Preventing Weeds in a Winter Garden that is Mediterranean

There are several manners which can garden weeds restrained. In garden beds that are quite little, they are able to often be handpicked, a laborious occupation not particularly so, although admittedly in scenarios that are small scale. But where larger places are concerned, it's essential as it is the season that vast amounts germinate, to seek alternate approaches, especially during the winter/spring seasons in Mediterranean climates. As in many facets of life, prevention is preferable to cure. How can weeds be prevented what are the advantages and disadvantages of the various approaches, and in the first place?

One alternative would be to use a pre-emergent herbicide, before the ground becomes covered in weeds by spraying it. While this might have its location in large scale scenarios, it's not desirable in an exclusive garden. If used improperly, particularly by untrained men, they are able to cause serious damage to neighboring garden plants and to the land.

There is a much safer and eco friendly weed management strategy to distribute a layer generally about 10cm deep, over the ground between the plants. In terms of weed management can be involved, wood chippings are not as ineffective as pebbles provided they're spread to an acceptable depth. It needs to be pointed out that mulching is not usually effective against perennial weeds, its relevance being limited to annuals.

Occasionally, some other form of aggregate or ornamental pebbles, are used within the general garden design. In Mediterranean gardens and dry climate they help save water by offering an option to flower beds and lawns.

In a situation much like that, it's not unusual for landscape materials to be placed on the earth before the pebbles are spread. Pieces of material are just cut away where a planted will be placed in the earth. Landscape materials, prevent seeds in the earth and are thus considered by many as an essential tool. You can find nevertheless, some serious issues related to their use, of which you might not be conscious.

Because of this, just semi-impermeable substances should be used, but even rain water will not consistently empty evenly through the ground, but tends to accumulate at specific points.

Another effect, is that adequate rainwater is prevented from leaching the salts that necessarily develop in the irrigated land of a dry climate garden, or washing away. The soil salinity in time, severely damage the land and could increase to amounts that retard plant development. So, as opposed to dispersing a cloth, I advocate adding the aggregates into a additional depth -3 cm, to make sure that the mulch's weed prevention properties will not be lost.


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