Holding Back the Weeds
By: landscape contractor Roger Cook, This Old House magazine
Q: I planted a vegetable garden on a plot that was fully covered with grass,
and I'm having a hard time keeping the weeds and grass from overgrowing the plants. Is there a product to control garden weeds?
– Bethany, Blue Ridge, Georgia
A: Roger Cook replies: One thing you can do is block sunlight from getting to the weeds. This can be accomplished using plastic, newspaper, or weed barrier. Plastic and newspaper do not allow water to pass through, so they are not going to help the garden grow. Weed barrier will let water pass through however. My suggestion is to purchase weed barrier in a size that is economical for your area. Cover the entire area, anchoring the barrier with brick or wire clips available where you buy the product. Now you can cover the weed with mulch, such as wood chips or grass clippings from a non-chemically treated lawn. When you go to plant you can cut a small hole in the weed barrier and put in your plant. If the garden is already planted, roll out the weed barrier carefully between the plants and mulch. You may get a few weeds growing in the mulch but it will be
minimal compared to the problems you have now.
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