Did you spend too much time fight weeds in your Central Florida/Orlando landscape, gardens, or flower beds last year? It can almost make you want to give up. Sure, there are plenty of chemical weed sprays on the market, but who want to pollute our soil and drinking water. Eventually the weeds keep coming back even after you use all those chemicals.
There is an easy solution to controlling weeds!
Armed with a good understanding of weeds, this is the year you can win the battle against weeds and you can enjoy a beautiful landscape and garden.
“Think it’s an overstatement to call it the war against weeds? Here’s what you’re up against. A single redroot pigweed is able to produce up to 30,000 seeds in a season. And those seeds can remain alive in the soil for 70 years waiting to sprout and overrun your perennial border at any time. Controlling weeds is a fight you can’t win entirely because they always grow back. But you can keep weeds under control by depriving new ones of the conditions they need to take root in the first place and then removing those that sprout.” This Old House.
Every inch of soil contains weed seeds, but only those closest to the sunlight (first couple of inches of the soil) are able to germinate. Minimize digging or disturbing the soil, this can bring more weed seeds to the surface.
Landscape mulch deprives weeds of sunlight, while keeping the soil moist and cool. It also hosts insects such as the carabid beetle and crickets, both seek out weed seeds and devour thousands of them.
Mulch needs to be applied about 2 inches thick, any less and light can reach the weed seeds and any more can deprive the soil of oxygen. Organic mulch will need replenishing.
Mulch makes a great soil amendment, adding valuable nutrients to your soil. A good layer of gulch also gives newly planted shrubs, trees, annuals, and vegetables a better chance of survival.
Ensure you purchase your mulch from a reputable source. Many mulches carried by the big box stores are laced with seeds.
Reliable Peat can help you win your battle over weeds and save money by offering 10% off all bulk orders over 6 yards. Our goal is to offer the highest quality products at the best price.
