Just what we need to hear as we undertake the annual battle for weed control in our gardens…
Weeds grow more rapidly under elevated atmospheric CO2. Under projections reported in the assessment, weeds migrate northward and are less sensitive to herbicide applications.
Although I really don’t like lawns, a healthy lawn can do a lot to reduce the likelihood of weed overrun. But even better options are having a healthy garden and using plenty of mulch, whether it’s partially decomposed leaves, grass clippings from that small patch of lawn you retained after turning everything else into garden beds, or thickly laid wood chips.
As an added benefit, mulch helps retain soil moisture and encourages organic material to build up. My favourite method of mulching is sheet mulching, which is seen in the picture below. This is an easy method of converting large areas of grass or weeds into a beautiful, productive garden bed. It works by blocking light to the grass, and providing new nutrients to help build the soil. Depending on the time of year you start, this can prepare gardens in a couple of effortless months.
Now of course none of this will stop climate change, but it will possibly help limit the effects in your neck of the woods.
Some links to sheet mulching techniques that get into specifics are Sheet Mulching at Wikipedia and at Agroforestry.net.
If you enjoyed this post, why not try these ones:
- OverWintering Vegetables
- Sterile Front Yards
- Rainwater Harvesting – Its a Good Thing
- Goats on the Front Line of Weed Control
- Food in the Front Yard
