Having weeds sprout up in your gardens will certainly be problematic. This is something that gardeners have been dealing with since the old days and you’re always going to be battling weeds.
Many gardeners choose to put mulch in their garden areas as a way to prevent weeds from sprouting. This can actually work very effectively and it even helps to improve the overall look of your yard.
The only problem is that sometimes you will notice that weeds will start growing in your mulch. If you are seeing weeds sprout up through your mulch, then you’re going to need to take action to turn things around.
Read on to learn about how you can stop weeds from growing in mulch. You’ll figure out how to handle this problem efficiently so that you can get back to enjoying your gardens.
Ensure That You Remove Weeds Completely
Before moving any further, it’s going to be wise to try to remove the weeds that are in your garden area completely. If you just place mulch over the top of your weeds without putting any effort into things, then you’re not going to get the best results.
Mulch can make weeds less prevalent and make it hard for weeds to sprout. However, weeds are very resilient and some will come up through your mulch if you don’t handle things right.
The best thing to do is to go ahead and remove those weeds completely. You need to take a trowel and start pulling up the weeds by the roots. This might be a bit time-consuming but the results will be worth it once you see how things look later on.
Don’t rush it; try to be as thorough as you can when removing the weeds. Remember that if you fail to get the weeds by the roots when you’re removing them, things won’t go as well.
It might seem as if it is a real pain to have to take your mulch up just to remove weeds. This is why it’s best to do this before you ever lay mulch down so that you don’t have to take extra steps.
In the future, remember to thoroughly remove weeds before you take the time to lay mulch down in your garden areas. If you approach things wisely, then you’ll save yourself a ton of work.
Make Use of a Weed Barrier Underneath Your Mulch
Now you get to figure out the best trick for keeping weeds from sprouting up through your mulch. You want to install what is known as a weed barrier on your soil before you lay down your mulch.
Many gardening stores will sell weed barriers and you can also easily order them online. This is typically a type of plastic material that will prevent weeds from being able to grow and it isn’t that expensive at all.
You might be worried about your plants and whether this barrier will negatively impact them. It’s easy to take steps to allow your plants to grow through this barrier.
You just need to cut “X” shapes in the barrier that will allow your plants to grow through everything. Strategically cut these “X” shapes into the barrier so that all of your plants will be able to poke through the holes.
Many gardeners also cut these “X” holes in their weed barriers for plants that they have just planted from seeds. You could cut “X” shapes where the new plants are supposed to go and everything should be fine. It’s easy to do and it generally isn’t going to add much time to this little project.
Once you’re done, you’ll be able to lay your mulch down as usual and you won’t have to worry about weeds so much moving forward.
When you’re shopping for weed barriers, it’s going to be wise to look around for a good deal. You can find weed barriers that are very cost-effective if you take the time to peruse.
It’s also important to note that some weed barriers work better than others. For example, clear weed barriers might not work as well as black ones.
You might be interested in clear weed barriers because it’d make it easier to see how your soil is doing underneath but it isn’t a good idea. Clear weed barriers allow sunlight to get through and this can wind up promoting weed growth.
You’re going to have more problems with weeds if you use clear weed barriers and a better experience if you use the black ones. Even so, using a clear weed barrier would be much better than not using a weed barrier at all.
Making Your Own Environmentally Friendly Weed Barrier
Of course, many people dislike using these weed barriers because they aren’t all that environmentally friendly. If you’re one of the millions of people who are opposed to using plastic items, then you can use an environmentally conscious weed barrier instead.
Take some old newspapers and use those to create a new weed barrier. This will allow you to keep weeds from coming up through your mulch and the newspapers are biodegradable.
It’s nice to know that you can still make use of a weed barrier without having to compromise your environmental stance. Overall, the newspaper method works very well and stacks up nicely against the commercial weed barriers.
Your homemade weed barrier might not last as long as a commercial product, though. You’ll likely need to replace your weed barrier each season but most people change their mulch out semi-regularly as well.
Final Thoughts
Be mindful of what you’re doing to take care of your garden area. If you do your best to take care of things now, then you’ll be able to enjoy a much more pleasant garden.
Making a weed barrier yourself or buying a commercial weed barrier isn’t a difficult task. The toughest part of doing this is likely going to be taking the time to remove all of the weeds from your gardens fully.
This little how-to article should make your life a little bit easier if you use the information properly. You won’t have to worry so much about weeds coming up through your mulch any longer.
It isn’t possible to keep weeds from growing indefinitely but you can keep them at bay for long periods of time. Just use your weed barrier before placing your mulch and you’ll be in a good position.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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