Weeds - management, control and ground clearance

Best organic practice - the first choice

• Recognise the weeds which bring something positive to your garden.

  For example:

  • Clover and other 'weeds' help to keep a lawn green in dry weather.
  • Weed foliage and flowers can provide essential food and shelter for butterflies, moths and other wildlife.
  • And then there is always nettle soup for you and fresh green leaves for guinea pigs, rabbits and other pets.
• Allow some weeds to flourish in odd corners where they are not going to compete with your chosen plants.
• Garden design can limit areas where weeds can become a problem
• Grow ground cover plants, including green manures
• Vegetables - close spacing; vigorous varieties; intercropping; undersowing
• Crop rotation
• Stale seedbed (see box)
• Hand weeding, hoeing, digging out.
• Mulching for clearing weeds and keeping ground clear

  See also:

  • Mulches for weed control factsheet
  • Chemical free plot clearance factsheet
• Mowing and cutting
• Lawns - encourage good grass growth; don't cut grass too short
• Clear perennial weeds thoroughly before planting perennial plants
• Cut problem weeds, such as docks and thistles, to prevent them seeding
• Use livestock, such as pigs, chickens, geese, to clear weeds
• Pressure washing or stiff brush for algae and moss on paths
• Removing plants that shade a path will discourage algae and moss
• Regular use - paths not used regularly are more likely to grow weeds
• Well constructed paths, driveways and other hard landscaping
• Mulches made from recycled plant materials from garden or allotment.

  See also:

  • Bulky organic materials - recycled plant wastes
• Cardboard and newspaper for mulching

Acceptable organic practice

• Loose mulches, commercially available, with an accredited organic symbol, or wording, from an approved organic certification organisation. [FACT SHEET IN preparation now]
• Loose mulches, commercially available, made from recycled plant materials. Products from local sources, and those not packaged are preferable. See the section on Bulky organic materials - recycled plant wastes

Acceptable, but not for regular use

• Biodegradable mulch fabrics made from wool, hemp, paper and other natural materials; also biodegradable, non-GM, starch based materials.
• Bagged biodegradable mulches from non organic sources
• Inert materials such as gravel, slate waste, recycled glass - preferably from recycled and/or local sources. Consider environmental impact, and transport costs.
• Permeable synthetic materials - [polypropylene, polyethylene or other polycarbonates only] for ground clearance, long-term plantings and under paths, driveways etc.
• Impermeable synthetic materials, such as black polythene - for ground clearance only
• Thermal/ flame weeding on gravel, tarmac and other hard landscaping surfaces
• Weed killing sprays containing fatty acids, such as pelargonic acid, as the active ingredient - used on paths, patios and other hard landscaping only

Never acceptable in an organic garden

• All other weed killing sprays
• Any materials from unsustainable sources
• Carpet as a mulch