Deweeding/preventing weeds?
GreenThumbKate
Posts: 2
Ok, so i start my garden in a mini greenhouse with seeds, then move all the plants to my garden boxes once they are big enough. every year I have this very silly issue, I've used several different kinds of soil to start my seeds in, and every year, when plants start to come up, I can't tell my seedlings from the weeds that pop up in my seedling pots!! Is it a weed? Or my pepper plant? Is it a weed? Or my petunias!? Every kind of store bought or not store bought soil I buy, I get weeds. So is there a product or something I can use BEFORE I plant the seeds to deweed it? I feel like the answ is obvious but I'm just being dumb. A family member just gifted me a bigger greenhouse and with it I can grow my plants year around, but I don't want to deal with 'this issue year around! Help!!!!
Posts
I've never found weed seeds to be a problem when using branded composts, but if you can't get hold of good quality commercial stuff, you could always sterilize the compost before use, in the oven or microwave, thus killing any weed seeds before sowing your seeds.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/sterilizing-soil.htm
Buy a hot composter and Make your own Compost in a hot composter.
In 3 months you will turn grass clippings into lovely weed seed free compost.
No weed seeds will survive the composter.
I purchased mine here but there are other brands and suppliers
http://www.hotbincomposting.com
I buy coir bricks from the organic gardening catalogue, and the nutrient granules which they supply to use with them , coir being low in nutrients. One brick makes 9 litres of compost, you can sow a lot of seeds in that.
PS. I also add some seaweed meal to help with water retention.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions and sharing what you do! Looking forward to trying some of these when I plan to my seedlings, thank you again!!
Mulching is an essential factor to keep in mind as you figure out how to keep weeds out of the garden naturally. Mulching is all about covering your garden soil with a layer of organic matter to overpower and inhibit weeds. It’s a technique that also helps prevent new weed seeds from germinating. It is a weed control technique that can be achieved through using wood chips, grass clippings, straw, and compost.
As you mulch, it is advisable to shun hay that can contain harmful weed seeds. Newspapers, ground cloth, old bedsheets and worn-out cotton curtains as well as cardboard can work miracles and prevent weeds from germinating. Mulching is the best way to clear weeds from the garden, but you should always apply mulch early in the season before annual weeds can grow. However, you should not over-mulch.
I don't think many people normally use hay as a mulch anyway....
Then see what happens