The organic way of weed control is by using natural but effective means to get rid of the undesirable weeds. Using herbicides and other man-made chemicals are a no-no. The objective of organic gardening is to lessen the destruction and harm on the environment caused by such chemicals. There are other options available that may just be as effective and environment-friendly as well.

Weed Prevention

The best way to control weeds is through prevention. Weed prevention in organic gardens can be made possible by providing desirable plants the most ideal conditions to flourish. Different factors contribute to the development of weeds in a garden as well as poor conditions for plants to grown in. some of them include improper watering, pest damage as well as plant diseases. Being able to control these factors would help a lot in preventing an organic garden from being infested with weeds.

But in most cases, gardeners may find weeds already growing in their gardens. Sometimes this cannot be helped since weeds can also be spread from one area to another the same way as any other desirable plants. For one, weeds seeds may already exist in garden soil even before they are prepared for planting. Weed seeds can also be spread to other areas by the wind, water as well as by animals and insects. Even other organic matter that gardeners use to enhance the soil may contain weeds.

Organic Means of Weed Control

There are various ways that weeds can be controlled in an organic garden. One of the easiest ways would be through simple handpulling. This might require some manual effort on the part of the gardener depending on the size of the garden. Handpulling weeds on the other hand, offers the most environmentally sound method of weed control for the organic gardener since it only requires some muscle power and persistence.

Another natural means of controlling weeds in your garden is by hoeing them. Most weeds will die if they are cut from the stem just below the soil surface. Using a hoe can effectively cut the weeds. Another way to control the growth of weeds in an organic garden is by using corn gluten meal. Spreading corn gluten meal over a garden area early in the season before doing the planting can help suppress the growth of weeds.

Corn gluten meal is a byproduct of corn processing that usually end up as livestock feed. They are also effective in preventing the germination of seeds. They are effective in weed control when they are applied in garden soil that hasn't shown any signs of weeds sprouting yet. Once weed sprouts are already evident, corn gluten meal ceases to be effective. Also bear in mind that corn gluten meal does not discriminate between the seeds of weeds as well as those of desirable plants. It is suggested that gardeners use corn gluten meal on garden soil prior to planting instead of after since they might also prevent other plants from taking root.