A nessuno piacciono le erbacce nel proprio giardino. Ma anche se sono un problema reale, non è necessario ricorrere subito agli erbicidi chimici. Le erbacce possono essere eliminate in modo più delicato. In questo modo non farete del male alle creature viventi o all'ambiente. Se per voi è importante avere un giardino in armonia con la natura, non usate agenti chimici sintetici. L'uso di questi agenti, in ogni caso, è già vietato sulle superfici pavimentate o sigillate come i vialetti dei garage, dato che le sostanze dannose possono penetrare nelle falde acquifere.
Seeding weeds:
Seeding weeds generally flower for a summer. But in doing so they create so many seeds that these can thrive in the ground for years afterwards. They can come back to the surface as a result of digging and then germinate again. Cutting seeding weeds whilst they are in flower also encourages further strong growth, so gardeners who do this achieve exactly the opposite of what they set out to do in the first place. It is better to wait 2-3 weeks in spring before sowing or planting. You can then remove many of the weeds which have germinated up to that point. To do so, simply work the soil with a hand grubber and pull out the unwanted troublemakers. If they have not yet flowered, they are even valuable as compost and can therefore be put to good use. Typical examples of seeding weeds: Shepherd's purse, chickweed, white goosefoot and ribwort plantain.
Root-stock weeds:
Root-stock weeds are disseminated primarily underground via their roots and only to a lesser extent via seeds. If you leave a small amount of root behind when you remove them, the weed will soon appear again. Unlike seeding weeds, root-stock weeds should not be put on the compost heap, since the root parts are not killed off with any degree of certainty during the composting process. Typical examples of root-stock weeds: Temporary grasses, dandelions and the beastly couch grass.
Remember, not all weeds are always bad. Weeds include so-called 'pioneer plants' such dandelions and creeping thistle. Their strong roots aerate the soil and gather nutrients from deeper layers of soil, thereby making it possible for other plants to live later on. Many weeds are also an important source of food for useful insects and birds. You should therefore always carefully consider whether weeds really are a problem - and in which specific locations - so that you can then take targeted steps in the right places.
