There are ways to get rid of weeds somewhat forever, but not all of those methods are practical or desirable. The fact is, that weeds are part of nature, and eventually, nature prevails and the weeds will find someplace to grow. The Paso Robles weed abatement service, Ant’s Tractor Mowing, has some recommendations to help you control weeds in your yard and gardens.
A few of the most popular approaches for attempting to get rid of weeds forever include:
- Hardscaping.
- Using herbicides or pre-emergents.
- Artificial grass.
Hardscaping
Hardscaping is covering the ground with hard surfaces such as concrete, asphalt, gravel, decomposed granite (DG), or decorative slate and bricks.
Paved driveways and walkways provide solid surfaces that can withstand vehicle traffic and are obstacle-free for easy and safe walking. The side benefit is that weeds are successfully stopped for a long time. Eventually, as these surfaces deteriorate, weeds still find their way through the cracks, but repairing the surface usually takes care of them.
Patios, sitting areas, and walkways created with slate, bricks, or other decorative materials are also effective weed deterrents—for a while. These surfaces have open spaces between the materials. The trick to managing weeds in these kinds of spaces is to get rid of the weeds before they go to seed and birth more weeds. So, there is still some maintenance required.
Permeable surfaces such as gravel or DG, even wood chips, are seed magnets, and eventually, the seeds that land there grow into pesty weeds. The probability of weeds pushing through from under these surfaces can be reduced by first installing a weed barrier of some sort, but eventually, that barrier breaks down, and here come the weeds! Herbicides or pre-emergents can be effective if you choose to use them.
The Paso Robles weed abatement service can help when any of these methods don’t deliver satisfactory results for you.
Using herbicides or pre-emergents
Herbicides kill live weeds. Pre-emergents stop seeds from sprouting. Use of either, or both, is a personal choice.
The active ingredient in some of the more popular commercial pre-emergents is corn gluten (not to be confused with corn meal). Corn gluten is an organic product of the corn milling industry and can be purchased in bulk from a variety of suppliers. It works by stopping seeds from sprouting. It is reported to have no adverse effects on the soil, and bedding plants can be planted after application. Most of the application instructions advise applying the product every six months and if applied in the fall, before the California rainy season, it is effective for suppressing weeds for a season.
The use of herbicides is effective, even though using them is controversial. There are “natural” and “organic” herbicides available that don’t contain the salts, such as glyphosate, that some consider objectionable.
Artificial grass
Artificial grass has gained popularity primarily as a way to save water and still have some green in the landscaping. A side-effect of artificial grass is that weeds don’t grow there. Weeds don’t grow in artificial grass because, to install it, all of the topsoil is removed and a new, and sterile surface is created.
Installing artificial grass is a personal choice and will certainly prevent weeds from growing in that area for many years.
Effective temporary measures
There are spaces for which these just-mentioned weed-deterring remedies are not recommended—specifically gardens. Gardens must be fertile spaces that encourage seeds to sprout and plants to grow. Weeds are plants and love gardens!
Mulching with a variety of materials is an effective temporary way to control weeds in gardens, or anywhere else you don’t want them. Mulching is labor intensive and, may be a seasonal effort, but it works.
Mulching materials can be a variety of materials including:
- Cardboard.
- Gravel and rocks, depending on the type of plant.
- Straw (Not hay—hay has seeds!)
- Wood chips when applied according to instructions.
- Plastic sheeting for certain plants.
The best advice for applying mulch and the type of mulch for your garden can be obtained from gardening publications and your local farm bureau.
Preserving the environment
These weed control methods discussed above are recommended for small spaces that are within the CalFire Zone 1 defensible space.
The best way to control weeds and preserve the environment is to work with a professional weed abatement service, such as Paso Robles weed abatement service, Ant’s Tractor Mowing.
Supporting California Central Coast communities since 2004, Ant’s specializes in creating defensible spaces that meet CalFire’s specifications for effective wildfire control. Defensible space is established by creating fire-safe and clear spaces around buildings, trees, shrubs, and more for the purpose of:
- Slowing or stopping the spread of a wildfire
- Giving you and your family time to get to safety if needed
- Giving firefighters a safe and effective area to work in to put out the fire
Ant’s Tractor Mowing is a complete weed abatement service that provides effective weed abatement services for all of the defensible space zones. Services include:
- Weedeater services that are effective for spaces that are too small for a tractor, where there is landscaping or gardens to preserve, or where more detailed weed abatement is needed, such as along fence lines. Other terms for weedeating include weed whacking, string or line trimming, edge trimming or whipper snipping,
- Mowing, accomplished with a tractor and a flail mower is a cost-effective and efficient method for removing and controlling weeds and shrubs on acreage, large lots, pastures, and other open spaces.
- Defensible space is the amount of space, defined in zones, that fire authorities advise is necessary to protect structures, property, and lives in the event of a wildfire.
Reach out today for a free consultation and online estimate.