Fighting garden weeds

What is the best option to fight garden weeds? Herbicides? Mulch? Landscape fabric? If you are looking for the quick and easy solution to fighting weeds, each of the aforementioned items has its own issues.

Herbicides would seem to be the permanent answer. They come with their own set of rules such as the proper amount applied, usage during wind speeds below 10 mph and use well in advance of an impending rainstorm to reduce runoff. The biggest issue with herbicides is resistance. If you are spending the money on herbicides, you want something to work effectively. If you are not a gardener who likes using herbicides, then consider mulch.

Mulch applied early in the spring can reduce weed seeds. It keeps the ground temperature slightly cooler and slows the germination of the weeds. The biggest problem in northeast Colorado is any mulch you add to your garden may end up in your neighbor’s yard because of high winds.  However, gorilla hair mulch is made from the bark of redwood and western cedar trees that has been finely shredded. This is a mulch that forms a dense mat. It does not easily blow away in high-wind environments. Gorilla hair mulch costs about $4.50 a bag or $2.22 a cubic foot or $60 per cubic yard. This may not fit within your budget.

Perhaps landscape fabric is the next best option. When you put it down initially, it looks great and there are no weeds. As the seasons progress, there is debris that piles up on the landscape fabric.

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