| Once you have finished your small garden design | | | | by hand. Some will tell you that using a rototiller |
| and started the installation you will certainly be | | | | will just chop up the weeds and cause more to |
| quickly faced with every gardener's nemesis: | | | | grow. While this is true to a degree, the secret is |
| weeds. | | | | to turn the soil, wait until the surface is dry, and |
| Just like the plants you have so carefully selected | | | | then turn again. Repeating this over several days |
| for your new garden weeds are living, breathing | | | | will eventually cause all your weeds to dry out |
| plants that will thrive in the same conditions you | | | | and die. |
| are so carefully creating with your new small | | | | The other solution is to cover your beds with |
| garden design. | | | | mulch which will also deprive weeds of sunlight. |
| In other words, the very nutritious soil you are | | | | This works very well but the organic mulch |
| providing for the ornamental plants will feed and | | | | material will eventually begin to rot and turn into |
| nurture the weeds as well. | | | | prime weed growing soil itself. When that begins |
| The bottom line is the same things that make | | | | to happen, you will need to add more mulch |
| your garden so lovely, nutrition, sunlight, and | | | | material. |
| water will also help weeds to thrive as well. | | | | Under no circumstances should you install the |
| So how to get rid of the weeds, or at least keep | | | | weed control fabric or black plastic as a weed |
| them under control, without spending every | | | | control device. |
| waking hour pulling them out? The only thing you | | | | Both the fabric and the plastic are extremely |
| can deny weeds without killing your desired plants | | | | unattractive and will need to be covered either |
| at the same time is sunlight and that can be | | | | with mulch or soil which defeats the whole |
| accomplished in a couple of ways. | | | | purpose of putting it down in the first place. The |
| Turning the soil by hand will bury the weeds in it | | | | material you use to cover it will, in time, begin to |
| and kill them very effectively. The drawback to | | | | rot and become a prime breeding ground for |
| this method is, depending on the size of your | | | | weeds. But now you have to deal with the fabric |
| beds, labor intensive and will need to be done | | | | or plastic as well as the weeds. A good rule to |
| every few days, as often as new weeds appear. | | | | follow is never put anything in your garden that |
| This job can be made easier by using a small | | | | won't breakdown naturally. |
| sized rototiller to turn the soil instead of doing it | | | | |