6 tricks to get rid of weeds in the vegetable garden

What we mistakenly call "weeds" are often plants rich in virtues. Horsetail or nettle, for example, make excellent purins that strengthen plants and protect them from pests. We therefore tend to talk about undesirable plants or adventices, in the sense that we don't want them to grow in a particular place in our garden. Whether for aesthetic reasons or because they grow to the detriment of other plants that have been carefully chosen, we've all had to tackle these unloved plants from time to time. There's one thing you should note above all: one way to save yourself endless weeding is to cut plants before they go to seed. This prevents them from reproducing and proliferating. Here are my tried and tested tips for destroying weeds.

1. Mulch your soil

This is definitely my favourite method of all, as it's hyperefficient. You can mulch your soil with a multitude of materials,(including weed waste) but I would very strongly advise you to use straw. The principle is simple: spread a layer of about 10 cm of straw over the entire surface you want to protect from unwanted weeds. Like a geotextile, the straw will prevent the sun's rays from reaching the soil, making it impossible for unwanted weeds to grow. But the benefits of this method don't stop there, since mulching not only keeps the soil moist and cool (an interesting feature in hot weather) but also improves its quality. In fact, many insects and friendly creatures, including the wonderful earthworms, will feed on this organic matter and, at the same time, enrich and aerate your soil. Last but not least, it's an extremely economical method, as straw is a readily available and extremely affordable material. Of course, you can very well use something other than straw such as: grass clippings (in small thicknesses), leaves, and plant matter.

2. Weeding by hand

Here's a method that has the merit of being simplistic and requires absolutely no equipment. You'll need to arm yourself with patience, because it's not in one session that you'll manage to get rid of all the unwanted plants. You'll need to repeat the process several times, as there is often a residual root which, given a little light, will regain its strength and grow again. With a bit of tenacity, you should be able to remove a huge proportion of it, but let's be honest, the result will never be 100% impeccable, so you'll have to stay alert and repeat the process as soon as you see a new weed emerging. The best advice I could give you is to act when the weather is wet or it has rained, the plant will pull itself out almost effortlessly, the roots won't resist.

3. Weeding

Another common method of getting rid of weeds naturally is to weed your soil. This tool will allow you to effectively decompact the surface layer of the soil and thus weaken the network of underground roots that weeds have developed. Hoeing your soil is also an excellent way of aerating your soil and improving its quality in order to welcome seedlings and plants.

4. Placing a tarpaulin

This method is commonly used on professional farms, but is not very popular in permaculture. Like mulching, tarping consists of covering part of the soil with an occulting tarpaulin, geotextile for example, thus preventing the passage of light and the development of plants. It has the advantage of being practical, economical and long-lasting. However, this method has one major drawback, and not the least of which is that it impoverishes the soil it covers. Without any organic matter, air or light, life gradually leaves the soil that has been covered, weakening it considerably over time. So use with care, and not all the time.

5. Cover the floor with cardboard

Here's a method based on the same principle as tarpaulin covering, but which I think has more advantages. Make sure you use recyclable cardboard, ideally ink-free and with all the tape removed. Place them over the areas to be protected and you'll see that they will decompose naturally, as they are a perfectly biodegradable material. You may need to add more cardboard during the season if the weather has been very bad. Although compostable, cardboard is less nutritious than hay or straw, for example. Nevertheless, it remains interesting from an ecological point of view, as cardboard will never see the shadow of a dustbin and will instantly find a new life within your vegetable garden.

6. The false seeding technique

A seed is capable of lying dormant for decades, waiting wisely for the ideal living conditions to finally present themselves. You should know that the soil is naturally armoured with seeds of all kinds deposited there over time by insects, the wind, plants going to seed etc.... To ensure that your plants do not compete with undesirable and invasive weeds, prepare your soil in the usual way, aerating it and working the surface as if you were going to sow normally. Clean the surface thoroughly, then wait a few days.... Any weeds that might have been competing with your seedlings will grow, so all you have to do is remove them, leaving all the space for your vegetable plants. Then all you have to do is sow and your own seedlings will take over from the weeds, which will be slow to grow back.

Bonus: how to weed a driveway "naturally"

1. Boiling cooking water

After cooking potatoes in very salty water, apply this boiling water to the weeds to be treated. The synergy of salt and heat is particularly effective. While this technique is extremely effective, it has the disadvantage of altering the nature of the soil and destroying the millions of micro-organisms and insects that contribute to the good health of the soil and the crops that grow in it. So use sparingly, for example when weeding in gravel.

2. Salted vinegar

As with boiling water, this technique is economical and very effective, but it has a negative impact on the soil. It should therefore be used sparingly and probably not in the vegetable garden. To put it into practice, all you need to do in a litre of water is mix a quarter of vinegar and a quarter of salt.

3. Thermal weeding

Pyroweeding is a technique that requires you to buy or hire a weeder, but it is extremely effective although perhaps not exactly natural. Via gas or electricity the plant cells are disintegrated. The plant will eventually dry out completely and die. Of course, this technique is rarely used in the garden, but to remove moss between paving stones or weeds invading a driveway, it works very well and at least no chemicals are sprayed.