The false seeding technique: if you try it, you'll love it!

With the rain and milder temperatures, life is slowly returning to the garden! But, this also means that weeds will come and colonise your garden and vegetable patch. This is a real disaster for gardeners, who can spend a lot of time hoeing to limit the growth of these weeds. So is there a miracle solution to prevent weeds from giving you a hard time?

The technique of false seeding, what's it all about?

This technique has been used for a very long time and is relatively simple to put into practice. When you work your soil with the aim of making it suitable for your future seedlings, you bring weed seeds that have been dormant underground to the surface. By rising to the surface, these small seeds benefit from better germination conditions: more water, more heat... The weeds will grow at the same time as your seedlings. To avoid this, simply prepare your soil two or three weeks beforehand. This way, the seeds will germinate before your seedlings are in place. You can then use your weeder to remove the germinated seeds. This will remove up to half the unwanted seeds. This operation should be carried out in good weather and in the morning.

Faux seeding under tarpaulin

It can be practised outdoors, but not only. After preparing your soil, you can lay an opaque tarpaulin over it. Thanks to the tarpaulin, weed seeds will grow faster, but they will also be deprived of light. You won't need to weed your garden again, as they will wither and eventually die from lack of light. Installing a tarpaulin also ensures that your soil is not turned over by rain. When you remove this protection to sow your plants, your soil will be ready for your radishes, carrots or lettuces! Carrots are among the vegetables that are sensitive to the presence of weeds.

A technique that's good for the planet

As well as making the gardener's weeding chore easier, it's also safe for our planet, as it doesn't use any chemicals. It's a natural, environmentally-friendly technique. To continue weeding while taking care of our planet, you can mulch the soil around your crops. By preventing light and air from getting through, weeds will eventually die out under the mulch. Another solution is to create plant combinations in your vegetable garden. If you feel like it, why not add some ground-covering perennials that will eliminate weeds naturally.