Foolproof ways to Win the weed war

While some of them may look pretty, weeds will rob your garden plants of the moisture and nutrients they need to survive. It’s time to send them packing, says Paul Williams

- Paul Williams

Perennial weeds can be tricky to get rid of through digging alone. The likes of bindweed are deeprooted, so any root you miss will simply sprout again

WE all know the saying: a weed is simply a plant in the wrong place. But for most of us, ‘the wrong place’ is our borders or pots, or cracks in the paving slabs – in fact, pretty much anywhere in the garden where they are detrimental to the wellbeing and aesthetic appeal of the plants that we have spent weeks, months or even (in some cases) years nurturing.

Of course, we’re all different; one man’s nuisance is another’s delight. Take Spanish bluebells, for example. Undeniably pretty, but they spread like crazy and are responsible for ousting our native bluebell. Likewise, tansy in the herb garden is inexorably invasive, despite its lovely, feathery, rich green foliage.

Taking a ‘live and let live’ attitude is all very well, but many weeds are not content to simply coexist with garden plants – they spread vigorously, self-seed prolifically and generally gobble up all the nutrients and available water. If you want to grow healthy plants and if the overall beauty or productivity of your garden are important to you, then weeds are definitely bad news.

Know your enemy