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Weed them out

Ridding a garden regularly of weeds is important, as these plants choke the others and deplete the soil of nutrients

PRETTY BUT PERILOUS Weeds can become a headache for gardeners

The pleasure derived from tending a garden is unparalleled. So much so, the quest for unusual plants often leads one to pick up innocent looking weeds from the wayside. However, despite their attractive tiny and colourful flowers, weeds can quickly overrun the main plant in a pot or in the ground.

A tiny weed brought home and planted can prove to be one of the biggest headaches for a gardener. De-weeding becomes an endless task, as the weeds soon reappear in a pot that has just been cleared.

Weeds can also enter one's garden with soil bought from a nursery.

Eat up nutrients

Weeds eat up most of the nutrients in the soil, damaging the actual plant specimen. Naturally, flowering also declines in the main plant. Soil space is taken up rapidly by weeds which are hardy, further stunting the growth of the main plant specimen. This makes it imperative for gardeners to get rid of weeds fast and as regularly as possible.

Rainy season ideal

The rainy season is the best time to rid a garden of weeds, as the soil is wet and loose, which makes pulling the plants out easy.

This action could actually be a boon, as the soil gets lightly turned over. Chemical weed killers could prove dangerous to humans too, besides killing the main plant, if carelessly administered.

Once they take root, weeds are probably there to stay, because of successive germination. It needs an alert and active gardener to keep weeds under control. A little bit of salt and turmeric sprinkled on the top soil will keep ants and insects that shelter under the weed cover away.

RUPA GOPAL

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