Weeds can quickly become the bane of any gardener's existence. While they will always be there and it is of course impossible to eradicate them entirely from any organic garden, it is possible to keep them down to acceptable levels if you get on top of them now, in early spring, and stay on top of them throughout the growing season. This will take some effort, of course, but a lot less effort than it will take if the situation is allowed to get out of hand. Here are some of the important weeding jobs to do this month:
Maintain Paths and Patios
Clearing paths and patios in the early spring will make your life a lot easier in the months to come. Pull weeds from between the paving slabs as they appear and give some attention to gravel paths as green shoots begin to emerge. Sluice down the surfaces to wash off all the slime and dirt that may have accumulated over the winter and scrape off any moss that has made its way into the surface. Weeds will find a way to sprout in even the smallest patch of dirt on your pathways, so make your own life easier by keeping them clear.
Do Some Casual Weeding
This is the time of year when all your beds and borders will start to spring back to life. It is far easier to do a little casual, relaxed weeding now, while everything is still tiny and there is not too much to deal with than it will be to hoe out larger and more abundant weeds in May. Casually pluck weeds out before you are inundated and you will be able to stay on top of your beds and borders all year.
Rake and Prepare Beds For Seedlings
It is a good idea at this time of year to rake over and add compost to all the beds that you plan to plant up with annual vegetables in the next few months. This will inevitably allow some weed seeds to come to the surface. To make your life easier, disturb the soil now rather than just before planting out as it will be easier to quickly get rid of weeds from an empty bed than it is to weed between your vegetables.
Put Weeds in a Weed Bin and Make A Plant Feed
Do not just chuck your weeds away, use them to make a general purpose plant feed that can be used on plants later in the year. Simply place your weeds in a bucket of water and allow them to decompose and form a tea-like liquid. It will stink but the weeds from most gardens will create a fairly balanced and nutritious plant feed.
Weeds do not need to be too much of a problem, as long as you nip them in the bud now, before things get out of control and you have some triffids on your hands.