Will pulling weeds during the fall help there to be less in spring?
by
Jmschneider
+3
I was really busy this summer and unable to find time to pull weeds. Fall is a little less hectic but am I just wasting my time or will it actually make a differnce in the spring? We live in Michigan so we wont even notice any weeds thru the snowy winter
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yes, because sometimes the fall weeds have seed heads which will fall into your fall soil , and then they will bloom in the spring
If the plants have already dropped their seeds then leave them to mulch over the winter, and provide shelter for any birds, insects etc. Otherwise carefully remove seedheads (unless there are birds that could enjoy the seeds) .. but for weed ccontrol purposes .. removing seedheads will help a lot.
Weeds are a part of life and you will never be totally rid of them unless you cement everything over or hire a gardener to come every day.
I walk around both morning and evening with a kettle of hot water and to pluck weeds as they appear. That way I do not have to devote hours and hours every weekend pulling weeds.
Read this, you will be enlightened . . .
http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/How_do_Weeds_Spread
It'll help if you get them out before they set seed, or if they're perennial weeds and you get ALL of the roots. But if they're perennial and have already set seed and the seeds have fallen to the ground, you're going to have a dreadful spring. You really need to take ten minutes a day during the summer to pull weeds, or at least grab off the flowering tops before seed sets. If you have dandelions, you should know that the flowers by themselves--no leaves, no stems--make an absolutely wonderful tea. It's even sweetened! If you drink the flowers obviously they won't set seed.
Hello. Pulling the weeds that are perennial ones will help. Other annuals weeds have already seeded out, and will sprout next year.
Before pulling the weeds, try pouring boiling water over the weeds before pulling the weeds or pull immediately following a good rain. Be sure to bag the weeds, don't put in compost. My recommendation is not to use mulch; use multiple, thick layers of wet newspaper weighted down during the winter... this will prevent future weeds and help smother existing weeds. You'll never be rid of weeds completely but I find layers of newsprint to work better than mulches, etc.