Landscaping and weed control tips

Know your invasive weeds.

If you live near a stream or wetlands, you’ll want to know which weed species need to be removed. There are many great sources to help you identify them. The Nature Conservancy is a great place to start.

Weeding Tips:

Remove them by hand. Be sure to get those roots by digging them out with a spade if necessary.

Solarization:

Cut weeds to the ground and cover with a sheet of thick black plastic. This will increase the temperature beneath and prevent photosynthesis, thus killing those invasive weeds. Put plastic down in the spring and remove in the fall. That should do it.

Mulching:

Cut weeds to the ground in mid-Spring and cover with a thick layer of mulch. To improve your odds of killing the weeds put a layer of newspaper or cardboard down first, then mulch. Remove and plant in the fall.

Replant wetlands areas with native plants.

It helps in so many ways. Native plants require less watering and chemicals and are more resistant to pests and disease. They attract wildlife like birds and butterflies, improve water quality and minimize erosion. What’s not to love?

Maintenance:

The return of invasive weeds is likely. Otherwise they wouldn’t be invasive, would they? Pull new weed sprouts as soon as they appear and be sure to cut and remove weeds before they go to seed in summer or fall. Avoid having open bare soil in your yard. Cover the ground with mulch or plastic until you’re ready to re-plant.