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How to reduce weeds and weeding

• Use ground covers & perennials, planted close together, to crowd out weeds in beds.
• Don't leave bare dirt -mulch between plants until groundcovers fill in.
• Plant annuals like Sweet Alyssum between new plants the first year.
• Select plants less prone to prolific seeding.
• Try pre-emergent herbicides in mulched areas.
• Use only aged compost in beds.
• Remove weeds immediately, while still small. Never allow weeds to go to seed.
• Get a good weeding knife and shovel (for woody intruders). Removing the root is always the most efficient method of weed removal.
• Use weed fabric ONLY under gravel and dry-laid paving (it also inhibits your shrubs and groundcovers).
• When starting a new planting bed where weeds are a big problem, solarize the beds before you put new plants into the ground.
• Use herbicides only as a last resort, follow directions carefully, and reapply according to the directions. An occasional squirt with a weed killer can lead to chemically-resistant weeds.