In San Mateo County, we often look forward to winter rains to bring life to spring flowers and luscious gardens. However, they may also bring troublesome weeds. While herbicides may seem like the most convenient option, there are safer, less toxic alternatives. Keeping a few eco-friendly weed management tips in mind will help avoid unnecessary pollutants from entering the Bay and impacting our health.
The Impact of Pesticides On Our Waterways
Reaching for a gallon of herbicide is often the first thing we think of when dealing with invasive weeds. While it’ll do away with the weeds, it can also harm our waterways in the process. As we receive spring rain, any pesticides in the soil will be carried in the runoff that will ultimately make its way into the ocean or the Bay. Remember, stormwater is not treated and anything lingering in our soil will find its way into the creeks, the Bay, and the ocean. Even very small amounts of pesticides can be lethal to marine life, birds, and other life forms.
That’s why it’s so important to limit pesticide use as much as possible and implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques when dealing with weeds. IPM is a strategy that emphasizes less-toxic pest management methods that address the root cause rather than symptoms of pest problems.
Know What’s Growing In Your Garden
The first step in dealing with weeds safely is to know how to identify them. Weeds can be hard to identify, and as a result they often all end up being treated the same. It’s easy to forget that while weeds may be annoying, they are just plants growing in the wrong spot. They’re not always harmful in gardens, and may even be beneficial. Some so-called weeds attract pollinators and introduce nutrients into the soil. If you have specific questions about identifying a weed or coming up with a management plan, you can ask a Master Gardener by sending them an email here.
On the other hand, some weeds are invasive species that can be detrimental to gardens we spent lots of time building as well as to native wildlife. Check out the California Invasive Plant Council for resources to identify invasive plants.
Controlling Weeds
Once you’ve determined that a plant is a harmful weed, decide on the least toxic way to get rid of it. Fortunately, there are ways to treat pesky weeds without the use of toxic chemicals. They include:
- Utilizing mulch: Weeds have a harder time growing through mulch and the ones that do are often easy to pull! Mulch also helps keep the soil underneath moist, so you can reduce the amount of times it needs to be watered.
- Hand pulling: Weeds can be easy to pull by hand, or with the help of tools, when they’re still young and the soil is wet.
- Sprouting new life: You can help your yard by using ground cover which makes it harder for weeds to grow. After pulling a weed from your lawn, sprinkle some grass seeds over the spot to encourage grass to grow back there.
- Mowing: Mowing before weeds have the chance to grow helps to keep them more manageable.
- Take care of your soil: Many common weeds grow in dry soil, compact soil, or poorly draining soil. Identifying the weeds in your garden and what kind of soil conditions are encouraging their growth is the first step in deciding how to amend your soil to discourage those weeds.
Learn more about eco-friendly weed management here.
Interested in Learning More?
If you’re looking for more weed identification tips and eco-friendly tips for weed control check out this recording of our Spring Blooming: Eco-Friendly Weed Management webinar!
