A weed is often described as ‘a plant growing in the wrong place’. But with growing awareness of the many benefits of ‘weeds’ to wildlife, along with the increasing popularity of naturalistic planting styles, the concept of a ‘weed’ is becoming looser, and can vary from one gardener to another.
Weeds can out-compete garden plants both by their physical growth and by taking up water and nutrients. Some may also provide a refuge for pests or diseases. However, they can be left to grow in more relaxed parts of a garden like wildflower lawns, informal borders, and garden margins. A balance can be achieved by letting them flower for pollinators and then removing seeds to prevent their spread. Some weeds look untidy in the smarter areas of a garden, while others are extremely invasive or potentially damaging and should be tackled as soon as they appear. Becoming familiar with garden weeds is key to a successful garden.
Weeds can be divided into two main groups: annuals and perennials. In this guide we identify the most common UK weeds that are encountered in gardens, and how best to tackle them, should you want to.
Perennial weedsPerennial weeds are by far the biggest headache to the gardener as most are vigorous, long lived, and fast spreading. The best means of control is being vigilant and tackling unwanted perennials at the earliest sign of growth, and especially preventing them from setting seed. Do check your garden boundaries as weeds often make their way under the fence into your garden from neglected plots or wild land. Effective ways to combat perennials include thoroughly digging out all the roots – even tiny pieces left in the soil will form new plants – and covering the ground with light-excluding material for at
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