a very short time.

The weeding work of ground elder or couch grass, which have a widely branched root system, is simplified by a shovel. After loosening the soil, carefully pick out even the smallest root residue.

If the earth is soft after rain, weeding freshly germinated wild herbs is easier. They can then simply be pulled out of the ground with the roots.

Tip 3: Mulch

If you want to curb weed growth in the long term, you should use this old technique. Mulching covers the soil with organic matter. Suitable for this:

  • green waste
  • leaves
  • small chopped branches
  • bark mulch
  • straw
  • compost
  • sawdust

Apply the material about three to four centimeters thick. Since most wild herbs germinate in the light, the plants cannot develop under the protective cover. At the same time, mulch (€239.00) provides the soil organisms with valuable food and thus ensures a lasting improvement of the earth.

Tip 4: Plant vigorous ground cover

Ground-covering plants such as bergenia, blue periwinkle or blood cranesbill achieve the same effect as mulch. They spread very quickly and deprive the unwanted plants of the light so that the weed seeds do not sprout.

Tip 5: Boiling water instead of salt and vinegar

Vinegar and salt are still recommended as weed killers. However, you should stay away from these home remedies, because their use for this purpose is prohibited by law.

A tried and tested means of controlling weeds is water that is applied very hot or with high pressure. It destroys the cell structure of the plants and leads to their death. However, you should not use boiling water in the bed, as the neighboring plants will also be damaged.

An alternative are weed burners, which simply burn the weeds. However, the roots are often not reached by the flame, so that dandelions and other plants with a stable root system can sprout again after this treatment. It is recommended to rework with the joint scraper here.

Tip 6: Use weed sensibly

Effective liquid fertilizers and pesticides can be produced from stinging nettles, goutweed and other weeds with little effort. For this purpose, place the mechanically weeded and finely chopped wild herbs, which should not bear any seeds, in a bucket and fill it up with water.

Place the jar in a sunny spot in the garden and stir once a day. A handful of stone dust or valerian flower extract sprinkled on the surface will reduce unpleasant odors. When the liquid manure has turned dark in color, it is ready for use.

What also helps: simply eat the wild herbs

Even if you don't want to plant a vegetable garden: dandelions, groundweed, chickweed and daisies are extremely tasty and rich in vitamins and minerals. It's a shame to just rip them out and throw them in the organic waste. Below are some varieties of edible weeds:

goutweed

It tastes pleasantly spicy and is reminiscent of parsley. For this reason, it was even cultivated on a large scale in the Middle Ages. Young leaves taste good raw in salads or as pesto. The older leaves enrich stews and casseroles.

dandelion

You can enjoy cut out dandelion raw in a salad or, together with weeded nettles, prepare a tasty soup from the wild herbs. The bright yellow flowers are not only a pretty, but also an extremely aromatic decoration for summer salads.

nettle

The nettle is a very valuable medicinal herb and a small nutrient bomb. It contains an active ingredient in the leaves that inhibits the growth of bacteria and more vitamin C than citrus fruits. Nettle leaves can be cooked like spinach or eaten raw in a salad.

tips

Avoid using chemical weed killers if possible. Not only can these undesirably damage ornamental plants and animals in addition to wild herbs, but they only make work marginally easier. Substances such as pelargonic acid destroy the cells of the plants and let them die above ground. The roots, however, remain. So you can't avoid removing the dead greenery from the bed and laboriously digging up the weed roots.

Category:

Herbs