Like most people, I love working in the yard, but hate dealing with weeds. I know that we must accept that no matter what we do, weeds will always be there. You may not be able to rid them completely, but a good layer of mulch can greatly reduce their existence.
Before applying mulch, make sure the area is as weed-free as possible. Use a hoe or shovel to remove large weeds and their roots. Pull the smaller weeds by hand. Be sure to throw the weeds in the trash and not back in the dirt for compost — they’ll just re-root and grow back.
Another way to get rid of weeds is to turn the dirt with a tiller. This will expose the roots of any remaining weeds to sunlight. The roots will dry and the weeds will die. If time allows, do this two or three times several days before mulching. The more times you turn the soil and expose the roots of weeds to sunlight, the less likely they will return. For the few weeds that do come back, try hitting them with a weed killer as a last resort.
In areas that have good drainage, apply two to three inches of compacted mulch. This should be sufficient to block the sunlight to any new weeds that germinate. Without the sunlight the chance they will mature is greatly reduced. In areas with drainage problems, apply one to two inches compacted mulch.
If weeds do pop up through the mulch, simply pull them out. Weed starts are easy to pull from mulch because the root structure does not have a good hold until it reaches the soil under the mulch. Mulch won’t stop all the weeds, but it will reduce the amount of time you are on your knees pulling them.
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