Once you have chosen your site, you’ll need to remove any weeds and grass before planting your fruit and vegetables. There are several organic methods for instant and slower clearance which don’t use weedkillers (‘herbicides’). These are shown below.
Removing weeds (ie any plant growing where you don’t want it)
Remove ‘perennial’ weeds by digging over the soil to lift out as much root as possible. These plants have thick (often deep) roots and can survive for several years. They include dandelions, dock and brambles.
Perennials can regrow from the smallest bit of root so you may need to dig two or three times to remove the regrowth - though you may never completely remove the most persistent perennial weeds (like bindweed and ground elder).
If there is time (and to avoid digging), cover the soil with ‘light-excluding mulch’ such as black plastic for 6-12 months. The weeds beneath die without light and leave the soil ready for planting after surface cultivation. You can even plant vigorous crops like potatoes and marrows through the mulch while the weeds are dying.
Remove ‘annual’ weeds by digging out with a garden fork or covering with light-excluding mulch for a few weeks. They have only small roots and the plants die after setting seed in the first year. Annual weeds include groundsel and chickweed.
Removing grass
Just like weeds, grass is easily killed by covering with a light-excluding mulch. Grass is also easily dug up using a spade to cut the roots beneath the soil surface. Lift and remove the grass as ‘turves’. If grass is growing weakly and very patchy, it can be simply killed by digging over the soil to bury the plants. However, this doesn’t work if the grass is vigorous, where grass left near the surface after digging is likely to quickly regrow. In this instance, remove turves or mulch as above.
How much to remove
Only clear the space you need for the first year’s fruit and vegetables. Any bare soil left unused will be quickly overtaken by new weeds. You can help keep the soil clear by the following:
Be careful when handling weeds. Many have sharp, rough, or sticky growth and the rootballs can be heavy. Follow safety guidelines for garden tool use and digging, together with Manual Handling guidance if lifting turf and moving wheelbarrows.
Removing grass
Just like weeds, grass is easily killed by covering with a light-excluding mulch. Grass is also easily dug up using a spade to cut the roots beneath the soil surface. Lift and remove the grass as ‘turves’. If grass is growing weakly and very patchy, it can be simply killed by digging over the soil to bury the plants. However, this doesn’t work if the grass is vigorous, where grass left near the surface after digging is likely to quickly regrow. In this instance, remove turves or mulch as above.
How much to remove
Only clear the space you need for the first year’s fruit and vegetables. Any bare soil left unused will be quickly overtaken by new weeds. You can help keep the soil clear by the following:
- Sowing or planting newly cleared soil with crops as soon as possible.
- Hoeing as soon as weed seedlings appear.
- Covering with a light-excluding mulch.
- Sowing ‘green manure’ (plants grown to benefit the soil).
Be careful when handling weeds. Many have sharp, rough, or sticky growth and the rootballs can be heavy. Follow safety guidelines for garden tool use and digging, together with Manual Handling guidance if lifting turf and moving wheelbarrows.
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