How Do I Prevent Weeds?

Sometimes it feels like the only thing that will grow in Metro Detroit this time of year are the weeds you don’t want! So how do you prevent weeds from getting started in the first place?

Well, there is of course the option of using chemical products, or even “organic” DIY weed killer solutions. We advise against those for a couple of reasons. The first reason we don’t recommend using a chemical weed killer is that it can be really hard on the soil and all the organisms that live in it. While modern weed killers (herbicides) target specific plants, they still disrupt the natural ecosystem and will affect the health of your soil. The second reason we don’t recommend it is that they just don’t really work all that well. You’ll be spraying (and damaging your soil) again in a couple of weeks.

Weeds are defined as any plant that grows where you don’t want it.

Here are a couple quick tips to prevent weeds without harsh chemicals:

1) Use cardboard and mulch in garden beds and areas without grass. Save all those Amazon boxes and paper bags from the grocery store. They’re great for laying on top of recently weeded dirt, and they’ll break down slowly, feeding that soil underneath. Add a 3-4 inch layer of mulch on top, and any weeds that get through will be really easy to spot and relatively easy to pull.

2) Overseed your lawn. Fill in your lawn with multiple types of grasses to create a rich polyculture that is more resistant to drought and disease. Grasses are really good at growing without a ton of encouragement, so they’ll fight for the root space and nutrients where weeds want to grow in your lawn.

Of course, weeds are inevitable. The fact of the matter is you are never going to fully prevent weeds, no matter what any company selling herbicides tells you. Use a weeding tool like the Garden Weasel cultivator/weeder to pull up thistle and dandelions from your lawn or garden bed. Be sure to get as much of the taproot as possible. For weeds that grow in the cracks of sidewalks or driveway concrete pads, use a special weeding knife to extract weeds or a powered trimmer to cut them down and maintain.

As you might expect, Motor City Mowing can help you with weeding and preventing weeds here in Metro Detroit! Just reach out and let us know how we can help.