Weeds are annoying and controlling their growth and spread in your lawns and gardens can be frustrating. But, at Gardening Experts, we believe in using natural or lox-tox alternatives when it comes to weed control for our clients. Keeping our soils free from chemicals is better for us, our families, our food and our planet – so here are our favourite natural alternatives to consider next time you spot those pesky weeds in your garden! Use groundcovers to prevent weed growth If you have empty or unplanted areas of your gardens – weeds are always happy to fill in those spaces for you! Planting groundcovers, such as natives, flowering plants, succulents, or even herbs, is a great way to prevent weeds from growing while creating lush, beautiful gardens.
Some great, fast-growing groundcovers for soils are:
Prostrate grevilleas
Mondo grass
Creeping boobialla
Thyme
Pig Face
Australian Harebell (Isotoma)
Australian violet
Mulch to prevent weeds and create healthier gardens
Mulch is an ideal way to fill gaps if you want to a more spaced-out plating style to feature your favourite plants. Mulching prevents weeds from seeding, as well as preventing them from accessing the sunlight they need to thrive and grow.
You can mulch right over weeds and smother them while preventing new weeds from growing for a fast, easy garden makeover. The best way to do this is by using a layer of cardboard or newspaper over the weeds and gardens, then adding a thick layer of mulch on top (we recommend to use 50 to 100mm). This also creates healthy soils and increases water retention for a more water-wise garden. You will still get a few weeds, but these will be much quicker and easier to remove as their roots can’t grip into mulch like they do in soil (providing that you use a chunky mulch and none of those useless fine black mulch) Use natural weed sprays We don’t recommend using even natural sprays in your gardens, as any product that is acidic or has high amounts of dissolved salts will, in time adversely affect your soil’s microbiology, and any acids, such as vinegar, can burn and damage plants. However, for those annoying weeds that spring up between pavers which are hard to pull out, using a natural alternative is better than chemicals. Just keep in mind that a spray is more often a temporary solution as it’s less likely to kill the roots – so hand-pulling, mulching or using a groundcover or filler between your pavers (such as gravel) are still the best chemical-free, long-term solutions. While weeds are annoying and any garden-proud homeowner wants to have a weed-free landscape, before you resort to covering your lawns and gardens with toxic chemicals, consider if a chemical-free option would be the better solution for the health of your home and gardens. Talk to our team today for advice on natural weed-control solutions for your home.