The problem of weeds
Weeds are the unwanted plants that grow in an agricultural field or a home garden and compete for the basic nutrients with the healthy and desirable plants. These are not only undesirable but also pose a threat for the desirable plants and hinder in their overall growth process. Hence, their proper removal and weed management is a must to get your desirable field and garden results. In case of having your own vegetable garden, the first and foremost step is to remove the excessive grass from the garden that acts as weeds in this case. This article discusses further on how to get rid of grass in vegetable garden.
The requisite methods
The answer to the question of how to get rid of grass in vegetable garden lies within either of the following steps that can be followed as per the convenience of the garden owner: –
- Digging- This is the conventional and easiest method to remove the undesirable grass from the garden before making a vegetable bed. The digging can be done by a good quality of spade and fork that removes the grass efficiently. Post this, the soil preparation is done by watering the dugout area properly, segregating the same in different parallel strips to expose the roots of the grass, then removing those and finally getting ready for having the vegetable garden. Although this method does not involve any use of chemicals, it has a disadvantage in the form of labor that is absorbed in digging up the garden and hence ending up with sore and cramped muscles eventually.
- Tilling- This process involves the use of a tiller that can be either hand operated or power operated one. The power of the tiller depends upon the amount of grass that has to be removed i.e. higher the amount to be removed, more power would be required for the engine operating the tiller. Post tilling, the soil is shaken properly to remove any residual grass and spread out the soil optimally to have the best vegetable garden growth. The best advantage of this process is that the organic matter is retained in the same and it is not lost in any form. However, the problem lies in the fact that this method cannot be used on rocky sites and wet soils.
- Smothering- This involves smothering the garden with plastic, newspaper or cardboard and then keeping the same for a longer period, depending on the season and time of the year. As a result, with time the temperature under the covers increase eventually that finally kill the undesired grass and renders the space free of those. It does not involve much labor and keeps the overall soil structure intact. However, it might harm the useful organisms and prolonged use of plastic would show derogatory effects.