The weeds are taking hold! Close the shutters, hide the children, protect the seeds and let the scarecrow fed for itself. Ok so it's not blight, but an inexorable invasion of weeds on my allotment in Castlefarm is beginning to feel like an enemy attacking. And the weeds, unlike my sweetcorn or beetroot, seem to be enjoying this dismal wet week with unhealthy relish.
I have creeping buttercups, docks and the nettles are doing very nicely. The great rafts of goosegrass and thistle are also showing up. But are weeds just plants in the wrong place? Well, no. A weed is acne or hairs in food. Not the end of the world but we do not want them.
There are positives I'm told. The wider the variety of weeds you have, the healthier your soil. Also they will attract a good selection of insects, something to look forward too, lovely.
But they do contribute to the holistic balance of vegetable growing, which is the very essence of successful organic gardening. Chemical gardening is a bore. Stop it at once!
So how do we deal with weeds? Hoe, mulch or get down on your knees and hand-pick them out. Remember though timing is of the essence. You must remove the weeds before the seed. The old adage 'one year's seeding means seven years' weeding is pretty much accurate.
