For this week’s gardening tip the subject will be weeding.

Weeds compete with cultivated plants for nutrients, water, light and space. Weeds should be destroyed before they flower and disperse seeds which will lead to a greatly magnified problem. Weeds can be controlled in many ways. The most common methods are:

Hand removal or hoeing: if this method is employed the weeds toor system must be removed as the weed may re-grow.

Chemical control: Spraying weed killers can be classified into many different categories including pre-emergent, post-emergent, contact weed killers and systemic weed killers depending on the method and timing of the application.

Please use non-residual herbicide as they will not leave any harmful residue for other plants. If spraying nearby waterways, bioactive Roundup should be used as they are harmless to aquatic fauna.