How to keep weeds out of the garden

Weeds are a menace to any gardener, but they are certainly controllable.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Newspaper
• Pinestraw, leaves, mulch or other such natural debris.
• Top soil or potting soil.
• Patience...

1. Firstly, await the arrival of your new plants if you have not bought them already ready for planting. This is with any plants that you have in your vegetable garden, flowerbed or other such gardening delights.

2. Between each plant and around them, place your newspaper, careful not to get it too close. The newspaper will act as a barrier that weeds cannot penetrate.

3. Add your leaves, grass trimmings, pinestraw or whatever you have decided to use over the newspaper. This will act as your soil's water holder, so to speak. The top soil or potting soil can be added over this. Wet thoroughly and leave for a day or so, or until you think it needs watering again.

Tips & Warnings

• If you use this method in a vegetable garden that you will till down once the harvest is final and complete, keep adding leaves, grass trimmings, pinestraw and other things so it becomes a compost pile, so to speak.
• With the next planting season, the newspaper will have decomposed and can be tilled into the soil, making it rich and ready for your next gardening effort.
• Remember to water your garden every other day or so. This will keep your garden's moisture level at an appropriate level so that you don't have to constantly water it. Saves time and weeding, as well as water.
• Do not cover plants with any of the materials.
• After harvesting, keep aforesaid debris on newspaper and keep moistened for decomposing status.

[Broom]

on 9/25/2008 vikki9,
As mentioned in the post to sunnflr, it is a Green idea, for not only does it work as natural barrier, but the newspapers will eventually rot into the earth leaving it as fertil as possible.
Of course, in sunnflr's situation, the pinestraw will continue its job since by the time the newspapers deterorate(msp) the weeds will be long gone.

[Broom]

on 9/25/2008 sunnflr,
Did you place newspapers beneath the pinestraw? This will prevent the weeds from spouting and is environmentally safe, as it works as a barrier to some extent.

[sunnflr]

on 8/5/2008 Wonder if this would work to keep the weeds from growing under our front porch. My husband bought some pine straw and it's helping, but a few weeds are still sprouting up.

[vikki9]

on 7/27/2008 This sounds like a Green idea! Thank you.