June 1st, 2018 by Chris Chapman

Getting rid of weeds is one of the most time-consuming parts of gardening. Weeds can grow anywhere – on your lawn, in your flowerbeds, and even on your patio and other hard surfaces. There are plenty of varieties of weed killer out there, but what’s even better is if you prevent the weeds from growing in the first place! We’ve put together a list of 5 easy ways you can keep weeds out of your garden. Try them for yourself – an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, after all!

1. Keep Everything Healthy

A healthy garden is less likely to see weeds grow Weeds will only grow where they can get air, light, and nutrients. If your garden and lawn are really healthy, they’ll be so strong that the weeds just won’t be able to compete! Weeds will find it much harder to take root if they’re among healthy grass or plants that are absorbing all the nutrients first. When you’re mowing the lawn, make sure to check that your grass is healthy. Be on the lookout for discoloured or yellow patches, and especially look out for sparse or bare patches of grass. Treat your lawn with some iron sulphate to keep it strong and healthy to discourage weeds from growing.

2. Don’t Be Scared of Scarifying

Scarifying stops grass roots from becoming compacted Scarifying your lawn is a great way to discourage weeds. It removes thatch (old, dead grass that can encourage weeds to grow) from your lawn, which can encourage weeds to grow. If you have a decent scarifier, it’ll also put some small holes in your lawn which will improve aeration and ease compaction. Easing compaction in your lawn is always a good idea, so either do it with a scarifier or a garden fork regularly. This will allow your grass roots to grow, and the bigger and healthier your grass roots are, the less space there is for weeds to muscle in!

3. Clear the Path

Simply Spray and Walk Away will help keep your path clean and prevent weeds from growing It’s not just your grass and soil that you need to look out for – any hard surfaces in your garden like paths, paving, and patios can fall victim to weeds! Keeping your path clean and clear will help prevent weeds from taking root beneath it. The easiest way to do this is with some Simply Spray and Walk Away, which will remove green mould and algae from any garden path while also creating a barrier to prevent it from growing back. This barrier helps to restrict the growth of weeds by eliminating the conditions that they thrive in for up to 6 months at a time. All you need to do is spray the solution on, allow it to dry, and within days your garden path (or any other hard surface) will be free of unwanted green growths and weeds!

4. Do Not Disturb

Seeds get blown into your garden all the time, but they won't always activate Weeds are just plants like any other, and like most other plants, they grow from a seed. The seeds will end up in your garden from time to time, either from hitching a ride on an animal or being blown by the wind. These seeds will lay dormant until they’re activated by the heat of the sun. This means you should avoid digging up or disturbing the soil around your flowerbeds if you can help it. Plant seeds in compost placed on top of your soil and allow them to grow down naturally. By doing this, you’ll reduce the risk of digging unwanted seeds closer to the surface, meaning they’re less likely to be activated by sunlight!

5. Landscape fabric

Landscaping fabric can be cut to allow your plants to grow through Weeds can’t grow if they don’t get enough light, air, or water. That’s why covering an area of soil with landscape fabric or good tarpaulin is a great way to prevent weeds. It’ll stop areas of soil from getting any of the things plants need to grow, although you can cut holes in the material to allow your own plants to flourish. Simply lay the material over the area you want to covered and cut around any plants that you want to grow through so they’ve got a hole to peek through. Then all you need to do is cover the landscape fabric with mulch or a similar material to both hide the fabric and to weigh it down. This is a great approach to use if you have a small area of your garden that’s tricky to mow and maintain.