Weeds are either annuals, perennials, biennials or ephemerals. It is important to know the life cycle of a weed to help you know how to control it.
How to get rid of weeds:
- Preventative measures: this comes down to good husbandry. Mulching around plants.
- Mechanically - Physically removing the plants for example pulling them out when you rotervate.
- Chemically - using herbicides which is a substance that is toxic to plants so removes the unwanted vegetation.
WEED KILLERS:
Contact - this type of weedkiller may need to be reapplied, as it only kills the areas of the plant it touches and doesn't travel down to the roots. Good for annual weeds like dead nettles, Lamium puerperium or chickweed, Stellaria media.
Systemic/translocated - Kills all plants down to the roots. You apply to the plant's leaves and the weedkiller travels through the plant, down to the roots and restricts the amount of nutrients and water the plant needs and so it dies. This type of weed killer works well on deep rooted perennial weeds like dandelions, taraxacum officinale or Daisy's, Bellis perennis.
Residual - these weed killers are best suited for use on paths or between paving. If it is used near flowers, shrubs and trees it could poison the soil and the nearby plants many ingest it. It's important not to use this type of weed killer need sites with edible plants.
Selective: only kills dycotoledons, so it is a lawn weed killer as it kills most broad-leafed weeds found in the grass. Grass is a monocotyledon so it not effected.
Non-selective: kills plants and weeds. It is used as an all over spray on uncultivated ground. Certain brands can be used as a direct spray between plants. These contain glyphosate which when used on areas that are then farmed for food, traces of glyphosate can be transferred and as a result builds up in the human body.
Biological controls:
Be careful if you use a residual weed killer in a walled garden with pathways. The weed killer could stunt the growth of surrounding plants because the area is a micro climate.