Weeding is part of the drill, but when you’re in crutches with one bendable knee, it gets tricky and tiresome. I didn’t quite have the time to finish mulching before surgery so after a few days of rain, up went the weeds and the problem I face each time my parents try and help with the garden. Not only do the weeds get ripped out, but so do some of my recent installations.
Now, I prefer to hand weed. I like the control of ripping out an unwanted plant and getting every bit of root hair extracted so it NEVER comes back. It’s tedious, but highly effective in a densely planted bed followed by a 2-3″ layer of woodchip mulch. However, the ‘rents insist that they just use some sorta weed killer they can buy. I prefer to stay away from chemicals as they can do more damage than good, but when you’ve got more than you can handle especially when you’re in a physical condition similar to mine, it might prove to be handy.
As tempting as it is to whip out the ready-to-use bottle of Round-Up, I still refuse to use it for my garden and the small weeds that could easily be pulled by hand or with a trowel.
My reasons? Well, I’ve tried to set an example for those around me who insist on a quick, supposedly more effective and convenient solution for simple garden maintenance.
“What’s wrong with quick, effective and convenient?!” someone yelled at me once. (I think my dad)
1) It’s expensive.
2) It’s hazardous to animals, wildlife, and my nieces and nephews who occassionally visit.
3) It’s setting an example that it’s perfectly safe to use it in large amounts.
4) It’s more work in the long run as weeds will continue to pop up whereever there’s a substrate for them to germinate and establish.
People will have different views on this, but I feel like people should consider the scale of which these synthetic sprays are applied. I can understand that if you have a large landscape like a park er abandoned lot that’s overgrown with invasives, these sprays are the way to go. But I would like to encourage front/back yard gardeners use less abrasive methods to control weeds in their landscapes.
Weeding, as tough as it is right now, helps to evaluate a garden in progress. You can clearly see how recently installed plants are developing, determine the texture of your soil and how well it’s holding water at this time of year, and it gets you down and dirty!!!
Yeah baby, that’s what gardening’s all about!