Garden Basics: Control Weeds & Save Your Sanity

This post is Part Three of my Garden Basics series.

Part One: Test Your Soil pH

Part Two: The Four Commandments of Watering

Of all the challenges that gardening presents, weeds are the most difficult to deal with for me personally. Weeds tend to give me a mental meltdown. Particularly in the summertime when hot weather seems to make them grow twelve inches overnight!

Last year, weeds were what made me give up hope on my garden fairly early in the season. I was gone for a week in June and when I came back they had grown so much that I felt overwhelmed. I just plum gave up. Since my main garden is in our front yard, all last summer I'd sit on the couch from the comfort of the air conditioning and glumly look at the giant "garden" of weeds that had all grown waist-high.

I am not joking about those weeds, y'all. There is not one thing besides weeds in this picture.

This year I think I've finally arrived at a healthy understanding of weeds. I no longer see them as my enemy and I work my very hardest to not just look at my weedy garden, throw up my hands, and give up altogether. I've come to terms with the fact that every garden has weeds in it, mine especially. I tackle a little bit at a time with my trusty hoe and try to follow these guidelines and use these weeding techniques a little more with each season.

1. Hoeing 

A good hoe is your best defense against the growth of weeds. Weeding by hand is fine if your garden is 1x1', but with anything larger than that a good hoe will save your back and your hands a whole lot of achiness. I own three different hoes, all of which are great for different kinds of weed elimination. The first two large hoes can be found at your local hardware store for around $20. There are a lot of different shapes and sizes of hoes; find the one that works best for you!

*Amazon affiliate links included

Standard garden hoe. This is my all-time favorite hoe, my very favorite garden tool that I could not do without. It is a great workhorse from getting out everything from baby weeds to weeds with big established roots that are tough to dig out. 

"Triangle" hoe. I have no idea the technical name for this hoe, but it sure is shaped like a triangle so that's what I call it. This guy is great for delicate maneuvering in tight spaces between or next to plants.

Japanese-style hand hoe. I got one of these for my birthday this year and wow, I hadn't known what I was missing before! This hoe is fabulous for using in very tight spaces next to plants. It does require getting down on hands and knees to use but is totally worth it.

2. Mulching

Mulching is a great suppression method for weeds. There are so many forms of mulch available, both natural and manufactured: straw, cardboard, wood chips, plastic, cloth. Using natural mulches is my favorite (we use wood chips, cardboard, and sometimes straw in our garden) for many reasons. I'll devote a separate blog post to mulch tomorrow; there's a lot to say about it!

3. Prevention and Prioritization

Catching weeds early on is key. The longer they have to grow, the tougher they are to get out. It takes 5 minutes to hoe a 50' row that has baby weed seedlings (using a hoe is really that quick when the weeds are small!), but if those baby weeds are left to grow for a couple weeks it will take hours to uproot all the adult weed plants that have firmly established themselves. 

Instead of having the near-impossible goal of always having every weed pulled up all the time, it helps to mentally prioritize what areas are most in need of weeding attention. One part of this is knowing which plants are most harmed by heavy weed growth. Onion plants (and anything in the Allium onion family, like garlic and leeks) are particularly vulnerable to weed pressure, as are other crops like carrots and corn. Squashes, melons, and beans are a little more tolerant of some weed competition around them.

The age of your plants is also important in relation to weed competition. Young plants are less able to withstand weed pressure than mature plants are. Mature plants are able to shade out weeds a bit and have root systems that can compete with the weeds for nutrients and moisture. Young plants are more vulnerable in every way, so keeping their area clear of weeds is most important until they get larger and more well-established.

It is also important, that if weeds do get out of control, you make sure to chop them down before they go to seed and create millions of new weed seeds to disperse into your garden soil like a plague.


4. Be at peace with the weeds.

This seems simple, but it has been so key to my mental well-being when it comes to my garden. Weeds are a natural part of the ecosystem and while they are not something that's beneficial in your garden, they should be seen as just another part of the garden experience. Come to terms with weeds and your gardening time will be much more peaceful.  

A word on tilling:

Tillers are great garden tools and ones that I'd rather not do without (we actually don't own a tiller, but either borrow one or this year we paid a guy to till up all our garden areas with a tractor).  Tilling is, in general, necessary for creating a new garden area. It may also be very helpful when preparing your garden in the spring, or if you have a cover crop that needs to be incorporated into the soil. 

While tillers can be a great tool in the garden, using them should be considered a necessary evil and not a beneficial or routine method of weed control. The fast chopping action of rototillers destroys soil structure, which leads to issues such as soil compaction and poor drainage (which will lead to your plants suffocating and drowning).  

In addition to ruining soil structure, tilling can actually cause more weed problems than it controls, because the churning action brings dormant weed seeds to the soil surface where they can germinate and cause you more headaches.

This is not to say that tillers should never be used, but only that they should be used with proper caution and understanding of their negative impact on soil. Any work you can do in the garden by hand (hoeing, hand weeding), without use of machinery, is going to be most beneficial for your plants and your soil. And even for yourself - there's just something special about sweating for your food that makes it worth it. 

Garden Basics, Part Two: The Four Commandments of Watering

I've got the This American Life app on my phone and have been going through all the old episodes. I recently listened to one featuring this amazing essay, which had me rolling on the floor in laughter. In light of that essay, today I will pass down to you the Four Commandments of Watering. Proper watering is key to your garden's success and your plants happiness. Following these commandments will ensure that your garden will be fruitful and multiply, bringing peace and prosperity.

Water Deeply & Less Frequently

Often we get so excited about our new plants that we love them too much. I used to think it was best to water my beloved plants daily. Turns out, I was completely misguided in my attempt at loving care.

Plant diseases thrive in moist conditions. If you water your plants every day and don't give them a chance to dry out thoroughly, they will be more susceptible to various bacterial and fungal diseases.

Watering deeply and only occasionally also makes your plants stronger. If you water shallowly on a daily basis, the plant will become lazy and will never extend its roots beyond the surface, where it's getting most of its water. Deep infrequent watering will help "train" the plant to set its roots deep, where it can collect more nutrients from the soil. With deep roots your plants will be able to withstand the harsh summer conditions much better.

Frequency of watering will depend some on the seasons. In the spring and fall, when it is generally cooler, watering once a week should be fine. When it gets hot in the summer and rain is less frequent, three to four times a week will likely be plenty.

I usually keep an eye on the weather. If we get a good soaking rain, I won't water that week. The only things I've watered so far this season are my leek and tomato transplants that needed to be watered well the first few days out in the garden.

Transplants are babies that have spent their young lives indoors in a cozy greenhouse or inside a home. They are vulnerable when they are first planted outside. When transplanting seedlings, you will want to water them very well the first day you plant them. Water them every other day after that for about a week, while they're first getting established. They're babies, so it's okay to baby them a bit. :)

Water at the Right Time

Morning is the best time of day to water your plants. Watering in the heat of the day will lead to evaporation, less water penetration into the soil, and your plant leaves can get burned by sunlight hitting the water droplets. Occasional early evening watering is okay, but not ideal. Letting plants sit overnight in soil that is too damp is again a perfect breeding ground for disease and fungus to attack your plants.

Go Lead-Free

It wasn't until recently that I realized most standard garden hoses contain lead in them. Now, this is okay if you're watering ornamental plants or flowers, but you of course would rather not be spreading lead into your vegetable garden.

The best way to achieve deep watering is to get some good soaker hoses. There are several available that are lead-free, like these options. Your local hardware store should have something like this as well.

1. 50 foot soaker hose, made with recycled rubber
2. 75 foot soaker hose, 7 year guarantee

 I haven't yet gotten any for our garden, but a good soaker hose is at the top of my farming wish list. If you get some, I'd recommend leaving them on for two to three hours at a time.

It's especially good to use soaker hoses if you're growing tomatoes. Tomatoes are especially vulnerable to disease and the main way that disease is transferred to the plant is through splash-up from the soil during watering with a hose. Having a soaker hose can reduce splash-up and disease spread. Adding some sort of mulch around tomatoes (straw, wood chips, etc.) is an extra step of protection.




Now, go forth and water your plants properly, that it might go well with you and your descendants.

Garden Basics: Part 1

It seems like every week I hear that another friend is starting a garden, which makes my little farming heart so happy! I think gardens are just the best for enjoying delicious, fresh food and having hard work pay off in full. A lot of folks get overwhelmed when starting out their veggie gardens and I can understand that completely -- at the beginning I hardly knew where to start.

There's so much information out there, but you don't need to know everything up front. I'm a huge proponent of diving in headfirst when it comes to gardening. It truly helps to have the mindset that every year is a learning year. You'll never have a perfect garden where everything will grow just the way you want it to. To me, that's part of the excitement of gardening -- you're constantly learning and you have the privilege of growing with your garden.

With everyone getting in gear for their summer gardens, I thought I'd throw out a few basics of gardening. These are the essentials you need to know for your beginning years. Beyond that, don't stress too much about acquiring knowledge, just enjoy the journey and dig your hands down in that dirt.

Step #1: Get your soil pH tested

When beginning your garden it is essential to know what you're dealing with when it comes to your soil.  This is a step that many people skip, but it can potentially be the #1 reason your garden may fail. Soils range from 3-11, with 3 being the most acidic and 11 being the most alkaline. Most vegetable plants like neutral soil (in the 6.5-7 range), but there's a pretty wide variety of pH preferences. Blueberries love highly acidic soil, so do hydrangeas and azaleas. Some plants are more tolerant of pH levels, but with others there are multiple issues that can arise. Having the right level for your plants will help them thrive.

The best way to get your soil tested is to send a sample to your local extension service. They will test not only the pH level but also mineral and nutrient levels, like phosphorous and potassium. You can let them know a few of the vegetables that you will be growing and they'll offer recommendations for any amendments needed to help your plants grow best.

 If you've got a small garden spot, you'll only need one sample. If you've got a bit more space and different locations that you'll be using for plants (i.e. front and back yards), go ahead and get those separate areas tested.

Once you get your soil test back, it's easy to amend any variations in pH. Agricultural lime will help make your soil less acidic and more alkaline. Ammonium or iron sulfate can acidify your soil if that's what your garden needs. Both of these are available at most garden centers. The extension soil test will let you know how much will need to be applied to get the desired pH.

In our garden this year, our soil test showed that the pH level in our garden is around 5.5, which is fairly acidic. We applied lime to our main garden, where most of the alkaline-preferring veggies will be, and a bit of ammonium sulfate to the area where we planted blueberries and potatoes, both of which like acidic soils.

If you are adding any sort of amendments to your soil (lime, compost, manure, etc.) it's a good idea to get it tested yearly to see what changes have happened over the course of the growing season.

If you live in Alabama you can send your soil sample to Auburn University.
If you live in Tennessee, here's the info you need for getting your soil tested.

If you live in other states, simply search for "soil test" + "your state name" + "extension service" and you should find the information you need.

You can also test your soil pH at home with one of these, though you'll get a lot more bang for your buck with the extension service testing that provides additional analysis.