With every new awakening after winter comes the weeds, and if you neglect to kill them off they will keep on multiplying, multiplying, multiplying…
Regard the chore of weeding your garden not as punishment, but as regular ‘me-time’ in the garden. Arm yourself with a sunhat, sunscreen and a few handy weeding tools like a sharp hoe and a daisy grubber to tackle the job effectively, with the following tips in mind:
1 Do not dig!
Ridding beds of weeds by regularly digging over the soil with a fork and then raking it vigorously might be a quick-fix and keep things neat for a week or two, but this is one of the worst things you can do in the long term.
By turning over the soil you are encouraging more weeds to germinate, as dormant weed seeds are brought to the surface and will germinate with pleasure when exposed to air, sun and water.
You are losing moisture by turning the soil and will thus have to irrigate more.
You are damaging shrubs that have shallow root systems close to the surface, such as tea bushes and fynbos.
You are damaging the soil’s structure and killing off many good soil organisms by exposing them to the sun.
2 Deprive weeds of light with good stuff
Using commercial mulches such as wood chips, pebbles, bark nuggets, peach pips or material like leaf mould, shredded prunings, compost, straw and even pine needles as a layer around existing plants goes a long way to curb pesky weeds. Just remember that they must be replaced regularly. Should small weeds appear from time to time, which cannot be helped as they are dispersed by wind or bird droppings, they can be easily plucked out with the help of a sharp weeding tool like a daisy grubber.
You can even go as far as laying cardboard or newspapers over the soil between young plants in newly planted up beds. Simply cover them up with thin layers of decorative mulch.
The result of all the above measures will be moist, cool and crumbly soil that will be easy to cultivate.
3 Use landscaping fabric
Bu hikaye The Gardener dergisinin October 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Gardener dergisinin October 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
FIRE AND Feathers!
On a dreary winter's day, a screen of fiery and feathery leaves puts up a fight against dullness!
GET THE ladies in!
At this time of year, early-flowering shrubs vie with each other to get the most attention. We say: Trust those with female names for frills and butterflies. They go the extra mile to flower their hearts out.
Vegetable Soups and dumplings
Vegetables make the most delicious soups and classic combinations are always a winner.
Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health
Boiled, baked or braaied, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a delicious and healthy winter comfort food. Just a dollop of butter, a little seasoning and you are good to go.
Pretty and functional
If cooking is your main thing, you would probably be more interested in the culinary value of the three herbs and some of their varieties we are describing.
Dried Seedheads & Pods
Autumn and winter are the best times to see what flowers produce the best seedheads that can be left on the plants to feed the birds and bugs and for harvesting for dried arrangements.
SO MANY FACES and so many choices...
Whoever associated a Cotyledon orbiculata (pig's ear) with the ear of a pig obviously did not know about all the varieties and cultivars this species in the genus Cotyledon has.
COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!
If it comes to a vote, these dependable shrubs will be the top candidates for prime performance in winter and in other seasons...
What makes a garden sustainable?
It is interesting to note that the United Nations defines sustainable development as: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation
Nestled within Prince Albert's rustic embrace lies a gem that is a testament to the transformative power of human vision and nature's bounty.