No Weed Garden Beds
3 Tips for weed free garden beds.
I have been using this method for years and am always amazed by how little weeding I do. Follow me on IG and let me know what you think. @DeliseGermond
Tip 1: Create a Border.
Having a border is helpful because it clearly defines where your garden bed starts and ends. This will also make landscaping easier, because anyone can visually see the line you expect to create. I’ve done this with a number of different materials including wooden fence panels, iron edging, plastic edging and more. Here is a link for some of my favorite edging.
Border Iron Garden Edging:
Option 1: https://amzn.to/3KzryJp
Option 2: https://amzn.to/3RprjUX
Option 3: https://amzn.to/3KB5lKR
Tip 2: Create a Barrier.
In your garden bed, the barrier is going to be a solid layer of material between the soil and your top layer (more on that soon). This layer is essential because it locks in moisture for your plants. Simultaneously, having a barrier will make it much more difficult for weeds to take root in your garden bed. Since the soil will not be exposed, even when a seed does land near your flowers, it won’t have what it needs to thrive. This is fantastic. Adding a barrier is quick and inexpensive. I usually use brown paper, paper bags or cardboard when I need extra protection. If I’m starting a bed from scratch in a grassy area, I’ll put a barrier beneath and above my soil just to make sure the grass won’t penetrate.
Barrier Butcher paper: https://amzn.to/3Xkg5ov
Tip 3: Create a Buffer.
The final step for having weed free garden beds is to create some sort of buffer. The buffer layer is your final defense against unwanted weeds. It will also lock in your moisture and regulate the temperature of your plants in harsh weather. Gravel, straw or mulch are all solid options for a buffer layer. My favorite approach is nugget mulch. My mom taught me this trick and it’s made mulching more affordable. You see, mulch not only protects your soil, it adds neutrience to it over time as it decomposes. While the added nutrience is a bonus, depending on what kind of buffer you use, you could find yourself replacing it often. Enter the beloved mulch nugget! These nuggets are about the size of my fist –sometimes larger! And because of that it takes them much longer to break down. I’ve had some in my front garden bed for years now. When it’s time to plant, you simply scrape it to the side and spread it back over your new babies. Perfect! Here’s a link to my favorite mulch nuggets.
Buffer Nuggets: https://amzn.to/4bJcpRD Stones: https://amzn.to/3Xf9zPO
Well! There you have it. Three simple steps for weed free garden beds. While my garden beds do still get the occasional weed. Using these three steps helps me to check on them monthly rather than weekly or even daily in high summer. For a busy working mom like me, that has made all of the difference and given me more time to spend on things I enjoy. I hope these tips free you up too! Let’s learn from each other. What would you add?
