Weeding and mulching do most of the work in keeping garden beds tidy. Done at the right time, they also save water and cut down how often the garden needs attention.
Weed when the soil is moist.
Heavy clay sets hard in summer, which snaps weeds off at the root and leaves them to regrow. Weeding a day or two after rain, or after a deep watering, lets the whole root come out. The most important rule is to get weeds out before they flower and set seed, which in this area means staying on top of things through late winter and spring.
Common weeds in local gardens.
A few that turn up again and again in Melbourne's outer north:
- Onion grass: remove the small bulb at the base, not just the leaves.
- Oxalis: spreads from tiny bulbs, so dig it out with the soil around it.
- Capeweed and flatweed: flat rosettes that are easiest to remove while young.
- Bindii: pull it out before the prickly seeds form in late spring.
Mulch to the right depth.
A layer of organic mulch around 5 to 7.5 cm deep suppresses most weeds, keeps the soil cooler in summer and slowly improves clay as it breaks down. Water the bed well before mulching, and keep mulch a few centimetres clear of plant stems to avoid rot.
Mulch breaks down over time, so most beds need topping up about once a year. Late spring, before the summer heat, is a good time to do it.
Keep it small and regular.
Fifteen minutes of weeding every week or two is far easier than a full day every few months. If that's hard to fit in, regular garden maintenance visits can handle the weeding, mulching and small tidy-ups for you.
Want a hand with it? See garden maintenance in Wallan, Beveridge and Kalkallo.
Also worth reading: How to get an accurate garden maintenance quote, Regular gardener or one-off tidy-up: which makes more sense?.