Eco Friendly Weed Eradication

 'Eco Friendly’ weed eradication

 Do you have weeds springing up in your pots, paths and garden beds? They’re a nuisance, and as the weather warms they’ll be growing quicker than ever.

Clever marketing and our need for a quick fix drives many people to reach for some weed killer. A spray on the offending growth results in an effective kill. However, before you reach for the bottle of Roundup or Zero (Glyphosate) give a little thought to the effects it may have on you and the environment.

It’s the most widely used weed killer in the world with 45,000 tonnes applied in the US in 2010 alone and as it’s used so often in crops, genetically modified Glyphosate- resistant strains of soy and corn have been developed. (Australia grows lots of these too, so choose organic soy products when you can.) We also know that 63 weeds are registered resistant to glyphosate. But what does Glyphosate do to our soils and food?

 Glyphosate is absorbed into our food plants and stored in the fatty tissues in our bodies, crossing the blood-brain and placental barriers. It was responsible for Australian beef being rejected for international sale a few years back, as the cattle were grazing on areas previously sprayed with glyphosate and the chemical was found in the meat. In humans it has the potential to affect fertility, immunity and insulin regulation in the body. It leaks into soil from dying weeds and spray residues, remaining in soils for protracted periods and killing beneficial algaes in soils.  It reduces the ability of plants to take up iron, manganese and other minerals so your plants may fail to thrive and you will miss out on these minerals in your diet if they’re edible plants.

My message is that we don’t need to use glyphosate and other weed killers. While time consuming, there are other things we can be doing to suppress weeds in our gardens, that are a lot healthier for us and the environment.

 Five Ways To Wipe Out Weeds- organically

Let’s take a look at eco friendly options for weed control in your garden: Mother nature ensures empty ground is covered so that earth does not lay bare and succumb to erosion or fertility loss. Many times, the plants that grow first to fill the gaps are opportunists. We call these weeds. Here are some ways I manage weeds in my organic garden.

 One: cover the soil to prevent germination of weeds. A mulch even in vegie gardens is essential. I like cane trash or straw. Lucerne is expensive and often turns fungal in wet weather. 2-5cm depth is all you need between rows of vegies or as soon as your seeds have sprouted. Add it to the top of pots too.

 Two:  I thoroughly recommend growing your own mulch. Green manures and cover crops are excellent, crowding out the weedy species

Three: Check the pH of your soil, especially in turf. A weedy lawn often suggests the acid/alkaline balance is out. Correct the pH and half the battle is won even without weedicides.

Four: Encourage organic life and soil fertility so that plants grow strongly and out-compete weeds. Plant life is dependent upon fertile soils, and fertile soils have beneficial microbes as their basis. Provide moisture, air and food for healthy microbes and plants.

Five: Dig or pull out your weeds. I use my 3-pronged cultivator so I don’t have to bend, but a Dutch hoe is also a good investment. The weeds can dry on the surface if they are seed-free, or be composted.

Happy weeding!