Focus on... Weed control

If you need to prevent the chaos and destruction of weeds in the most organic way, fear not. Lucy reveals the kindest controls for maintaining order on the plot

- Lucy Chamberlain

THEY steal root space, light, water and nutrients from your fruit and vegetables, and they can harbour pests, diseases and viruses, so it’s no wonder they’re constantly waging a war on weeds! But more of us want to ditch chemicals in favour of environmentally sound control methods. So how do we get results? First, get to know your enemy – there are two main types of weed: those that attack from above ground, and those that strike from beneath the earth.

Annual weeds 

Annual weeds thrive due to the ability to produce masses of seeds and their short life cycles. One fat-hen plant can yield 60,000 seeds, and these can remain dormant in the soil for 20 years. Annual weeds are often termed ‘ephemeral’, meaning they can complete more than one life cycle (germinate, grow, set seed and die) in a year. Good examples of these ‘live fast, die young’ plants include hairy bittercress and chickweed.

Explosive (oxalis) or feathery (sow thistle) seed capsules that help disperse seeds over a wide area are key traits, as is the ability to germinate quickly in cooler soils. Common annual weeds are chickweed, fat hen, groundsel, prickly sow thistle, hairy bittercress, shepherd’s purse, annual meadowgrass, annual nettle, opium poppy and yellow oxalis.

Perennial weeds