This book tells you why weeds aren't an enemy - and how to control them with everything from the vampire technique to boiling water, 'natural' home grown herbicides, various simple mulches, solarisation, steam..and dozens of others ways.
Organic Control of Common Weeds - 2nd edition
Author: FRENCH Jackie
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780947214517
Jackie French discusses the 5 most imporant weed myths, and the 8 simple rules for controlling weed growth:
The 5 most important weed myths:
Myth No.1 Weeds are bad guys.
Myth No.2 Weeds are just plants growing in the wrong place.
Myth No.3 'A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.' Waldo Emerson, and much quoted since.
Myth No.4 There is no such thing as a weed.
Myth No.5 You need herbicides to effectively get rid of weeds.
The Eight Rules of Effective Weed Control:
1. Work out why the weeds have invaded - and correct the problem. THERE IS ALWAYS A REASON.
2. Work out HOW the weeds have invaded ie over the edge of your garden, in mulch, stock feed - and make sure it doesn't happen again.
3. START SMALL - if you clear great spaces without filling them with grass, flowers, vegie, trees et al, you'll just get weeds leaping in to do what they do best - stabilise the disturbed soil again
4. There are always several ways to tackle any weed problem. Work out a list of strategies and, if necessary, combine them.
5. What will happen if the weed isn't eradicated? Many weeds can be left (especially annuals where good growing practice may mean they won't reappear next year).
6. DON"T PANIC. The problem may look insouble - it isn't.
7. Don't look for magic solutions.
8. Don't try to use land for something it isn't suited for. If your land is persistently going to weeds, it's trying to tell you something. Listen.
